First-Ever Over-The-Air Broadcast Television Networks For Women & Men to Launch Mon. Aug. 18 at 12:00 Noon ET

ATLANTA, Aug. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Gary Cooper standing up for what's right in High Noon and Kathleen Turner turning William Hurt down the wrong path in Body Heat.

These two iconic motion pictures are how the country's first-ever male-centric and female-centric over-the-air broadcast television networks -- Grit (For Men) and  Escape (For Women) -- will introduce themselves as it was announced today that both networks will launch Monday, August 18 at 12:00 (high) Noon ET with High Noon on Grit and Body Heat on Escape.

"Gary Cooper as Will Kane is one of the most legendary performances of an American hero in motion picture history.  High Noon is the perfect movie to launch Grit, which will be built around the classic male hero with a focus on western, war and action movies," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting which owns and operates the two new networks.  "Kathleen Turner contemporized the femme fatale in Body Heat and her steamy performance is the consummate way to seductively introduce viewers to Escape, which will feature daring and sexy stories of crime, justice and mystery."

After High Noon, Cooper hands the reins of Grit to John Wayne (who ironically accepted Cooper's 1952 Best Actor Oscar® for High Noon on Cooper's behalf) as the network presents "Seven Days of The Duke" – a weeklong, 21 movie tribute to Wayne.  Highlights of the primetime festival include Wayne's Academy Award®-winning performance in Sands of Iwo Jima, The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Hondo, The Sons of Katie Elder, War Wagon, The Cowboys, Rio Grande, McLintock! and more.  The Duke gives way to Clint Eastwood the following as week as Grit follows the Wayne tribute with an "Eight Days of Eastwood" primetime movie festival Aug. 25 – Sept. 1. Among the Clint classics featured: Bronco Billy, City Heat, Every Which Way But Loose, Every Which Way You Can, Firefox, The Eiger Sanction, The Rookie and more.  For complete Grit schedule visit: http://www.grittv.com/

After Body Heat launches the network, other initial Escape highlights include:  The Nicole Kidman thrillers Malice, co-starring Alec Baldwin and Dead Calm; Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter teaming to track down a serial killer in Copycat; Sharon Stone in Sliver; The Grifters headlined by Anjelica Huston and John Cusack; the psychological thriller Final Analysis, starring Kim Basinger and Richard Gere; Basinger in the good vs. evil clash Bless The Child; Star 80 with Mariel Hemingway; Reese Witherspoon in Rendition and more. Escape will also feature some of the greatest true crime series in television history, including Snapped, Unsolved Mysteries, Forensic Files and others. For complete Escape schedule visit: http://www.escapetv.com/

Grit and Escape are currently cleared to be seen in 50% of the country, with more distribution to be announced shortly.  The networks will be seen in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Houston, Miami, San Francisco and other major markets. 

Contact:        Jim Weiss                  770-672-6504                       [email protected]

SOURCE Katz Broadcasting