MHz Networks will stop offering its MHz Worldview broadcast channel of international news and scripted programming, which airs as a multicast feed on 26 public TV stations.
MHz Networks is dropping Worldview to focus on growing its audiences on streaming platforms, said Frederick Thomas, president of the company in suburban Washington, D.C. MHz also offers Worldview’s scripted shows on MHz Choice, a streaming service available via Amazon Prime, Roku, Apple and Xfinity. After Worldview shuts down, the scripted content will be exclusively on MHz Choice.
Formerly a nonprofit, MHz Networks became a for-profit LLC in 2015, allowing more freedom in selling advertising. “As a for-profit, we found that the streaming world was going to allow us to grow,” Thomas said, adding that “we tried everything” to boost revenues as a nonprofit.
“At the end of the day, it’s better for us to make a go at it in the commercial world, even though frankly our audience is probably pretty similar to the PBS audience,” Thomas said. “… I have nothing but love for public TV and certainly nothing but love for the affiliates. They were bold to carry us. It’s not about unhappiness, it’s just flat-out business decisions for our particular situation.”
Shifting focus to streaming will make packaging the content easier, Thomas said. For public TV, “you had to edit out the naughty bits, the bad language,” he said. “But in a streaming environment, we don’t have to do that editing. It’s another aspect that goes into the whole thing. It wasn’t like it was killing us, but it’s certainly an easier flow.”
Thomas said MHz may also start offering an international news service product. It could have a subscription model, he said, but will most likely be an ad-supported English-language service on Samsung TV Plus, similar to its MHz Now service.
‘To die for’ mysteries
MHz Worldview, which is also available through cable networks, has been a public TV service since 2008. Station leaders said they were notified about the change around November.
Viewers have called PBS Western Reserve in Kent, Ohio, to say they would miss MHz Worldview, said communications manager Diane Steinert. The network has become so popular that the station could have been “slammed” by its audience, Steinert said, if not for the cancellation notice that MHz Networks has been airing during broadcasts.
Viewers of KBTC in Tacoma, Wash., had also grown to appreciate MHz Worldview’s diverse mix of content, said Phil Kane, director of programming and creative services.
“A lot of our viewers have enjoyed the international mysteries. That’s the one thing they say they are going to miss,” he said. “From what I can tell, some of them have adopted the streaming options already.”
At least two stations will replace MHz Worldview with WGBH’s World Channel, including KRWG in Las Cruces, N.M.
“We were glad that they weren’t going off the air immediately,” said Fred Martino, director of content for KRWG. “This came at the same time as another very disruptive change for us, which was the cancellation of Nightly Business Report. We had even shorter notice on that.”
Martino said KRWG considered First Nations Experience, the TV network dedicated to Native Americans and indigenous peoples, as a replacement for MHz Worldview. But with its news offerings, World Channel is more similar to Worldview, Martino said. The station also added BBC World News America in place of Nightly Business Report, which ended in December.
WWCI, Inc., the parent company of WTTW in Chicago, will replace MHz Worldview with World Channel on its station WYCC.
KSMQ in Austin, Minn., is deciding between FNX and Deutsche Welle as a replacement, said Program Manager Suzi Stone. Stone said she doesn’t want to replace MHz Worldview with a 24/7 news network and FNX and Deutsche Welle offer “variety, meaning business, arts and culture.”
“Our MHz viewers love the mysteries,” Stone said. “‘They’re to die for,’ is what some of my viewers have said. And they have become members of our station because of it.”
Several stations told Current they will announce a replacement for MHz Worldview before it goes dark.
Will there be a channel for the greater Bay Area in California?. I am a subscriber in the greater Bay Area in California. Will you be disconnected in this area?. I really love the mysteries.
MHz Networks says fans of their mystery programs will need to get MHz Choice to continue watching them after Feb. 29.
Montalbano has been the most entertaining TV show of alll. Midnight viewing of the series is trying but wort2it for the brilliant performances and humorous takes on Scicialian mysteries. There are other shows not bad. The Welsh thing is not worthy. It panders to evil. Mhz news has the misfortune of going too antiTrump. PBS, NPR, and any woke type outlets will lose and not gain viewers or subscribers. Non- profits struggle to escape dependency on government. Mhz broadcast model could have met markets if the new management made many new station owners as customers. Streaming is not the only audience for advertisers.
And yet, most viewers of the major television networks are Democrats/liberals/progressives/left-wingers.
The fact is, I’m happy you’re now finding out that America has had enough of Trump & the true face of the right. It’s too bad for you to that, soon enough, Fox Noise Channel will likely shut down after Smartmatic & Dominion sue it out of existence for defamation.
Republicans started losing in 2018 with the House. They lost more in 2020 (Presidency & Senate). Next month, they’ll continue losing more after Democrats take effective control of Congress.
The best part about it will be that, after McCarthy & McConnell are reduced to even small minority leaders, Pelosi & Schumer will have no obstacles in their path towards getting Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, & maybe even Roberts off the Court.
Have you gotten it through your thick head by this point? America is tired of the right’s garbage. Donald Trump will likely end up in jail soon. And, within enough time, thanks to the US Intelligence Community, his “win” in 2016 will very likely be invalidated, voiding everything he did for four years.
Re: MONTALBANO…..Terrific actors, creative scripts, remarkable editing and superb productions
which brought me hours of quality entertainment! I am disappointed to say
the least that because of business decisions behind the scenes I am forced
to say goodbye to Montalbano and friends.
Most definitely suburb productions !
It is truly sad, the Choice taken at this time .
To me it honestly feels irresponsible as in America, we are lost for superb productions.
Our news stations fail us on the daily and there’s been no real quality productions on ‘American tv’ for years now .
Worldview was very important, for the International Mystery presentation, but also for making available, originally, RT , Airrang, NHK, Vietnamese, some RAI television productions, Ukraine state TV when they began broadcasting , DW and France 24 which came later but added outstanding quality & it’s equaling as interesting news stories and productions.
All of these together allowed for a greater understanding of what goes on here frankly, as well as a lot of the rest of the world. I really think it was a bad time to let it go. I feel Mhz Worldview didn’t successfully connect with its large base of highly engaged & highly intelligent, public TV viewers, or they’d have understood that this was the wrong Choice to take at this time . Having led many viewers to this broadcast, I feel a little guilt and Sincerely hope for reconsideration.
Most truly,
Kelly A. Forsythe
[email protected]
I chose cable over DISH because they offered this channel! I have enjoyed this channel/network immensely and am saddened to see it end. Thank you for the outstanding diversity and enjoyment!
In addition to great drama and mysteries, I’ll miss Istanbul, Scandinavian countries, Italian cities and country, French cities and vineyards… in other words, I’ll miss terrific stories, acting and scenery. Money always wins!!
My heart is broken! I felt sick when I heard the announcement that MHz is going off air. The shows this channel offers are far above anything on American TV. The crime mysteries are so well done I can hardly watch any other American crime shows. I’ve learned so much about other countries and cultures. Thank God streaming will be available, but I’ll miss finding some new killer show playing early morning or late night. Thank you to its creators for putting this channel together. The MHz Network changed my life and perspective for better. Please don’t go!
MHz gave us France 24 and Deuche Welle . Their loss is a further result of corporate censorship in this country.
These gave us two significant editorial news choices.. Add that to BBC, an organ of a foreign government (UK), now tailoring news (BBC America) to what the British government wants
Americans to see. Final insult: BBC News has now started running commercials ((previously paid solely by UK government.). Less news content for more money. What a sweet deal for the UK! I will now pull the plug on Spectrum
Cable.
This is disgusting! I loved getting news from around the world. I loved the Russian channel, the news from France, Germany, the 2 hour news channel from Ireland, and they even had a news channel from the Silk Road, as well as China, Japan i24News, and Al Jazeera. This is just another great channel that has gone. All for corporate greed! And now you have to pay for a subscription, and all you get is the MHz Mystery, which I love, but I also want the news content.
This is a really bad decision to cut this program. I hope they reconsider and don’t shut down this station!
Apparently even paying for it won’t get you any satisfaction.
Get out of my life, who needs this frustration?
Thank you for taking all the joy out.
What???!!!???