Home & Garden Television, which plans to boost its profile with a major
consumer ad campaign, has 13 new series slated for the 2001-2002 season,
officials said Monday.
HGTV, now in 69 million homes, plans more than 1,500 hours of new programming
for the season, which, in addition to the new series, includes 38 specials and
new episodes of 54 returning shows.
The network will increase its programming budget by 25 percent
season-to-season, according to president Burton Jablin. Its marketing spending
this year will triple compared with last year.
HGTV plans to break its first sustained consumer marketing campaign in April,
with image ads running in shelter magazines, as well as publications such as
In Style and People.
The new program roster includes a number of primetime shows, such as:
House Detective,in which viewers follow a certified home
inspector out in the field; The Look with Katie Brown,in which
Brown reports on the latest trends in design and decorating; A Place to Call
Home,where HGTV goes to 'America's truly livable cities'; and
Renovations,in which Australian renovator Barte Shadlow depicts
the pitfalls and problems of home improvement.
Some of the other new shows slated for primetime are Sensible Chic,with host Susan Blake showing how to achieve million-dollar design looks at
a fraction of the cost; and Country Style, a magazine-style series.
HGTV plans to hold back the premieres of three new gardening shows until the
second quarter of next year, in the spring. Those are: Landscapers'
Challenge, a primetime show that pits pro landscapers against each other;
Landscape Solutions,which offers different options to viewers;
and The Seasoned Gardener, in which master gardener Chris Dawson offers
his tips.
