Old cable TV lineup: Continental Cablevision, Natick, MA, 1992

[ssetta]

2 - Community Bulletin Board
3 - WGBH-2 (PBS) Boston
4 - WBZ-4 (NBC) Boston
5 - WCVB-5 (ABC) Boston
6 - WLNE-6 (CBS) New Bedford
7 - WHDH-7 (CBS) Boston
8 - WTBS-17 (Ind.) Atlanta Superstation
9 - WWOR-9 (Ind.) New York
10 - WJAR-10 (NBC) Providence
11 - WENH-11 (PBS) Durham, NH
12 - WPRI-12 (ABC) Providence
13 - Local Access Channel
14 - Pay-Per-View Prevues
15 - VC1 (PPV)
16 - VC2 (PPV)
17 - HBO
18 - Cinemax
19 - Showtime
20 - Disney
21 - The Movie Channel
22 - NESN
23 - Sports Channel
24 - MTV
25 - WFXT-25 (Fox) Boston
26 - WLVI-56 (Ind.) Boston
27 - WHLL-27 (Ind.) Worcester
28 - The Family Channel
29 - TNN
30 - Nickelodeon
31 - A&E
32 - Lifetime
33 - USA
34 - ESPN
35 - Discovery
36 - WSBE-36 (PBS) Providence
37 - HSN
38 - WSBK-38 (Ind.) Boston
39 - CNN
40 - Headline News
41 - Prevue Guide
42 - EWTN
43 - The Weather Channel
44 - WGBX-44 (PBS) Boston
45 - CNBC/QVC (shared)
46 - TLC
47 - C-Span
48 - WQTV-68 (Ind.) Boston
49 - TNT
50 - C-Span 2
51 - WHSH-66 (HSN) Marlborough
52 - New England Cable News

This was back when many cable systems in the country carried more than one of each of the major networks. Starting on Sept. 1, 1993, the Providence networks were done away with. However, they still have the NH and RI PBS stations to this day. The PPV Preview channel moved from channel 14 to 6, and 14 was replaced by AMC. Meanwhile, WJAR-10 was replaced with ESPN 2, and WPRI-12 was replaced with VH-1. Apparently, I think we were one of the last systems in the country to start getting VH-1.

 

[classictvfan]

I notice your cable system had WOR in lieu of WGN.

 

[ssetta]

I think they might have had WGN at one time, but I'm not sure. I remember WOR was dropped in 1996 in favor of Court TV. And it was dropped everywhere. And New England Cable News only signed on in 1992. I think before that, channel 52 was some kind of bulletin board, I don't remember what it was. But does anyone know why not many cable systems nowadays carry more than one of each major network affiliate?

 

[KML0224]

As for New York, we here in New Britain/Hartford, CT had the WWOR EMI service (basically a national Syndex feed, save for local news and Mets baseball). That went away at the end of 1999.

 

[azumanga]

WWOR EMI service...went away at the end of 1999.

Don't you mean the end of 1996? This was when its distributors sold the transponder space it was on to Discovery, which they used to launch its new "Animal Planet" channel.

 

[KML0224]

Right. Then-AT&T Broadband carried the occasional feed from WWOR-TV if it was for the Mets (which WWOR still carried at the time).