Ovation TV programming executive Kris Slava believes he knows what plays in Peoria.
It’s the same entertainment that sells in New York, Chicago, San Antonio and the rest of America, said Slava. Ovation TV, a decade-old arts channel that has relaunched with national satellite distribution and an ambitious new schedule, wants to prove his argument.
Defying the conventional view of culture on TV as stuffy and obsessed with “plummy British accents,” as Slava puts it, Ovation has assembled an eclectic array of performances, films, documentaries and more of both the fine arts and mainstream popular fare.
The revamped Ovation kicked off this week with “American Revolutionaries,” a celebration of innovative artists airing through July 15. The something- for-everyone mix includes programs on Jackson Pollock, Elvis Presley, John Coltrane, Marlon Brando, Frank Lloyd Wright and Kurt Cobain.
The regular lineup has been reworked, as well, with each weeknight devoted to a specific genre. Monday’s focus is performance, including dance and theater; profiles and movies about artists air Tuesday; the visual arts including architecture, painting and design are on Wednesday; Thursday is music night; and Friday puts the spotlights on film.
Daytime fare focuses on classic performances and music.
The channel “has to be engaging,” said Slava. “You have to know you’re going to come here and you’re going to find something that is going to be fun to watch, that is not going to be hard work to watch, that is going to speak to you in a really smart way.”
An innovative generation of artists is creating work that “is much more contemporary and interesting” and is pulling new fans nationally into museums, to live theater and to reinterpretations of opera, Segars said.
Ovation, which debuted in 1996 and was acquired by new owners last year, intends to follow suit.
“We’re about demystifying art and the arts,” Segars said. That means the channel will canvas the worlds of high art and pop culture and actively seek “all generations” from the more traditional arts-seekers to the very young who are savvy about the changing culture, he said.
Those passionate about art are underserved on TV, Segars said. While PBS remains a culture stalwart, Bravo and A&E have moved toward general entertainment.
“The exciting thing for us is the category is wide open,” said Segars, who launched the Fine Living cable network and executive produced the film “National Treasure” and its upcoming sequel.
Ovation, delivered by Time Warner and several other cable carriers in major markets, went national via DirecTV last month and plans further expansion beyond its current subscriber base of about 15 million.
