Luken Communications Vice President Matt Winn walks among the company's 10 satellite dishes atop the TV empire located on East Eighth Street.Luken Communications is preparing to add a new network for automotive performance enthusiasts.
The Chattanooga-based television company, which is emerging from a bankruptcy reorganization after settling a lawsuit against the 6-year-old business, will debut its Rev'n network on Dec. 1. The new network will have an initial reach of 29 million U.S. households, or more than one of every four American homes.
Rev'n will include programs focused on cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, events, auctions and more.
"The creation of an automotive network has been a very personal project for our team," David Leach, president and CEO of Luken Communications, said in a statement today. "Everyone at Luken has devoted a considerable amount of time and effort into making sure Rev'n is a quality, exciting network for viewers, affiliates and advertisers. We are thrilled with the finished product and the timing couldn't be better to make it a reality."
The new Rev'n network joins other Luken networks that offer program nationwide on many low-power stations, cable TV outlets, or digital affiliate channels added by network affiliate stations when they began broadcasting with digital technology. Other Luken channels include Retro TV, the Heartland Network, the Family Channel TUFF TV, PBJ, Frost Great Outdoors and Jewelry television.
Leach will be representing Rev'n at the premier automotive speciality products show, the SEMA Show, in Las Vegas this week.
Luken Communications was created in 2008 by Chattanooga millionaire investor Henry Luken, a telecom pioneer in long-distance dial-around businesses in the 1980s.
Luken Communications filed for bankruptcy last year after a jury said Luken had underpaid for the bankrupt Equity Communications and ordered Luken to pay $65.9 million. That verdict was appealed and ultimately Luken and the trustee for Equity agreed on a $2 million settlement. With that lawsuit behind it, Luken is now settling final claims to emerge from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.