'The Wizard of Oz' Returns to Broadcast TV for First Time Since 1998

The 1939 musical fantasy The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland, will return to broadcast television for the first time in almost 30 years after MeTV acquired the rights to air the film. Although the movie has been available to buy, rent, and stream, the last free broadcast was on May 9, 1998; it had previously aired annually on CBS since 1956 during holiday seasons.

MeTV will present the film this October as part of its Halloween BOO-Nanza. Neal Sabin, vice chairman of Weigel Broadcasting, said: “The Wizard of Oz is more than a movie, it is a shared American experience that was defined by the annual tradition of gathering around the television set.

We are thrilled to bring the film back to broadcast television this October on MeTV. It will be presented without any edits and will be surrounded by surprises we will announce later, making the film the centerpiece of our expanded annual MeTV Halloween BOO-Nanza programming event, which has become hugely popular with our audience.

United States