1994, according to its excellent website, www.classicartsshowcase.org, which I just visited. It streams online continuously, free of charge, and I've learned that its programming consists of an eight-hour collection of clips, looped for a full week before being replaced by a new assortment of performances, which explains why it is used as off-hours filler rather than as a full-service cable channel. An interesting operation with an interesting back story.
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Shared-Time Cable Channels
- Thread starter mvcg66b3r
- Start date
1994, according to its excellent website, www.classicartsshowcase.org, which I just visited. It streams online continuously, free of charge, and I've learned that its programming consists of an eight-hour collection of clips, looped for a full week before being replaced by a new assortment of performances, which explains why it is used as off-hours filler rather than as a full-service cable channel. An interesting operation with an interesting back story.
My parenthetical mention of TNN was confusing. I was trying to say that PIN had its own bug. Yes, I remember The National Network logo as well.
At least on TCI (later AT&T) in Connecticut the infomercials on TNN were from a network called ACCESS TV. Several other channels that showed infomercials also used ACCESS TV. I suspect the cable company provided ACCESS TV because I remember on a couple occasions they 9AM episode of WKRP on TNN being pre-empted because it didn't switch over.
When my family first moved to Southington, Connnecticut in '03 COX carried The Product Information Network on Channel 67 which was Leased Access. Later they replaced PIN with Jewelry Television. Eventually they moved it to Digital Channel 71 and as of April 2014 to Digital Channel 68.
Prior to being taken over by COX Cable in 1995, the cable company serving Meriden, Southington, and Cheshire was called Dimensions Cable. They had 39 channels (2-40) and the vast majority of them were share-time. Their line-up was also very strange. Most cable companies had WFSB Channel 3 on Channel 2, but Dimensions had it on Channel 7. I'll see if I can locate their line-up cards in the archives of the Southington Observer which were scanned in online by the Southington Public Library.
When my family first moved to Southington, Connnecticut in '03 COX carried The Product Information Network on Channel 67 which was Leased Access. Later they replaced PIN with Jewelry Television. Eventually they moved it to Digital Channel 71 and as of April 2014 to Digital Channel 68.
Prior to being taken over by COX Cable in 1995, the cable company serving Meriden, Southington, and Cheshire was called Dimensions Cable. They had 39 channels (2-40) and the vast majority of them were share-time. Their line-up was also very strange. Most cable companies had WFSB Channel 3 on Channel 2, but Dimensions had it on Channel 7. I'll see if I can locate their line-up cards in the archives of the Southington Observer which were scanned in online by the Southington Public Library.
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Around this time, I heard some people calling Nashville (the city) National (as in the National Predators instead of Nashville Predators)
Also, as with most cable systems, Blue Ridge (in Narrowsburg NY) split NICK and ARTS, with NICK airing until 9pm (8pm until 1984), then ARTS until well into the night, after which it was a computerized bulletin board advertising Nickelodeon's shows. Once "Nick at Nite" bowed in July 1985, A&E (as it was known by then) was nowhere to be seen. That September, in searching channels for new ones (back in the 20 or 30 channel days, this was easy!), I found a new one and was very excited about a new channel, until I realized it was just A&E on its own channel.
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
I had forgotten about that overnight billboard that aired from the end of ARTS (3am ET/12mid PT) until Nick came back on in the morning!
But I think you have one part of the above backwards: Nick ran until 9pm ET/6pm PT and then turned the transponder over to ARTS. It was after the A&E merger that the start time was pushed back to 8E/5P, and A&E ran an hour later than ARTS had.
Both ARTS and A&E ran a block of programming twice each night, to be in prime-time on both coasts. ARTS did a three-hour block and A&E did a four-hour one.
As I said previously in this thread, after the ARTS/Entertainment Channel merger, they only stayed on the Nickelodeon transponder for six months. My recollection is that for at least the first year, the daytime programming on their full-time transponder was just additional repeats of the previous evening's four hour block.
A&E reserved half of Friday nights for comedies from the BBC that came with the Entertainment Channel side of the merger. To this day, I remember the four shows that launched on February 3, 1984: "Yes Minister" (to this day a personal favorite and for my money the best work the late Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne did in their entire careers), the self-titled "Kelly Monteith", "Two's Company" with Elaine Stritch and Donald Sinden, and "Last of the Summer Wine" which holds the distinction for being the longest-running BBC comedy in history (33 series over a span of 37 years, totalling 295 episodes). I don't think cable television ever achieved a better two-hour block of quality comedy than that.
I do remember when Nick and what became A&E used to share a channel.
In the mid-late '80s, American Movie Classics only aired from 4 pm till about 6 am on the cable system in the town where I lived at the time. Whether AMC itself had the curtailed hours or the cable system truncated them, I don't recall. The rest of the time was filled with infomercials. One that ran in constant repetition peddled bee pollen products with names like "Bee-Young," claiming that then-President Reagan consumed bee pollen for vitality (and offering viewers a candy bar called "President's Lunch" with the presidential seal on the wrapper), stopping short of claiming any actual presidential endorsement.
In the mid-late '80s, American Movie Classics only aired from 4 pm till about 6 am on the cable system in the town where I lived at the time. Whether AMC itself had the curtailed hours or the cable system truncated them, I don't recall. The rest of the time was filled with infomercials. One that ran in constant repetition peddled bee pollen products with names like "Bee-Young," claiming that then-President Reagan consumed bee pollen for vitality (and offering viewers a candy bar called "President's Lunch" with the presidential seal on the wrapper), stopping short of claiming any actual presidential endorsement.
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
I did a little digging around and found a 1987 list of cable networks by satellite and transponder number. I'll skip any transponder that was vacant or used for promo feeds, etc., only:
Galaxy I
2 - Nashville Network
3 - WGN
4 - Disney Channel (E)
5 - Showtime (E)
6 - Univision
7 - CNN
8 - CNN Headline News
9 - ESPN
10 - The Movie Channel (E)
11 - CBN
12 - Request TV (PPV)
13 - C-SPAN
14 - The Movie Channel (W)
15 - WOR
16 - Viewer's Choice (PPV)
17 - PTL
18 - WTBS
19 - Cinemax (E)
20 - Galavision
21 - USA (E)
22 - Discovery Channel
23 - HBO (E)
24 - Disney Channel (W)
Satcom III-R
2 - The Learning Channel
3 - TBN
4 - FNN (6a-7:30p M-F)/SCORE (7:30-Mid M-F, 5p-Mid S/S)/TelShop (all other hours)
6 - Tempo (the former SPN - Satellite Program Network)
7 - ESPN
8 - QVC
9 - USA (W)
10 - Showtime (W)
11 - MTV
12 - Cable Value Network
13 - HBO (W)
15 - VH-1
16 - Travel Channel
17 - Lifetime
18 - EWTN
19 - Weather Channel
20 - BET
22 - Home Shopping Network
23 - Cinemax (W)
24 - A&E
Satcom IV
1 - Home Shopping Network II
2 - Bravo
4 - Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite
6 - TelShop
8 - C-SPAN2
10 - American Movie Classics
18 - Hit Video USA
19 - WPIX
21 - Nostalgia Channel
24 - Playboy Channel
I also found an old thread that I started back in 2005 on the Classic TV board in which we discussed the rankings of the cable networks in existence in both 1983 and 1986:
http://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?455865-Cable-Networks-1983-1986
Galaxy I
2 - Nashville Network
3 - WGN
4 - Disney Channel (E)
5 - Showtime (E)
6 - Univision
7 - CNN
8 - CNN Headline News
9 - ESPN
10 - The Movie Channel (E)
11 - CBN
12 - Request TV (PPV)
13 - C-SPAN
14 - The Movie Channel (W)
15 - WOR
16 - Viewer's Choice (PPV)
17 - PTL
18 - WTBS
19 - Cinemax (E)
20 - Galavision
21 - USA (E)
22 - Discovery Channel
23 - HBO (E)
24 - Disney Channel (W)
Satcom III-R
2 - The Learning Channel
3 - TBN
4 - FNN (6a-7:30p M-F)/SCORE (7:30-Mid M-F, 5p-Mid S/S)/TelShop (all other hours)
6 - Tempo (the former SPN - Satellite Program Network)
7 - ESPN
8 - QVC
9 - USA (W)
10 - Showtime (W)
11 - MTV
12 - Cable Value Network
13 - HBO (W)
15 - VH-1
16 - Travel Channel
17 - Lifetime
18 - EWTN
19 - Weather Channel
20 - BET
22 - Home Shopping Network
23 - Cinemax (W)
24 - A&E
Satcom IV
1 - Home Shopping Network II
2 - Bravo
4 - Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite
6 - TelShop
8 - C-SPAN2
10 - American Movie Classics
18 - Hit Video USA
19 - WPIX
21 - Nostalgia Channel
24 - Playboy Channel
I also found an old thread that I started back in 2005 on the Classic TV board in which we discussed the rankings of the cable networks in existence in both 1983 and 1986:
http://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?455865-Cable-Networks-1983-1986
One interesting case was Buckeye CableSystem in Toledo.
Through the 90s the system had A and B lines, 30 channels a line for a grand total of 60. The odd thing is that you did need an A/B switch to view all the channels.
Here's part of the lineup as it was in January 1997, with A and B channels:
1: Impulse Marquee/Prevue Channel
2: CNN/Family Channel
3: ESPN/MTV
4: USA/Nickelodeon
5: TV5 (local)/TBS
6: The Weather Channel/E!
7: TNT/AMC
8: Headline News/ESPN2
9: <none>/CSPAN
10: WNWO/WJBK
11: WTOL/WXYZ
12: WUPW/WDIV
13: WTVG/WKBD
21: Request PPV/local origination?
28: ValueVision/BET
29: America's Health Network/CNBC
30: BET/Odyssey
Not quite sure why there was a missing 9A. I'm also missing a good chunk of the lineup, but it's enough to get the point across. It also demonstrates that Detroit locals were carried for quite some time on the cable system.
Through the 90s the system had A and B lines, 30 channels a line for a grand total of 60. The odd thing is that you did need an A/B switch to view all the channels.
Here's part of the lineup as it was in January 1997, with A and B channels:
1: Impulse Marquee/Prevue Channel
2: CNN/Family Channel
3: ESPN/MTV
4: USA/Nickelodeon
5: TV5 (local)/TBS
6: The Weather Channel/E!
7: TNT/AMC
8: Headline News/ESPN2
9: <none>/CSPAN
10: WNWO/WJBK
11: WTOL/WXYZ
12: WUPW/WDIV
13: WTVG/WKBD
21: Request PPV/local origination?
28: ValueVision/BET
29: America's Health Network/CNBC
30: BET/Odyssey
Not quite sure why there was a missing 9A. I'm also missing a good chunk of the lineup, but it's enough to get the point across. It also demonstrates that Detroit locals were carried for quite some time on the cable system.
Several Detroit stations I think are still carried to this day in Toledo (WKBD, WXYZ, and WDIV partially and CBET fully). Buckeye Toledo also serves Bedford, which is in the Detroit market. Bedford is an interesting case as a few Detroit stations are not seen at all (WMYD, WADL, WTVS, WWJ). Also, WUPW is not seen in Bedford.
I bet 9A was CBC and they couldn't get the guide information into the Prevue system; the number assignment would make sense. I know they still carry CBET because Buckeye put out a whole promo encouraging viewers to watch CBC Olympics coverage (due to the WNWO spat) — unfortunately Buckeye also put in a copyright claim on the video, so we can't see it.
I seem to recall BET as once sharing time with another network, maybe USA, on Friday nights way back in the early 80's; can still remember their jingle, "You can bet on it if it's on BET." Not sure if it was a network per se, but USA also used to offer a Sunday night program block called "The English Channel," which ran British and Australian shows; including a quite slick Aussie-made but American-style variety show starring the Serendipity Singers.
At one time we had a time-shared network whose name I can't remember, but came on 11 pm with a taped Filipino newscast! Anybody else remember it?
In the early cable days of the 70's, Teleprompter (then the cable operator here) offered what it called "4th Network." The programming consisted of old Four Star TV series from the 50's and early 60's, all b/w; feature films from NTA; old-time-movies bought from Manbeck Pictures Corp. (a 16mm home-movie distributor) and some kind of "psychedelic" rock show I think was called "Music Connection." Everything was played locally from 3/4" U-Matic cartridges; someone there once showed me rooms with shelves of tapes floor-to-ceiling.
Nobody but me seems to remember "4th Network." Can anyone prove I'm not hallucinating?
At one time we had a time-shared network whose name I can't remember, but came on 11 pm with a taped Filipino newscast! Anybody else remember it?
In the early cable days of the 70's, Teleprompter (then the cable operator here) offered what it called "4th Network." The programming consisted of old Four Star TV series from the 50's and early 60's, all b/w; feature films from NTA; old-time-movies bought from Manbeck Pictures Corp. (a 16mm home-movie distributor) and some kind of "psychedelic" rock show I think was called "Music Connection." Everything was played locally from 3/4" U-Matic cartridges; someone there once showed me rooms with shelves of tapes floor-to-ceiling.
Nobody but me seems to remember "4th Network." Can anyone prove I'm not hallucinating?
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
See my first post (#6) in this thread.
You're right; I remembered BET as a late-night switch-over. Some shows I recall from those days were the old (even then!) "Showtime At The Apollo" (great music and Mantan Moreland's comic timing), "The Bobby Jones Gospel Hour," and old public domain black-cast features from the 1940's.
Going just a little off topic, when cable networking was young and there wasn't much money around; programmers had to use ingenuity and look for old series and obscure first-run product no one else was running; and they built an audience with them too. (I'm thinking of many of the same programming mentioned by others, also CBN's late-night classic comedy lineup, USA's "Night Flight," etc.)
Now that there's big bucks at stake, programmers just go after last year's cancelled network shows, or "reality" crapola, and it's all homogenized; no creativity.
None of the networks have their original purpose nowadays. A&E - Arts and Entertainment in the 1990s, "Storage Wars," "Dog the Bounty Hunter" and "Duck Dynasty" in the 2010s. MTV - music videos in the 1980s, "Teen Mom" in the 2010s. CMT - music videos in the 1990s, movies, Dog the Bounty Hunter and crap in 2014.
-crainbebo
-crainbebo
Remember The Discovery Channel in its early days -- wall-to-wall documentaries and nature, including local history films submitted by small-town historical societies. Now it's indistinguishable from any other "reality"-leaning channel. The History Channel, ditto.
Of course, viewer research is to blame. Music videos attracted too many kids -- unsellable. World War II attracted too many geezers -- unsellable. Gotta hit that 18-49 sweet spot, and that means dumbing down and heavy on the innuendo and naughty language.
CBC was channel 59 prior to the spat and has now moved to channel 10 and 624 (HD). http://www.buckeyecablesystem.com/lineups/lineups/toledo-lineup.pdf
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
Actually, MTV didn't have a demographic problem for advertisers. The problem was that the viewers treated the channel like a radio station and didn't watch for extended periods. Nor did their viewing concentrate into neat little half-hour and hour chunks like traditional television programming. The agencies were reluctant to purchase MTV on a "run of schedule" spot basis but once stand-alone shows like "Remote Control" were developed MTV was able to show specific ratings for a specific time period and the agencies responded.
This was all well-documented in Advertising Age and other such trade publications at the time.
Many of them here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/trainman/2079643628/in/set-72157602749201698/lightbox/
Seattle:
21 - Fox Sports Northwest/Odyssey
54 - BET/CNBC
69 - Comedy Central/Court TV
99 - C-SPAN2/Playboy
King County:
21 - Fox Sports Northwest/Odyssey
29 - Weather Channel/Kirkland City Channel
39 - Comedy Central/VH1
42 - BET/Court TV
99 - C-SPAN2/Playboy
Tacoma:
21 - Fox Sports Northwest/Odyssey
27 - Court TV/Sneak Prevue
39 - Comedy Central/VH1
42 - BET/CNBC
56 - Galavision/Request 2
99 - C-SPAN2/Playboy
Seattle:
21 - Fox Sports Northwest/Odyssey
54 - BET/CNBC
69 - Comedy Central/Court TV
99 - C-SPAN2/Playboy
King County:
21 - Fox Sports Northwest/Odyssey
29 - Weather Channel/Kirkland City Channel
39 - Comedy Central/VH1
42 - BET/Court TV
99 - C-SPAN2/Playboy
Tacoma:
21 - Fox Sports Northwest/Odyssey
27 - Court TV/Sneak Prevue
39 - Comedy Central/VH1
42 - BET/CNBC
56 - Galavision/Request 2
99 - C-SPAN2/Playboy
- Status