ION Television Deals for Criminal Minds

By Michael Malone
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

ION Television will begin airing Criminal Minds in primetime in the fall of 2009 following an agreement for the series’ broadcast-syndication rights between parent ION Media Networks and CBS Television Distribution.

Crime drama Criminal Minds follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit at Quantico, Va., and stars Mandy Patinkin, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore.

“This high-caliber TV series strengthens and broadens ION Television with target audiences and advertisers long-term,” ION Media Networks chairman and CEO Brandon Burgess said in a statement. “The series has compelling first run ratings on CBS and isshowing strength going into their fourth original season.”

ION has been stepping up its programming with shows such as Boston Legal, The Steve Harvey Show and Quantum Leap. The network will hold its upfront presentation May 1 in New York.

Michael Malone
Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.