Weekend Marketplace
Encyclopedia
Weekend Marketplace is a two hour Saturday morning block of paid programming
airing on Fox
that began airing on January 3, 2009, replacing the 4Kids TV Saturday morning cartoon
block that aired using time leased by 4Kids from Fox from 2002 until the last Saturday of 2008. The block is programmed solely with infomercials, which usually air on networks and stations during late night and early morning hours; such programming, however, has not previously been scheduled on a regular basis by a major broadcast television network.
title within television listings and industry media; most stations which carry the block disregard this title when they distribute their listings to guide providers and it usually is listed as four separate segments of "paid programming" instead so that viewers aren't mislead about the content of the block. In addition, Fox has stated that it ultimately intended to have the block contain programs that resemble normal programming (albeit still prominently advertising a product), though as of September 2011 there has been no sign of this type of programming upcoming. Presently the block consists of four traditional 28.5-minute infomercials, with short-form direct response
commercials at the end of each half-hour, and no local station breaks beyond a five-second station identification
slot at the top of the hour.
requirements or to add a weekend morning newscast, though many stations have chosen not to add a morning newscast due to having to fit E/I programming into the low-profile timeslots released by Fox to reduce ratings damage later in the day.
Miami and WJBK
Detroit, have similarly declined Weekend Marketplace (two of the exceptions are WJW Cleveland
and KTBC
Austin
, both of which now air the infomercial block after having declined Fox Kids / Fox Box / 4Kids TV for many years). However, it does not appear that all of the non-Fox stations that picked up 4Kids TV in such markets have continued with the infomercial block (WMYD
Detroit airs it, but KASW
Phoenix
, WBFS
Miami, WBNX
Cleveland and WMLW-CA
Milwaukee have declined it).
KMYS
in San Antonio, which switched from MyNetworkTV
to The CW in September 2010, continued to carry the block in lieu of Fox sister station KABB
and instead airs that network's children's block, Toonzai (also programmed by 4Kids Entertainment
) during overnight periods inaccessible to most children, likely as the station was unable to revoke the deal to carry Weekend Marketplace. WISE-DT2
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
(which affiliated with the network in August 2011 in place of WFFT-TV
) refused to carry it upon affiliation due to their already existing E/I
block.
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
airing on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
that began airing on January 3, 2009, replacing the 4Kids TV Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
block that aired using time leased by 4Kids from Fox from 2002 until the last Saturday of 2008. The block is programmed solely with infomercials, which usually air on networks and stations during late night and early morning hours; such programming, however, has not previously been scheduled on a regular basis by a major broadcast television network.
Branding and title issues
Despite being carried over Fox's airwaves, the block features no Fox branding or in-house promotional advertising (or even references to the title "Weekend Marketplace") for the duration of the block and is only used mainly as a placeholderPlaceholder name
Placeholder names are words that can refer to objects or people whose names are either temporarily forgotten, irrelevant, or unknown in the context in which they are being discussed...
title within television listings and industry media; most stations which carry the block disregard this title when they distribute their listings to guide providers and it usually is listed as four separate segments of "paid programming" instead so that viewers aren't mislead about the content of the block. In addition, Fox has stated that it ultimately intended to have the block contain programs that resemble normal programming (albeit still prominently advertising a product), though as of September 2011 there has been no sign of this type of programming upcoming. Presently the block consists of four traditional 28.5-minute infomercials, with short-form direct response
Direct response marketing
Direct-response marketing is a form of marketing designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. The delivery of the response is direct between the viewer and the advertiser, that is, the customer responds to the marketer directly...
commercials at the end of each half-hour, and no local station breaks beyond a five-second station identification
Station identification
Station identification is the practice of radio or television stations or networks identifying themselves on air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name...
slot at the top of the hour.
Scheduling
The block normally airs from 10:00 a.m. to noon ET/PT, the second half of the timeslot previously used for 4Kids TV; the remaining time was returned to the network's affiliates, for use to air syndicated children's programming that meets FCC-mandated E/IE/I
E/I, which stands for "educational and informative," refers to a type of children's television programming shown in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission requires that every full-service Terrestrial television station in the U.S. show at least three hours of these television...
requirements or to add a weekend morning newscast, though many stations have chosen not to add a morning newscast due to having to fit E/I programming into the low-profile timeslots released by Fox to reduce ratings damage later in the day.
Affiliate reach
The block currently airs on 95% of Fox affiliates. Most, if not all, of the stations that declined to carry 4Kids TV, such as WSVNWSVN
WSVN, channel 7, is a television station located in Miami, Florida, USA. WSVN is owned by Sunbeam Television, and is an affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company. The station has its studio facilities located in North Bay Village and transmitter based in north Miami-Dade County.WSVN operates a Key...
Miami and WJBK
WJBK
WJBK is the Fox–owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
Detroit, have similarly declined Weekend Marketplace (two of the exceptions are WJW Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and KTBC
KTBC
KTBC, channel 7, is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in Austin, Texas. Studios are located in downtown Austin at the corner of 10th and Brazos Streets , and its transmitter is located in the city....
Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, both of which now air the infomercial block after having declined Fox Kids / Fox Box / 4Kids TV for many years). However, it does not appear that all of the non-Fox stations that picked up 4Kids TV in such markets have continued with the infomercial block (WMYD
WMYD
WMYD is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southeast Michigan licensed to Detroit. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter on Eight Mile Road in Oak Park along the Oakland and Wayne County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
Detroit airs it, but KASW
KASW
KASW is a full-service television station licensed to Phoenix, Arizona. It broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 49 from a transmitter located on South Mountain in Phoenix, on cable channel 6 on major Phoenix cable systems , and several translators in northern and eastern Arizona...
Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, WBFS
WBFS
WBFS, or Wii Backup File System, is a file system developed by Wii homebrew coders kwiirk and Waninkoko. It uses Waninkoko's cIOS and works by creating a WBFS partition on a SD or USB device. A Wii homebrew application may then be run to dump a Wii game to the partition...
Miami, WBNX
WBNX-TV
WBNX-TV, virtual channel 55 , is the CW television affiliate serving the Cleveland/Akron/Canton, Ohio television market; it brands itself as "WBNX, The CW". The studios are located in Cuyahoga Falls and the transmitter is in Parma, although it is licensed to Akron...
Cleveland and WMLW-CA
WMLW-CA
WMLW-CA, channel 41 , is a LPTV independent television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its transmitter is located in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park...
Milwaukee have declined it).
KMYS
KMYS
KMYS, channel 35, is the CW affiliate in San Antonio, Texas. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. It is licensed to the nearby city of Kerrville. Its transmitter is located near Lakehills, Texas.-Founding:...
in San Antonio, which switched from MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
to The CW in September 2010, continued to carry the block in lieu of Fox sister station KABB
KABB
KABB is the Fox Network affiliate television station in San Antonio, Texas. It is co-owned with The CW Television Network affiliate KMYS by the Sinclair Broadcast Group...
and instead airs that network's children's block, Toonzai (also programmed by 4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment is an American film and television production company in bankruptcy since April 2011. It is known for English-dubbing Japanese anime and specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the United States...
) during overnight periods inaccessible to most children, likely as the station was unable to revoke the deal to carry Weekend Marketplace. WISE-DT2
WISE-DT2
WISE-DT2 is the primary Fox and secondary MyNetworkTV television station for Northeastern Indiana. It is a second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate WISE-TV owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
(which affiliated with the network in August 2011 in place of WFFT-TV
WFFT-TV
WFFT-TV is an Independent station for Northeastern Indiana licensed to Fort Wayne. From the network's launch on October 9th, 1986 to July 31, 2011, WFFT was the Fox-affiliated television station for Fort Wayne. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter at...
) refused to carry it upon affiliation due to their already existing E/I
E/I
E/I, which stands for "educational and informative," refers to a type of children's television programming shown in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission requires that every full-service Terrestrial television station in the U.S. show at least three hours of these television...
block.