Recap To The Week: AMC Networks International Launches New Content Group Across UK & EMEA

AMC Networks International UK (AMCNI0UK) has forged a new Content Group across the UK and EMEA and promoted Sam Rowden to run it.

Rowden, who currently oversees the company’s programing strategy for the CBS channel portfolio, becomes VP of the Content Group.

She will oversee linear and content strategies across the UK and EMEA with oversight of joint venture channels CBS Justice, CBS Europa, CBS Reality, RealityXtra, Legend, HorrorXtra as well as channel brands AMC and SundanceTV.

The weighty new remit also includes AMCNI-UK’s AVoD and FAST portfolio consisting of the AVoD player CBS Catchup Channels UK and FAST channel True Crime from CBS Reality that has recently launched with Amazon Freevee and Rakuten TV, and which is also available via ITVX. Additionally, Rowden is now also responsible for content acquisition and content partnerships including the relationship with Paramount Global for both the UK and EMEA joint ventures as well as content management including compliance.

“Sam has been the driving force behind the continued success of AMCNI-UK’s joint ventures with Paramount Global, both in the UK and in EMEA, including the development of our highly successful true crime originals effort since the beginning,” said Kevin Dickie, EVP and MD for AMNCI UK.

“With her leadership skills and expertise developing brands that appeal to a wide range of audiences, she is perfectly placed to assume this key role as we further integrate our linear and streaming efforts.”

Rowden joined AMCNI around 15 years ago.

The Twisted Origin Story Of RealityXtra

RealityXtra is a European based channel owned by AMC International in partnership with Paramount serving as an extra by name to CBS Reality as its lineup is filled with content once seen by its predecessor CBS Drama.

The channel was brought in at the time AMC International had begun reviewing their offering in various markets and as seen with RealityXtra it's nothing like the sister channel CBS Reality as it's funneled with scripted content like CSI: Miami, Bosch, Charmed and Touched By An Angel.

Almost as if they were kind of rushing the introduction of RealityXtra and I know most of its existence should be coming from CBS Drama as AMC International had chosen it to replace the channel but what if I had to say that the channel shares a close connection to CBS Reality.

CBS Reality (known as Reality TV) was launched back in 2002 as part of a joint venture between UPCtv and Zone Vision in the UK and after 4 years got an additional channel, Reality Extra and although many believe this could have a connection to RealityXtra it might not be the case.

I get the naming is similar you have Reality Extra and RealityXtra but there's indicators that AMC International could have thought of RealityXtra without dwelling so much on the past.

They have a programming block on one of their brands HorrorXtra and other than that look at the content. I mean Reality Extra was a disciple of Reality TV as the programming coordinated with each other but that's not the case with CBS Reality and RealityXtra.

As mentioned above, the content is way too different making them random than just a mere spinoff and honestly with the way things are with CBS Reality retaining the CBS brand would it be far fetched if the channel were close and RealityXtra took its place.

There's been officials in the UK mentioning how there's another reality channel known as Really which has somewhat a similar feel to CBS "Reality" even though from my angle it wouldn't be hard to differentiate from the two. One is yellow another orange one has two "l" the other got an "lt" instead.

Point being made it has been speculated that this Really channel is the cause of having CBS Reality retain its status but from my perspective wouldn't RealityXtra make an ideal replacement to CBS Reality I mean other content might as well move to Legend with the rest under this brand.

RealityXtra is one way they could however try to phase out CBS without clashing with Really.

Conspiracy Theory: The Real Reason CBS Reality Remains In The UK

In the summer of 2019, AMC International and Paramount made a loss of £8,024,000 before tax £4,000 and a year later amidst the pandemic witnessed a small increase in an impairment charge of £8,643,000 with net assets worth £4,069,000.

Earlier in the month, CBS Reality remained onboard their stable while other CBS brands like CBS Justice, CBS Drama and Horror Channel were axed for Legend, Reality Xtra and Horror Xtra as rumours swirl about the dismemberment of their partnership.

As seen in their financial records in the summer of 2020, AMC International is in a loss making position with a net current liabilities of £7,178,641 (2019: £7,162,843) and negative equity of £7,178641 (2019: £905,317) with Paramount offering funding until for the rest of 2021 and discussing future prospects by the end of 2022.

Taking that to account, the name change could have something to do with the reported losses and the changes could spell the dismemberment of Paramount and AMC International after 10 years.

CBS Reality as mentioned is the only channel to not have been affected by the change but what if the reason behind that wasn't Warner Bros. Discovery's Really channel which has a similar coat of paint to the Reality portion of the name but something bigger.

Reality Xtra which is seen as a spin-off to CBS Reality even though that's not the case with the programming was once the name used on the main channel. Is it possible that CBS Reality will close and merge onto Reality Xtra? If so why not do it sooner?

CBS Reality has a lot of decent and mature content compared to MTV and E! on top of various cable providers so maybe they're fulfilling agreements with some suppliers before axing the channel with content moving over to Reality Xtra.

The Tragic Story Of Charles Manson Jr.

The name of infamous cult leader Charles Manson casts a long shadow on those close to him. No one knows this fact better than Manson's grandson Jason Freeman.  In an interview with CNN back in 2012, he spoke about what it was like growing up under a "family curse" that was started by his grandfather and the Manson Family. Manson had often claimed that he had no idea how many children he had fathered but it has been confirmed that he had at least three boys.

His eldest son, Charles Manson Jr., was born in 1956 when the criminal mastermind became a first-time father with his first wife Rosalie Jean Willis. He was, however, not the most present father and left the family home when his son was still very young.

As Manson Jr. got older, he struggled to come to terms with the heinous crimes his infamous father had committed. This made such an impact on him that he unofficially changed his name to Jay White so that other's would not associate him with his father.

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Freeman, who is a 6-foot-2 kickboxer and cage fighter, told CNN in the interview: "I'm coming out." He also said that he was doing it because he wanted the real Manson family members to stop hiding. Freeman also said that he wanted to understand his roots and himself better.

He knew when he was very young that Charles Manson was his grandfather but it did not mean anything to him until one day, in his 8th-grade history class. Freeman said: "Our teacher was talking about Charles Manson and I'm looking around like, are there people staring at me?"  

He was then banned from talking about his cult leader grandfather to his school friends to prevent them from teasing or taunting him. This made him always feel different from the other children and even inside his own home the talk of his grandfather was not allowed. Freeman was also not allowed to talk to his grandmother, Rosalie, about her husband, whom she married in 1955. It was definitely a skeleton in the closet through most of his life.

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More than anything in this world, Freeman wanted to connect with an absent father whom he only knew through a rare letter that was sent to him. He believes that Manson Jr. changed his name to Jay White just so that he could stay away from his father and to not blemish his son's childhood the same way his childhood had been. Freeman told CNN in 2012: "He just couldn't let it go. He couldn't live it down. He couldn't live down who his father was."

White, who was unlucky enough to get the name Charles Manson Jr., took his own life on June 29, 1993, on a lonely stretch of highway in Burlington, Colorado, which is a little to the west of the Kansas state line. The death certificate seems to give a few hints as to why he chose the particular spot and what it was that finally pushed him to commit suicide. The document has also indicated that the suicide happened at around 10:15 am from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head" at "exit 438 on Interstate 70".

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Freeman, who is an avid wrestler, fighter, and tattoo lover, works on oil rigs in western Pennsylvania to provide for his family. He is generally a tough guy but always gets very emotional when it comes to the father he never met. This is the case especially when it comes to what he went through as a child. He reportedly fought back tears when asked what he would like his father to know and said: "I want him to know that he missed out on a lot."

Freeman specifically says that he wished his father was there to meet his grandchildren and see the life that his son has managed to build for himself. He concludes the interview by saying: "I see my kids, you know, and that's kinda where I get shook up. I would hate to see them grow up without a father. That's important. Very important."