Editing Ion Television (section)

===''i'' (2005–2007)===
On June 28, 2005, Paxson Communications announced that it would rebrand PAX as '''i: Independent Television''', to reflect a new strategy of "providing an independent broadcast platform for producers and syndicators who desire to reach a national audience." The network used a lowercase letter "i" for its branding and other items such as its [[electronic program guide]] listings.

The rebranding also resulted in several changes to its programming lineup: paid programming replaced overnight programming from The Worship Network, which began to carry its full 24-hour schedule on a fourth digital subchannel of local ''i'' owned-and-operated stations and affiliates until the network was dropped in January 2010; in addition, ''Tomorrow's Weather Tonight'' and rebroadcasts of network affiliate newscasts were discontinued the day prior to the rebrand on June 30, 2005 (though a few stations not owned by the network's parent company retained news share agreements with major network stations after that date, such as [[WBNA]] in [[Louisville, Kentucky]], which continued to air newscasts from NBC affiliate [[WAVE (TV)|WAVE]]). The network shifted its format almost entirely to reruns of television series from the 1960s to the 1990s (such as ''[[Green Acres]]'', ''[[Amen (TV series)|Amen]]'', and Pax holdover ''[[Diagnosis: Murder]]'') and feature films, reruns of former Pax TV series (such as ''Doc'') and first-run episodes (and later reruns) of Pax holdover series ''[[America's Most Talented Kid]]s'' were also included as part of the schedule. In turn, the network adapted its programming content standards to those similar to other broadcast networks. During the 2005–06 season, the network launched only one new series that met the network's new mission of being an 'independent broadcast platform', the teen drama ''[[Palmetto Pointe]]'', which only lasted five episodes and was criticized as a poor imitation of ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'' and ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]''; the network went entirely to a lineup of reruns with limited original programming for the 2006–07 season (except for ''Health Report'' and specials branded under the name iHealth).

At one point in this era, the network programmed eighteen hours of paid programming per day, ¾ of the network's broadcast day, with the network only programming the [[early fringe]] and prime time periods with traditional programming.

In November 2005, [[NBCUniversal]] was granted a transferable option to purchase a controlling stake in Paxson Communications.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=May 4, 2007|title=ION Media Networks, Citadel, and NBC Universal Reach Agreement to recapitalize ION -- ION expected to become privately held following transaction|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSIN20070504124800ION20070504|access-date=October 14, 2021|quote=NBC Universal is transferring to Citadel the call right on Bud Paxson's controlling shares it acquired in November 2005 when NBC Universal restructured its investment in ION. According to the terms of the agreement, Citadel will exercise the call right, commence a cash tender offer for ION's outstanding Class A common stock at a price of $1.46 a share, and invest $100 million to fund ION's future growth and digital investment plans.}}</ref> Had this option been exercised, NBC would have acquired approximately 63 ''i'' owned-and-operated stations (though this could have resulted in a forced divestiture of either ''i'' or Spanish network [[Telemundo]], which NBC had acquired in April 2002 (prior to its merger with [[Vivendi Universal]]), along with the divested network's O&Os due to FCC rules that prohibit broadcasters from [[duopoly (broadcasting)#Triopolies and quadropolies|owning more than two television stations in the same market]] unless there are either a minimum of 20 full-power stations in the market or one of the stations is a [[broadcast relay station#Satellite stations|satellite]]). As part of the agreement, Lowell Paxson stepped down from his position as chairman of Paxson Communications. In April 2006, published reports surfaced that ''i'' owed more than US$250&nbsp;million to creditors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Burgess' Burden|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/burgess-burden/29010|author=[[John M. Higgins]]|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|date=April 24, 2006}}</ref> [[Standard & Poor's]] reported a much higher debt in March 2008, owing $867&nbsp;million to creditors and having a bond rating of CCC+/Outlook Negative.<ref>{{cite news|title=Standard & Poor's 'Weakest Links' list|url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2008-03-21-sp-weakest-links-list_N.htm|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=March 22, 2008}}</ref>

According to a statement on its website,<ref name="DAVE">{{cite web|title=DirecTV.com: Pax|url=http://www.directv.com/see/landing/pax.html|publisher=[[DirecTV]]}}</ref> [[DirecTV]] (which ironically had, and still has, multiple networks made up of full-time paid programming) planned to terminate its carriage agreement with ''i'' on February 28, 2006. The satellite provider cited that "most of [''i'' Network's] programming consists of infomercials and other promotional shows", despite an earlier promise by network executives that it "would consist of general, family-oriented entertainment". At its peak, infomercial time stretched across eighteen hours of the network's broadcast day, or 126 hours of a 168-hour broadcast week. To appease DirecTV management, the network launched a secondary feed of the network for providers adverse to its over-the-air programming direction, replacing paid programming time with older [[public domain]] programs and cancelled Pax TV original series. DirecTV and Paxson then reached a new carriage agreement in May 2006.

In September 2006, i launched Qubo, a children's programming block, as part of a partnership with NBCUniversal and Scholastic Entertainment.