Court TV has announced that it will be changing its name, effective January 1st, to truTV.  According to the Turner Network President, Steve Koonin, the change “reflects the network’s popular lineup of series that offer first-person access to exciting, real-life stories.”

The impact on lawyers, the primary stable of unpaid and undistinguished talent, will be devastating.  Without Court TV, lawyers who lack both knowledge about a subject or insight into a particular matter, will now be left without any media outlet willing to put them on the air. 

The impact on the truth, on the other hand, will be curious.  The line-up of shows will include shows about bickering neighbors, renegade snowboarders and oil drillers, so at least Court TV will be able to keep the same audience.  But what part of shows about renegade snowboarders compels a network to tout itself as showing the “truth”?  Don’t ask me.  It may be reality based, but calling it tru seems quite a stretch.

Seriously, as I’ve previously written about Court TV, it was one of the most worthless wastes of bandwidth known to man.  About the only use was to provide a home for former prosecutors and a means for lawyers to claim that they were legal commentators. 

More significantly, Court TV was one of the primary forces pushing for cameras in the courtroom.  Trials provided a wealth a ever-available, and always free, content.  Without the ability to put cameras into New York courtrooms, the station lost a huge pool of top notch content.  On the other hand, New Yorkers gained a little extra fairness at trial in return.

Good bye, Court TV.