Could Disney and EPE be in talks about a new television network?

[Snake Eyes]

It's not that it's a bad idea, it's just I don't think it will ever happen.

[vivaelvis]

Only one tiny problem with all of Viva Elvis' posts in this thread.

It's that Core, Disney, Turner, CXX and EPE were never at anytime in serious talks to have an all Elvis network.

It's clear that Core has no plans to for an all Elvis network.

Speculating for what might be if Core and EPE wanted and could get an All Elvis network up and running is so unnecessary.

You couldn't be further from the truth. You said yourself that "you follow Core's development" yet you don't even understand how they operate or what they're future intentions are. You can't even get the former company's name correct. It's CKX. Not CXX. I know for 100% fact that back in 1997 during the 20th anniversary week that Todd Morgan made a public announcement that THEY WERE ABOUT TO LAUNCH AN ALL ELVIS NETWORK FOR TELEVISION TO STAY TUNED!!! You do NOT go public with something that groundbreaking and NOT have it almost in the bag. But like I said, it fell through with Turner.

Now, do I think there will be an Elvis network of some kind? Eventually, but maybe years from now. Or then again, maybe sooner than we think. Only time will tell. And if what I have "speculated" as you put it, is so unnecessary, then why do you keep posting on it?

[vivaelvis]

It's not that it's a bad idea, it's just I don't think it will ever happen.

Never say never when it comes to Elvis. Over the years, people have done that only to see him rise above and conquer the impossible. They said Graceland would never last when it first opened. Even Priscilla said 10 years would be a great run. Here we are 31 years nearly later and it's making more money today than it did back then and bringing in over half a million visitors a year.

They said that Elvis would never be honored with an American stamp. In 1993, he was honored with that American stamp and to this day is the #1 best selling stamp ever printed!

They said the virtual concert would never last nor be cost worthy to take on tour. "Oh it's too expensive and nobody outside of Elvis fans are going to go see it". It's now in the Genesis Book Of World Records and has been a touring production since 1997.

They said that the Elvis radio on Sirius would not last. People will get tired of hearing the same songs over and over. It's in its 9th year and one of the higher rated channels on Sirius out of 300 some.

As you can see, never underestimate the power of Elvis. It's been proven too many times before.

[Snake Eyes]

Never say never when it comes to Elvis. Over the years, people have done that only to see him rise above and conquer the impossible. They said Graceland would never last when it first opened. Even Priscilla said 10 years would be a great run. Here we are 31 years nearly later and it's making more money today than it did back then and bringing in over half a million visitors a year.

They said that Elvis would never be honored with an American stamp. In 1993, he was honored with that American stamp and to this day is the #1 best selling stamp ever printed!

They said the virtual concert would never last nor be cost worthy to take on tour. "Oh it's too expensive and nobody outside of Elvis fans are going to go see it". It's now in the Genesis Book Of World Records and has been a touring production since 1997.

They said that the Elvis radio on Sirius would not last. People will get tired of hearing the same songs over and over. It's in its 9th year and one of the higher rated channels on Sirius out of 300 some.

As you can see, never underestimate the power of Elvis. It's been proven too many times before.

I like your optimism Viva and you're right - never underestimate. I still don't think it will happen though .

[KPM]

Interesting. Here's a more likely scenario though if Core does develop a new channel of any kind. I can definitely see them take advantage of their current and future television properties by launching Core TV. A variety of programming. Their inventory is already big enough to make that happen now, or close to it. Below is a list of all of their current television and entertainment assets.

American Idol
So You Think You Can Dance
Elvis: 68 Comeback Special
Elvis: The Alternate Aloha Concert
Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii
Mohammed Ali classic fights
19 Entertainment
Biography
Property Wars
Doomsday Preppers
Man V. Food
Man V. Food Nation
Extreme Couponing
Call Of The Wild Man
Rattlesnake Republic
VH1's The Fabulous Life Of
My Crazy Obsession
Story Notes
Love Lust
Tough Cookies
The Lottery Changed My Life
Bert The Conqueror
Dangerous Rocket Ships
Ask Aida
Extreme
Toy Hunter
Best Sandwich In America
Punkin ChunkinThat's just what they currently own. Most of which has been through the new ownership. They also just launched a new UK based television company and hired a top rated producer to create new reality and entertainment shows.

I am getting faint-Doomsday Preppers??? MY Crazy Obsession???? Extreme Couponing??? P-u-n-kin C-h-unkin???
I say with all my heart-I do not want Elvis on a network with these totally brainless type shows that are a reality nightmare.....none have a thing to do with music or Elvis and its not my idea of honoring the memory or talent of Elvis Presley.
16 years of what might be-and nothing concrete happening.... is a good indication of the reality of this ideas chances....I'm sure this has been explored ad nauseum over the last decade by people involved Sillerman, Core EPE and nothing concrete has ever been announced as being near start-its a guessing game.

[KPM]

I like your optimism Viva and you're right - never underestimate. I still don't think it will happen though .

I believe in optimism-but you can not overlook reality....time has traveled hard since this was first discussed...if it did not happen in good economic times when the cable world was less crowded and costly-it is less and less likely to happen period.

[Brian]

I didn't say i followed Core's development.

I said i followed the news and what EPE was doing.

If there was an All Elvis network planned i'd know about it as would other people.

So Todd Morgan said in 1997 that they were thinking about An All Elvis network. well that's all it was.

It was a thought that has never translated into anything other than wishful thinking.

I'm talking about definitive plans and real negotiations between parties not a bunch heresay and wishful thinking.

Why do you think an All Elvis network has never happened because it's not feasible for a number of reasons.

Some of those reasons have been mentioned in this thread.

[vivaelvis]

I am getting faint-Doomsday Preppers??? MY Crazy Obsession???? Extreme Couponing??? P-u-n-kin C-h-unkin???
I say with all my heart-I do not want Elvis on a network with these totally brainless type shows that are a reality nightmare.....none have a thing to do with music or Elvis and its not my idea of honoring the memory or talent of Elvis Presley.
16 years of what might be-and nothing concrete happening.... is a good indication of the reality of this ideas chances....I'm sure this has been explored ad nauseum over the last decade by people involved Sillerman, Core EPE and nothing concrete has ever been announced as being near start-its a guessing game.

Back then EPE was a solo ownership with not enough income and NO backing or partnership to make such a impossible dream come true. Now they have a partner, parent company and much deeper investing than they ever had as a solo enterprise. That was the whole purpose of them selling the rights to merge with former CKX, now Core. It's a much different ballgame now with someone owning the company besides the family. Elvis fans are the only people too who are comparing Core and their new multiple ownership to that of a single man named Robert FX Sillerman who was at the time just getting started on building CKX. The rest of the entertainment world sees them as a serious powerhouse in the making under new ownership and a new identity. That is why so many individual companies are partnering up with Core, the latest being just this week with Hazy Mills Productions, a television company. Elvis and the EPE company are in the best hands possible with Apollo having oversee of their investments and developments. Why are Elvis fans the last to see this???

[vivaelvis]

I believe in optimism-but you can not overlook reality....time has traveled hard since this was first discussed...if it did not happen in good economic times when the cable world was less crowded and costly-it is less and less likely to happen period.

It cost less today to run a low budget network than it cost to run an major tourist attraction named Graceland. I'm just saying...

[vivaelvis]

I didn't say i followed Core's development.

I said i followed the news and what EPE was doing.

If there was an All Elvis network planned i'd know about it as would other people.

So Todd Morgan said in 1997 that they were thinking about An All Elvis network. well that's all it was.

It was a thought that has never translated into anything other than wishful thinking.

I'm talking about definitive plans and real negotiations between parties not a bunch heresay and wishful thinking.

Why do you think an All Elvis network has never happened because it's not feasible for a number of reasons.

Some of those reasons have been mentioned in this thread.

No, excuses were given. Not reasons with facts.

[Brian]

You are very delusional about all this Viva Elvis.

If you want to pretend that EPE will get an All Elvis network started go ahead.

I will not indulge in this fantasy of yours.

[vivaelvis]

You are very delusional about all this Viva Elvis.

If you want to pretend that EPE will get an All Elvis network started go ahead.

I will not indulge in this fantasy of yours.

I have never once posted that it IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I have made it clear that it's a longshot but the chances are higher now than they were back in 1997. But some are just overlooking that part of my posts or just ignoring them. So I'm not going to go into a debate or batter over this. When and IF it happens, then I'll come back and gloat about it. But I'm sire some like yourself won't be.

[Brian]

i said earlier you keep talking like this would be a good thing for EPE and Core to do.

You are talking as if it's easier and more feasible to do than it really is.

You are talking as if EPE has had serious plans to do it in the past.

You easily scoff at others who have pointed out the problems and obstacles in this hypothetical project.

That's where the fantasy of yours comes in.

[King Of The Whole World]

I have never once posted that it IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I have made it clear that it's a longshot but the chances are higher now than they were back in 1997. But some are just overlooking that part of my posts or just ignoring them. So I'm not going to go into a debate or batter over this. When and IF it happens, then I'll come back and gloat about it. But I'm sire some like yourself won't be.

Viva is correct, he has always said he hopes and wishes that it comes true, not that he knows it WILL happen. Viva has thrown out ideas like all of us if it did happen what type of channel would it need to be.

[KPM]

It cost less today to run a low budget network than it cost to run an major tourist attraction named Graceland. I'm just saying...

Graceland is a going entity that has survived nearly 40 years and is still highly regarded as a major tourist draw and money maker...in the last couple months more and more accolades to Graceland have popped up right here.....I do not want to see Elvis on a "low budget network" IE like when Elvis was with us......another series of B-movie contracts that go nowhere...and actually end his acting career before it ever got started.
A low budget network is exactly the route Parker would have taken...

[KPM]

Viva is correct, he has always said he hopes and wishes that it comes true, not that he knows it WILL happen. Viva has thrown out ideas like all of us if it did happen what type of channel would it need to be.

Well, with all due respect, lets look at Vivas first post in this thread he started-it seems upon reading it that he is putting forth more than just his hopes and wishes he does add toward the end IF this is true and becomes reality...but has stated his friend heard it so why would it not be true... so the implication from that post is that something is ready to happen soon. As I have pointed out-this is not a new rumor it goes back "16 years now" .......I would say longshot is not a strong enough term to describe the odds of this happening.
I do not like rumors-never have-when a deal is sealed and in concrete we all know about it thru proper channels..with no disclaimers, no debate-it has happened.
If it did happen I would hope it was done with class, with a big budget and a definite set idea of what the goal of this network would be.......I would root for it to prove me wrong
FIRST POST IN THIS THREAD:
That's what I'm hearing. Possibly launching in the US only by 2013 or 2014. According to my friend and source back in Memphis, he says after talking with an insider to EPE yesterday, that the company is looking into a potential Elvis themed network in the lines of TMC (Turner Classic Movies). They have talked about doing this since 1997 and are closer now than ever despite financial issues. They're looking for a business partner to have the financing to start up an Elvis channel for a 24 hour network with all Elvis related programming (with some programming not necessarily featuring Elvis but inspired). This is where Disney comes into play. He says from what he has heard is that the talks are that Disney would finance and own the network while EPE would provide and operate the material out of LA and Memphis. If this is true, and becomes a reality, it could be the ultimate tool to keep Elvis popular and relevant for generations to come. It could also be used to impact future tourism to Graceland and impact cd sales. EPE and Disney are staying quiet for now.

Stay tuned, this could get interesting.

[KPM]

Back then EPE was a solo ownership with not enough income and NO backing or partnership to make such a impossible dream come true. Now they have a partner, parent company and much deeper investing than they ever had as a solo enterprise. That was the whole purpose of them selling the rights to merge with former CKX, now Core. It's a much different ballgame now with someone owning the company besides the family. Elvis fans are the only people too who are comparing Core and their new multiple ownership to that of a single man named Robert FX Sillerman who was at the time just getting started on building CKX. The rest of the entertainment world sees them as a serious powerhouse in the making under new ownership and a new identity. That is why so many individual companies are partnering up with Core, the latest being just this week with Hazy Mills Productions, a television company. Elvis and the EPE company are in the best hands possible with Apollo having oversee of their investments and developments. Why are Elvis fans the last to see this???

I think I know the history of EPE pretty well-and the Sillerman saga-"savior Sillerman" as many pro Sillerman folks portrayed him with the deep pockets of around 1.5-3 billion (depending on the source) 10 or so years back....Apollo only has assets of around 5.3 billion (the 75-77 billion in funds it controls for others....is not their money and has to be protected and grown)
That 5.3 billion is substantial, but its scattered out among its many companies and is not totally fluid assets that can be used for nothing but Elvis activities...
No offense but this is all old news we have discussed Apollos stature before and also what they "may or may not do" we are a couple years down the road...the virtual Elvis looked like it might be a huge start in money spent from the big pocketed Apollo/Core-but it is now in limbo...Sillermans reign was much like this-projects shelved, failed or in limbo waiting for.... ???

[KPM]

I would love to see huge money spent on Elvis legacy...but do not want it spent unwisely or without great thought...every failure reflects upon the legacy of Elvis.
IF a major amount of money is spent and the project does not meet expectations-it always stalls other projects that may have been in the works to promote Elvis.
Failure creates doubt in accountants and investors.
Rumor creates expectation, expectation unrealised appears to many as.....failure....IE Elvis is not sellable, Elvis is not attracting new fans, Elvis has failed..........
Elvis obviously has nothing to say about how he is promoted and he can not help from the grave.... beyond the charisma that he still has in death..but it is his legacy that suffers each time something is not thought out totally and implimented poorly.
The constant reissues of product in new packages-that are necessary but IMO overdone by RCA/BMG/Sony...Elvis's sales totals are not helped and his sales per reissue are steady but not huge-so for Sony its profitable-but how does it affect his legacy.
From Sonys view-they have to turn a profit-but is this policy well thought out and implimented well-at times its not.
PFAP is a prime example-right here expectations were huge, Sony waited forever to promote it but-seemed primed to push this release big time after it was announced.....great press....but upon its release, nothing really of substance in ads or promotion...the result sales have not met the hype and expectation...to some its a failure.
TTWII SE in 2001 same story-not well thought out or implimented, no extras little fanfare upon release-and premiered on TCM before release......a big failure....result EOT is not readied for release for another almost 10 years and it also does not have much real promotion and its sales are fair.
....Elvis in his best taped concert footage-fails......thats the way it appears.
So when I say I hate rumor.....I have good reason to dislike anything that can take from the legacy and future promotion for Elvis and the appearance of failure that reflects upon him.
Money is invested and spent upon expectation for great success and return upon investment.... and any sign of a weakness or failure can stop that from happening.

[jak]

Elvis is not the mainstream commodity he once was.Elvis sells but not like some people would like to think.An Elvis network would be a huge flop.It's all about money.It has no chance of ever becoming a reality.The market just isnt there.As others have said,you dont have enough material to even consider it.

[KPM]

Hello Jak nice to see you back here my friend.