20th
Default The Cooking Channel: Food Network Launching Second 24-Hour Food Station
Scripps, the parents company of the Food Network, will be launching a second 24-hour food network on May 31, reports Brian Stelter at the New York Times. They’ll soon be announcing six new original series for the channel, including new series for both Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and Emeril Lagasse:
Ms. Ray, the celebrity chef turned talk show host, will headline “A Week in a Day,” a one-hour show about stocking up on the week’s meals. Mr. Flay will be the host of a half-hour show, “Brunch With Bobby.” Emeril Lagasse will present “Fresh Food Fast,” a show that focuses on organic and locally grown ingredients.
An ad executive at Scripps explains the decision on the new network:
“[T]he advertiser demand for Food was outstripping the audience growth,” Jon Steinlauf, the senior vice president for ad sales for Scripps Networks, said this week. “Therefore, creating a second channel started making more sense. … When you see Fox lining up its third Gordon Ramsay cooking show in prime time, I think food’s arrived as a mainstream genre,” Mr. Steinlauf said.
Meanwhile, Grub Streets jokes that the new station is “anti-American” due to the inclusion of several new Canadian and British food personalities to the introductory lineup:
“…David Rocco, Chuck Hughes, Laura Calder, and Roger Mooking are all based in Canada, while Rachel Allen and Ching-He Huang come out of the U.K. What the wha? Combine this with the fact that a Canuck is hosting the new Food Network program The Opener and you have to wonder why Scripps is outsourcing its talent.”
Herewith, a preview of the new Food Channel’s official introductory lineup:
Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day
Rachael Ray shows viewers how to plan a week’s worth of meals with just one day of cooking in the kitchen.
Bobby Flay’s Brunch
Bobby Flay dishes out recipes and entertaining tips for his favorite meal - brunch! This show will have a Bloody Mary in one hand and a spatula in the other.
Emeril’s Fresh Food Fast
Emeril Lagasse shows viewers how fresh food can be prepared fast, without sacrificing taste and time.
Do we really need another cooking channel that’ll just end up being another Food Network outlet in a year or 2?
