Weigel Broadcasting has announced a new multicast offering that will land on broadcast TV in most parts of the country later this year.
The channel, called West, will offer western television series like “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” “Maverick,” “Rawhide” and “The Virginian.”
It is the 10th multicast network offered by Weigel Broadcasting since the company launched its first digital offering, MeTV, in 2003.
When it comes to western multicast networks, West will be the third major broadcast network in the market, competing against similarly-themed channels like Grit from the E. W. Scripps Company and Outlaw from Free TV Networks.
“We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the West network, a move that has been driven by years of client feedback and growing demand,” Jeff Nash, the Senior Vice President of Network Sales at Weigel Broadcasting, said in a statement. “This expansion represents another major milestone for us, and we’re proud to deliver exactly what our partners have been asking for.”
At launch, West will be available on Weigel-owned stations, the company affirmed. It did not announce any other broadcast distribution partners, nor did it say whether West will be available on cable, satellite or streaming platforms.
Other Weigel-owned multicast networks include MeTV Plus, MeTV Toons, Catchy Comedy, Story Television, Start TV and Heroes & Icons. Weigel also operates other multicast networks as a joint venture with peer broadcasters, including Dabl (Paramount Global) and Movies (Fox Television Stations).
Nationally, Weigel’s multicast networks are available on streaming services Philo and Frndly TV.
