Merit Street Media

Dr. Phil, Others Come Together to Launch New TV Network Near Roanoke, TX!

From the outside, the building looks no different than most other warehouses that dot frontage roads throughout North Texas. Inside the large white facility along Alliance Gateway Freeway just beyond the Roanoke city limits, some of the biggest names in television now work. 

This is the new home of Merit Street Media, a partnership between Dr. Phil McGraw and Trinity Broadcasting Network. On April 2, it celebrated its launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by about 250 employees, invited guests, and the media — plus Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Texas State Senator Tan Parker. 

Joining Dr. Phil on stage for what he calls family-friendly programming was his wife Robin, plus other high-profile hosts like Steve Harvey, Nancy Grace, and Chris Harrison. Others will include Mike Rowe, Bear Grylls, and Scott Rasmussen. In addition to shows by the big names, Merit Street Media will feature two
daily newscasts. 

Dallas native Chris Harrison, the long-time host of the Bachelor franchise, will anchor a weekday morning show with his wife, former Entertainment Tonight correspondent Lauren Zima. He also will create a reality dating show and contribute to other programming. 

Dr. Phil ended a 21-year run with Paramount/CBS last May to create his own network including moving from daytime to nighttime. Dr. Phil Primetime airs nightly and features a studio audience that can join the fun by signing up for available spots at meritstreetmedia.com. 

“It really is amazing that this has come together,” he said. “At CBS we did what we call now Dr. Phil 1.0. We had the longest-running show in the history of the Paramount lot that was there for
105 years.”

Within 200,000 square feet on five acres of a former AT&T call center will be 13 studios and a large newsroom where more than 200 employees will work. Merit Street Media expects to reach 80 million homes by the end of April on cable, direct-to-homes, streaming, distribution, social media, and other methods. 

“I did this because I wanted to, not because I had to,” Dr. Phil said. “I don’t like what I’m seeing going on in this country. It worries me. I’ve got four grandchildren that are going to grow up in this country, and what are they are going to grow
up in? 

“I think family is under attack. I think we have people pushing their agendas that are just made up. They’re not based on any kind of values or any kind of history, any kind of science, or any kind of data that makes sense. Somebody needs to push back, and that’s what we’re going to do here.”