Theater review
Tragedy constricts the life of “Neat,” but not her soul, in Renaissance Theaterworks drama.
Milwaukee television viewers have a partly new channel lineup — with most of the same stations — thanks to some recent changes in TV programming ownership.
Among the results: Milwaukee over-the-air viewers can now watch the same programming on three different channels.
The biggest change went into effect Monday, when Scripps, the media company that owns WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) and its digital subchannels, reshuffled its local subchannel lineup. The reshuffle, related to Scripps’ purchase of programmer Katz Broadcasting, changed the locations of the content carried on most of WTMJ’s secondary channels — all of which were launched by Katz.
■ Channel 4.2, which had been carrying the sitcom-heavy Laff channel, is airing Bounce TV, programming targeting Black audiences with reruns and new series like “Saints & Sinners.”
■ Court TV, which brought its livecourtroom telecasts back to the airwaves on Channel 4.5 in Milwaukee in 2019, now airs on 4.3.
■ Court TV Mystery, the true-crime channel that had been on 4.3, is now in Channel 4.5.
■ In the game of TV channel musical chairs, Laff, with programs like “The Bernie Mac Show,” “Home Improvement” and “How I Met Your Mother,” moved to Channel 4.6.
■ Grit, the Westerns and actionmovie channel, remained on 4.4.
Two of those subchannels — 4.2 and 4.3 — are also carried on Spectrum cable. Since the cable spots go with the channels and not the programming, Bounce now airs on Spectrum’s Channel 990 instead of Laff, and Court TV is on Channel 991 instead of Court TV Mystery.
Other changes are the result of a separate acquisition by Scripps.
In January, the media company’s acquisition of Ion Media made WPXETV (Channel 55), the Ion station in Milwaukee, formally a sister station of Channel 4.
It also yielded other changes for Milwaukee TV viewers.
Ion, which can be seen on Spectrum cable on Channel 15, also had some digital subchannels in the Milwaukee market. One of them, 55.2, carried Qubo, a children’s programming outlet; another, 55.3, had Ion Plus.
Scripps discontinued both of those programming services when it acquired Ion, and at the beginning of March replaced Ion Plus on 55.3 with Court TV, and dropped Qubo, on Channel 55.2, for Bounce.
As a result, Milwaukee TV viewers now can find Bounce programming on three different over-the-air channels — Weigel Broadcasting’s Channel 49.2, where it has aired for a decade on a station; 4.2; and 55.2 — and two channels on Spectrum cable, Channels 990 and 997.
Another Ion subchannel, 55.4, is carrying Grit’s lineup.