Adios El Rey

Robert Rodriguez never knew I was a fan, but I was.  From the Austin Chronicle:

Sundown for the El Rey Network

Robert Rodriguez's cable network ends broadcasting

There's a gap in your cable box right now: El Rey, the TV network established by Robert Rodriguez to cater to and provide a platform for Hispanic audiences and talents, shut down on New Year's Day as its partnership with Univision ended.

When the Univision withdrawal was announced, Rodriguez thanked the cable firm for seven years of partnership, but stressed that El Rey would continue as a brand and a production house, rather than a network. He said, "This is an important and significant milestone for El Rey, and we’re thrilled to have full ownership of our brand. Thanks to Univision’s support and guidance, El Rey has been able to achieve more than we ever imagined and I’m confident that with this strong foundation we will continue to successfully serve one of the most important and influential audiences.”

Rodriguez originally announced the network in 2012 as a collaboration with FactoryMade Ventures for Comcast. At its height, El Rey reached 40 million households, but that fell to 33 million last year due to a combination of industry factors. However, the warning bell rang last October when Univision announced it would no longer be a minority partner. That decision meant that El Rey became independently-owned, but also saw that number of households receiving the channel plummeted to 13 million. That number finally fell to zero over New Years, as El Rey finished operations as a cable and satellite channel. However, that doesn't mean the end of El Rey: The brand will continue, with Univision providing with sales and distribution services for its programming...

El Rey was a plucky, idiosyncratic cable network that always made me smile because it so clearly reflected the personal tastes of Rodriguez himself.  At any hour of the day you might find a goofy cinema trivia show there.  Or United Tacos of America.  Or some pretty good movies.  Lucha Underground Mexican wrestling.  Cool interviews with A-list directors.  And more cheesy martial arts flicks than I ever knew existed.  

My favorite was Rebel Without a Crew: a reality show in which Rodriguez fronted a number of aspiring first-time directors $7,000 to make their movie and then filmed the results.  $7,000 was Rodriguez's budget for his first film, El Mariachi.  

I shall miss that weird, hybrid critter living high up in the hundreds on my cable box.  It was so wonderfully alive and so unlike anything else.