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Why does primetime start at 7 on Sundays?

Might have to do with the repeal of the Prime Time Access Rule in 1996. Before that networks were allowed to program Sundays starting at 7:00 as of 1975, so the networks have used the time slot ever since for various types of programming - if the game runs long for instance. Before that Sundays started at 8:00 for the Ed Sullivan Show, and after his run ended there were movies on Sunday nights. I haven't watched network television in ages, so I can't really say what the heck is on now.
 
I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one who remembered the Prime Time Access Rule. There were only certain types of programming that were allowed in that 7-8pm ET/PT slot from the networks. That, IIRC, is why 60 Minutes moved there. It had to be family or informational as I recall.
 
Silkie said:
...Before that Sundays started at 8:00 for the Ed Sullivan Show, and after his run ended there were movies on Sunday nights.
Click to expand...

No, Sunday prime time started at 7:00 (or 7:30 ET) for a long time. CBS had Lassie at 7, fill-in-the-blank sitcom at 7:30, followed by Ed at 8. ABC had Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Land Of The Giants, among others, from 7-8. NBC ran Disney at 7:30 and at times filled the 7-7:30 slot (Bullwinkle, Bill Dana Show for example), earlier ran the BellTelHour 6:30-7:30 ET.
 
Prior to 1970, prime time began at 7PM ET. Then in 1970, the FCC scaled back prime time to 8PM ET. In 1975, an exception was made for Sunday night, and it went back to 7PM. Then in 1998, the prime time rule was repealed, but the networks haven't attempted to take back the 7-8 PM hour...mainly because the stations won't let them.
 
Pretty sure it was repealed in 1996, around the same time as passage of the Communications Act of 1996.
 
What hasn't been mentioned is that until the Prime Time Access Rule - network programming Monday thru Saturday started at 7:30. I recall as a kid that Jackie Gleason on Saturday night was at 7:30.

IIRC, the purpose of the prime-time access rule was to force network affiliates and O&Os to run local programming for a half-hour at 7:30 that would be beneficial to the community - like public service programming. But the FCC wasn't very specific about it, so most affiliates just plugged in syndicated game shows (think Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune), or started the afternoon movie (ABC O&Os and affiliates) at 6:30 instead of 6:00, so they would run until 8:00. A few did Evening Magazine (also called PM Magazine) type shows, but those were mostly syndicated segments introduced by local station personalities.
 
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