TotalAccess
From Network Six Wiki
| TotalAccess TotalAccess Television | |
| |
| Role | Independent Content Provider |
|---|---|
| Owner | TotalAccess Television Corporation. |
| Location | Arlington, Texas USA |
| Services (US) | AccessONE (Broadcast)
Access.2/SixAmerica (Timeshare service; Cable/Digital Cable/Satellite/HD) TotalAccess News 24 (Cable/Digital Cable/Satellite/HD) |
| Services (UK) | TotalAccess International Syndication
Knightsbridge Studios (70%) |
TotalAccess is an independent company providing American programming content to the franchises of Network Six since February 19, 2007. Prior to their agreement with Six, TotalAccess previously provided content to franchises of the former 6-Net and APFS Network, as well as running some franchises for those networks on a temporary basis.
All output created by TotalAccess has been available in widescreen and High Definition (HD) since the network was created.
Contents |
[edit] Operations
[edit] Pre 2003
TotalAccess began in 1999 as the sixth commercial broadcast network in the USA, with its flagship daytime drama "Thrall High," (began in syndication; 1997-2003) and comedy series "As Seen on TV" (1999-2004).
TotalAccess became known as TotalAccess One in 2003 following the start of a 24-hour alternative programming channel, TotalAccess Two, on cable and satellite. TotalAccess One started a news division in that year, becoming the first US broadcast network to offer a nationwide 1pm and 9pm newscast.
[edit] 2003-2004
TotalAccess, doing business at the time as TotalAccessUK, offered a wide catalogue of programming options to the then-budding APFS Network. In late December, TotalAccessUK agreed to run a temporary franchise for the Borders/Isle of Man region, called Frontier Television. It operated in the region until February 2004 when Television Borders (TVB) took over. After handing over the franchise, TotalAccessUK continued to build up a library of programmes. In Spring 2004, TotalAccessUK was the production company spearheading its first network-wide programme, The Great Loose Change Search, in which people from all over the nation donated whatever change they had found or collected to benefit several charities.
[edit] 2004-2005
Programme commissioning had stalled during this time, so TotalAccessUK attempted to diversify by creating several digital channels re-launching some of the more famous brand names in ITV history: Thames, Southern, and LWT. Based out of the company's then-owned Knightsbridge Studios, all were 24-hour all-digital services and were mildly successful, but LWT was eventually scuttled, and the Thames and Southern channels signed over to dMGw Worldwide. The Knightsbridge Studios were sold off soon after, eventually landing in the hands of Taff Media.
Some of the more popular programming created by these channels, namely "Tracks" and "Evening Edition," were added into the TotalAccess programme library. The library itself diversified into anime series and other, non-original programming.
[edit] 2006
When the APFS Network re-tooled itself and became 6-Net, the London Weekend franchise was one of the contracts up for grabs. TotalAccess threw its hat back into the ring, and decided to attempt to continue the Exelon Weekend Television name and policies. Shortened on-air to EWT, the franchise did succeed, and under TotalAccess' reign, made some innovative changes in presentation style. The graphics, featuring the stylised EWT symbol in places such as pizzas, steel girders, and even crop circles, was widely lauded and praised by the rest of the 6-Net colleagues. For programming, EWT revived 'Tracks' and 'Evening Edition,' and co-created (with the TotalAccess One American channel) the suspense series Summit. TotalAccess also developed the 'Underground' block of programming, utilizing irreverent comedy, drama, and animated programming.
Later that year, when the future of 6-Net was starting to dim, TotalAccess pulled out of the UK altogether, handing control of EWT back over to dMGw. The money saved from that move led to the formation of TotalAccess News 24, a US-only, around-the-clock news channel formatted similarly to BBC News 24.
[edit] 2007
After some corporate restructuring, TotalAccess returned to the UK in February 2007, based solely out of their Arlington, TX headquarters. Under a new division known as TotalAccess International Syndication, the company now offers 95% original programming (including programming previously created during its ownership of EWT). TotalAccess currently offers only three titles not originally produced in-house in syndication deals to the UK.
In addition to a mainstream programme library, the company offers several format ideas that are for sale, as well as leasing space in their US newsrooms for several Network Six franchises to operate news bureaus out of. In late February, TotalAccess announced the reclamation of a 70% stake in Knightsbridge Studios, in partnership with Taff Media. The complex will continue to be an independent production house containing some of Taff's projects. TotalAccess will lease studios to other productions as necessary.
Two TotalAccess productions were made part of the Holiday 2007 schedules on Network Six; The Christmas Special Christmas Special, which highlighted the holiday as it was written into television throughout history, and a two-hour finale movie to wrap up storylines to the Tracks series.
[edit] 2008-9
During the summer of 2008, TotalAccess Television decided to change the names of their networks. The main broadcast entity became known as AccessONE, while the digital channel was renamed Access.2; a portmanteau on the fact that the channel airs on the secondary digital channel of every TotalAccess affiliate station.
In January 2009 it was announced that TotalAccess launched a ten hour block of programming called SixAmerica, as a test to market the viability of Network Six programming on a dedicated channel. The test was considered a success, and in June 2009, the programming block became a permanent fixture of Access.2's programming. TotalAccess also successfully bid for the Six HD franchise, and has been running that channel as an entertainment service featuring 90% high definition programming, with the other 10 percent being remastered and upconverted programmes.
AccessONE and TotalAccess News will undergo a graphics change on 1 January 2010, it was announced in December. The news output will now be known as AccessNews and will have a graphics and music package similar to that of the ITV News relaunch.
[edit] Assets
- AccessONE is the company's main broadcast television system. It is comprised of 150 affiliates across all fifty states.
- Access.2 is a digital service, carried as a subchannel on the digital versions of the 150 affiliates. It also operates independently on many cable systems across the country, as well as on Dish Network and DirecTV satellite services. It was formerly called TotalAccess Two.
- Access Canada is a network of five affiliates across the Canadian mainland, simulcasting the AccessONE feed except for certain programmes during daytime which are syndicated elsewhere. Known as TotalAccess Canada until 31 December 2009.
- Access News 24 is a cable news network also offered on the digital subchannels of some affiliates. Known as TotalAccess News 24 until 31 December 2009.
- SixAmerica is a service that runs ten hours a day on the same digital subchannel as Access.2. Originally a test service, it became a permanent fixture of the channel in May 2009. It began as a daytime service, running 8am to 6pm, but will swap timeslots beginning in 2010 and expand to twelve hours, from 6pm to 6am.
- The Knightsbridge Studios are a complex of high-def ready studios and offices originally built by TotalAccess, who retains 70% ownership of the complex. Programmes such as 'Evening Edition' and 'Summit' were recorded here. TotalAccess still maintains offices here for syndication and production purposes.
