NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Still fretting over the missed evening gown episode of "The Swan"? Worry no more.
Viewers soon will be able to catch a re-run of the Plain-Jane-turned-glamour-gals parading in designer fashion on a new reality TV cable channel that Fox Networks Group plans to launch early next year.
Dubbed the Fox Reality Channel, the network will broadcast both re-runs of past reality shows as well as new programming, Fox Networks Group CEO Anthony Vinciquerra announced Tuesday.
Fox Networks is a unit of Fox Entertainment Group (FOX: down $0.34 to $26.13, Research, Estimates), which is majority owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NWS: Research, Estimates).
News of the network launch came as Fox rivals publicly criticized the network this week for pirating their ideas for upcoming reality TV shows. While copycats are the industry norm, Fox's plans to produce shows similar to NBC's upcoming boxing reality show "The Contender" and ABC's "Wife Swap" before they're on the air have angered executives at those networks.
Jack Myers, an independent media analyst, said Fox's aggressive tactics cross the line. "They're trying to eat up every good idea that comes along," he said. "It's ruining the television network marketplace for everyone."
The move by Fox toward 24/7 reality TV programming also comes amid a crush of similar programming industrywide. The shift away from standard fare like hour-long dramas and half-hour comedies became apparent when the major networks first rolled out their fall primetime lineups in May.
Analysts questioned the wisdom behind all reality TV, all the time.
“ They're trying to eat up every good idea that comes along. It's ruining the marketplace for everyone. ”
Jack Myers
Independent media analyst
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"Clearly (Fox officials) are trying to tap into what has been, to date, a very successful programming area for them," said David Mantell, a cable and media research analyst with Loop Capital Markets.
But Mantell questioned whether networks risk saturating viewers with too much reality TV. "It just highlights the old adage that too much of a good thing can, in some cases, be a bad thing," said Mantell.
The financial risk for Fox is low if most of the programming comes from its extensive library of past shows. But the stakes could get higher if Fox strikes costly new production deals and then viewers revolt.
Plans now call for Fox Reality Channel to deliver footage of auditions, behind-the-scenes clips, pre and post-show interviews, and contestant commentary.
"It was never so much a question of whether we might take this next step and launch a dedicated reality channel," Fox's Vinciquerra said in a statement. "It was only a matter of when."
Fox isn't the only network betting that the reality TV genre is more than just a passing fad. Fledgling network Reality Central hopes to launch a reality TV-only network next year as well.
Media analyst Myers said Fox's move into nonstop reality TV spells bad news for the competition.
"I think there's room for one (reality channel)," said Myers, who publishes a daily insider newsletter. With its breadth of TV assets and existing deals with cable operators, Fox has a "tremendous advantage" from the start, he added.
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