LXTV
LXTV is the brand name of a lifestyle and entertainment programming production unit owned by NBC Universal that creates "hyper-local" content. Started in 2006 by former MTV executives Morgan Hertzan and Joseph Varet as a privately owned broadband TV network and Website, LXTV was acquired in January 2008 by NBC Owned Television Stations (formerly NBC Local Media), a division of NBCUniversal.[1] LXTV was formed after the company - originally focused exclusively on web-based content - was approached by NYC TV head Arick Wierson about forming a joint production partnership. NYC TV, which later went on to forge a content partnership with NBC´s local New York station, WNBC/Ch. 4, brought LXTV into the NBC deal, thus giving the former web-only company access to the top local grossing local TV station in the U.S. After repeated attempts to acquire the production arm of NYC TV (due to NYC TV's public-owned status) NBC opted instead to buy LXTV, so it could create similar hyper-local fare for itself.[2]
Some of LXTV’s programs include 1st Look, Open House, Open House NYC and George to the Rescue, which presents lifestyle programming to a young affluent audience.
LXTV also created and launched New York Live (formerly LX New York), the live, daily lifestyle show on WNBC, NBC's New York affiliate, broadcast from Studio 3C in Rockefeller Center and live from the streets in and around New York.[3]
Programming
- 1st Look is a weekly national lifestyle show on NBC that features exclusive restaurants, shopping, fashion, nightlife and entertainment. The show is hosted by Audrina Patridge. Former hosts include Ali Fedotowsky, Maria Sansone, and Pedro Andrade.
- Open House and Open House NYC are weekly luxury real estate shows on NBC, highlighting the best in real estate and interior design across the nation, hosted by Sara Gore.
- George to the Rescue is a weekly national home improvement show on NBC, starring George Oliphant. George and his team of contractors and interior designers travel the nation rescuing the homes of deserving people.
- On the Rocks is a reality series following the nationwide search for the best and brightest mixologists to showcase their style, personality and skills behind the bar. Shot on location in Las Vegas and Los Angeles and hosted by Maria Sansone, "On the Rocks" features a seasoned panel of judges who determine the fate of bartenders competing to win the grand prize of $100,000 and the title "America's Top Bartender." The show started as a Web series and later became a television program airing on NBC.
- My First Time is an Emmy-award-winning documentary series highlighting individuals embarking on a major event for the first time in their lives. Past specials have focused on the New York City Marathon, the Winter Olympics, the Tribeca Film Festival and the Academy Awards.
- Match Off was a reality series following two matchmakers competing to find the perfect love match for the same client. Each week, for seven weeks, two new matchmakers compete to find love for their client.
- I Do! was a television series in 2008 about the realities and dramas of planning and throwing a wedding, highlighting the latest trends in weddings, from couture cakes to luxury table settings.
History
Originally branded as Code.TV, and focused on web distribution, the production company´s founders rebranded themselves as "LXTV" - LX an abbreviation for Luxury - as part of a deal made with local New York channel NYC TV in which the broadcaster would air the LXTV content over the air on WNYE Channel UHF 25. Before rebranding, Code.TV launched a one-time Web video following around a 23-year-old analyst named A.J. who worked at an investment bank as he went out on an extravagant night on the town, in which he described as "models and bottles." A.J.'s lavish lifestyle, colorful personality and catchphrase went viral and became instant Web fodder, getting picked up by sites like "Gawker," "New York Times" and the "New York Sun",[4][5] where it was referred to as "the laughingstock of Wall Street offices and blogs", and A.J. is called "the next Aleksey Vayner."
References
- ↑ McCarthy, Caroline. "NBC division acquires Web video site LX.tv". CNET. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ↑ Daily News. New York http://articles.nydailynews.com/2008-07-08/entertainment/17901944_1_city-buildings-secrets-of-new-york-station. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ "LXTV Names Hosts for New Show". Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ↑ "A.J. the Analyst's Boogie Nights Might Be Ending". Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ↑ "Another Day, Another Video: This Time It's Wall Street Gone Wild". The New York Times. 20 October 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2011.