Company Profile
RFD-TV
Company Overview
Launched in December of 2000 and now beginning its 10th year of broadcasting, RFD-TV is the nation's first 24-hour television channels dedicated to serving the needs and interests of rural America with programming focused on agriculture, equine, rural lifestyle, along with traditional country music and entertainment. The channel is now distributed into over 40 million homes worldwide by DBS and cable systems including DISH Network, DIRECTV, Comcast, Verizon FiOS TV, Mediacom, Charter, Bresnan, Suddenlink, Bright House, Time Warner, Cox, and over 600 independent rural cable systems. Production originates in studios located in Nashville, Tennessee for RFD-TV and RFD HD, and now London, England for RURAL TV, the company’s new international channel, which launched on SKY and Freesat to over 10 million homes throughout the UK in March/2009. RFD-TV The Magazine now has over 160,000 paid subscribers for its bi-monthly publication, and the company continues to operate RFD-TV The Theatre in Branson, Missouri. www.rfdtv.com
Company History
Company
December 2000
RFD-TV launches to 4 million homes as a public interest channel
July 2001
RFD-TV moves into Primedia Production’s Dallas studio and begins to uplink programming nationwide
December 2001
The first LIVE show is produced: a call in program featuring the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation
March 2002
DIRECTV adds RFD-TV to its program lineup
September 2002
The first cable agreement is signed with Mediacom, launching RFD-TV on basic cable in Des Moines
January 2003
RFD-TV becomes available to 1,000 independent cable operators in all 50 states
July 2003
RFD-TV The Magazine publishes first issue
April 2004
Broadcast operations move to NorthStar Studios in Nashville
June 2004
RFD-TV moves to main DIRECTV satellite, adding an additional 12 million viewers
May 2005
Two hours of original programming are added to the daily lineup
August 2005
Expansion into South America brings an additional 19 million homes to the network
October 2005
RFD-TV and viewers support Hurricane Katrina recovery with over $200,000 in donations going to rural relief efforts
April 2006
RFD-TV included in the “family package” of DIRECTV and DISH Network’s basic programming
May 2006
RFD-TV contributes the largest recorded cash donation ever received by the FFA Foundation to support rural youth
June 2006
Charter Communications makes RFD-TV available to 6,000,000 new homes
July 2006
HITS – through Comcast Cable – makes RFD-TV available to 9,000,000 cable homes
August 2006
NPS makes RFD-TV a basic channel to all of their C-band homes
September 2006
RFD-TV surpasses 30,000,000 homes reached through satellite and cable distribution agreements
October 2006
First ever FFA Mega Concert with Carrie Underwood is sponsored by RFD-TV
November 2006
RFD-TV The Magazine reaches its 100,000th subscriber
January 2007
RFD-TV becomes a for-profit corporation after its long history as a nonprofit entity
March 2007
RFD-TV The Theatre opens in Branson with a sold out performance by Willie Nelson
Suddenlink cable launches RFD-TV
June 2007
RFD HD is announced with broadcasting to begin in December 2007
July 2007
Brensan cable offers RFD-TV to customers in Colorado, Montana and Wyoming
RFD-TV The Theatre hosts nine sold-out concerts by The Beach Boys
October 2007
High definition production begins with the arrival of a new HD mobile production truck and the commitment of 26 independent producers to bring HD programming the new RFD HD channel
November 2007
RFD-TV Country Cookin’ cookbook is released
January 2008
Comcast Cable Communications signs an 8-year agreement to deliver RFD-TV to over 24 million homes
June 2008
Verizon FiOS TV ads 6,500,000 homes in east and west coast markets
July 2008
RFD-TV begins NASCAR sponsorship with a car at the Daytona International Speedway
January 2009
RFD-TV salutes the American farmer and rancher with a commodity themed float in the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade
February 2009
Mark Oppold joins RFD-TV as News Director and begins hosting his own weekly show on Monday nights titled Commodity Wrap.
April 2009
Rural Media Group, Inc. goes global by launching, RURAL TV, the world’s first rural channel and sister network to RFD-TV in over 20 countries throughout Western Europe and the United Kingdom.
May 2009
Time Warner Cable and Rural Media Group, Inc. announce multi-year affiliation agreement to carry RFD-TV and RFD HD.
July 2009
Cox Communications signs master affiliation agreement with RFD-TV.
September 2009
PBR and RFD-TV enter into a partnership to launch PBR Now on RFD-TV.
October 2009
RFD-TV announces 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade float titled “FFA Today On RFD-TV” at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana in front of 55,000+ FFA members.
December 2009
RFD-TV celebrates its 10th year of broadcasting, initially launching on December 15, 2000 on DISH Network 9409.