ION Television to Begin Airing BLUE BLOODS, ROOKIE BLUE this Fall

ION Media Networks' flagship network, ION Television, continued its steady ratings climb in 2014, ranking among the top 10 cable networks in Adults 25-54 in primetime. The network also announced today that 49% of ion TELEVISION viewers watch 10+ hours per month, nearly twice the cable network average, while 83% of its audience watches more than one episode per sitting,* putting the network within the top 5 in Live Viewing (#3), Holding Power (#2) and Viewer Loyalty (#5).

Leading the charge was the mainstay series "Criminal Minds," which rated as a top-10 most-watched regular series on cable among Adults 18-49 and 25-54. The series increased by 9% among Adults and Women 25-54 versus the same period the previous year, and also grew by 5% among Adults 18-49 and 7% in Women 18-49.

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" proved to be another big success story for ION, boosting the Saturday night lineup by over 20%. The series ranked #8 on Saturday among all cable networks in Women 25-54 and is ION's second highest-rated series behind "Criminal Minds."

"The Listener," ION Television's newest original series, debuted April 1 to more than 1 million total viewers, 403,000 Adults 25-54 and 849,000 households. Over its first three weeks, the series has continued its successful run for the network, averaging over 1 million viewers and 872,000 households. The series is also delivering among key demos, including Adults 18-49 (376,000) and 25-54 (451,000) and Women 18-49 (235,000) and 25-54 (279,000) over the same span.

This year, ion TELEVISION announced two additional series coming to the network in the fall, including "Blue Bloods," which ION holds exclusive weekday off-network Primetime broadcast rights to, as well as off-network rights to "Rookie Blue."

Lastly, building on the network's commitment to introduce original programming, ion TELEVISION will again produce five all-new original holiday movies this year, adding to its current roster of 18 titles.

Qubo & ION Life

ION Media Networks' special interest channels, Qubo and ION Life, will launch a steady new flow of content in 2014. Qubo, a network for children of all ages that celebrates the fun of learning, and ION Life, a network dedicated to the celebration of healthy, active and empowered lifestyles, are adding a combined 383 additional programming hours.

Qubo's premieres will include:

Dive Olly Dive: The series follows the adventures of Olly, a young submarine-in-training, and Beth, his best friend and fellow trainee, as they explore their spectacular underwater world.

Doki: Members of the International Explorers Club, Doki and his five friends are part of this organization that dedicates itself to exploration, discovery and learning.

Famous Five: On the Case: Based on the children's book series by Enid Blyton, the animated series is set in modern times and features the children of the original Famous Five.

Sally Bollywood: With the help of her best friend Doowee, Sally runs a detective agency, "Sally Bollywood Investigations (SBI)," that provides assistance exclusively to children.

ToddWorld: Featuring the artistic style of Todd Parr's children's books, each episode conveys a message about tolerance, diversity and acceptance.

Additionally, ION Life adds to its lineup with:

Chef at Home: Chef Michael Smith invites viewers into his home kitchen in order to show them how to create uncomplicated, tasty meals for family and friends.

Chef at Large: Chef Michael Smith travels the WORLD and meets up with other chefs in their kitchens and samples their best cuisine.

Design Rivals: Hosts Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman agree to disagree as they explore all the options to design a space that reflects the guest's innermost needs and individuality.

Diva on a Dime: Style guru Julia Grieve shows participants how to look good without spending a lot of money, choosing an outfit that inspires a real-life, low-budget shopping trip.

Fresh with Anna Olson: Host Anna Olson invites viewers into the comfort of her Niagara region country home and creates unique meals using her mantra: "eat fresh, eat local."

Home to Go: Host Peter Fallico presents original, easy-to-execute, and inexpensive do-it-yourself décor ideas and solutions for people living in temporary spaces.

In the Dog House: Life coach and canine behaviorist Brad Pattison fixes bad behavior by both dogs and their humans with his innovative tough-love training and counselling skills.

Lovin' Spoonful: Host David Gale's series is devoted to characters, cultures and food, as he visits different grandmothers to cook, laugh and learn about their lives.

Reality Obsessed: Host Murtz Jaffer explores the juiciest details of reality television, hunting for answers to the "big picture" questions that fans want to know.

Renovate My Wardrobe: Hosts Peter Papapetrou and Glen Peloso take people's "old and tired" clothing and closets and Turn them into "new and admired" outfits and spaces.

So Chic: Hosts Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman have the knowledge, skill, flair, and savvy urban know-how to show everyday women how to achieve great style at any cost.

Source: ION analysis of copyrighted Nielsen data - Primetime 4Q'13; Law & Order: CI (12/30/13-2/9/14) and The Listener (4/1/14-4/15/14)

* ION/Vision Critical survey of 3,000 ION viewers

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