Subscription Telelvision: Dallas/Fort Worth Had Most Competition?

[AlanB]

From 1981-1984, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex had 3 over-the-air subscription television stations: KNBN-TV 33 was the first and ran business news during the day and VEU beginning at 7. KTWS-TV 27 ran the cheapest operation (public domain cartoons and movies) during the day and "Preview" at night (later merged/bought out by VEU), and KTXA-TV 21 had ON-TV scattered throughout the day (a mid-morning movie ran before the evening service started at 7).

By 1982, the business news format failed and KNBN switched to SIN (Spanish). VEU ran on both KNBN and KTWS for a long time (6 months to a year). KTXA rid itself of On-TV within a year or so (I remember there being a dispute between KTXA and ON-TV because the former discovered itself to be a successful independent and ON-TV wanted more and more airtime). KNBN became a full time SIN affiliate after the VEU switchover to KTWS.

By 1984, VEU signed off and KTWS became KDFI, and the rest is history. There was also a microwave service on Channel 3 called "ShowBiz".


Did any other market have 3 or 4 STV services going at the same time?

 

[KeithE4]

In 1982, Chicago had ON-TV on WSNS Ch. 44, SportsVision on WPWR/WBBS Ch. 60, and Spectrum on WFBN Ch. 66. The northern end of the metro could also pick up SelecTV on WCGV Ch. 24 in Milwaukee. All were gone after 1985.

 

[pqgeorge]

Boston had a share of Subscription Television stations as well. We had WQTV/Channel 68 running "B*E*S*T-TV", "StarCase" and "Preview" from 1979-1983. We also had WSMW-TV Channel 27 (Worcester, MA) running "Preview" from 1980-1986. WQTV operated "conventionally" with public domain movies and some very low budget public affairs during the day. WQTV went to STV at 7:00 PM until the overnight hours. Late nights they ran some soft porn flicks (rated R) under the banner of "Private Screenings". Eventually WQTV left STV operation went to full-time commercial operation in September, 1983. WSMW-TV originally ran "Preview" from 7:00 PM until 1:00 AM. Slowly the "conventional" programming on Channel 27 went away except for the daily Mass on the barker channel only. Ironically, some of the movies were rather easy to see during the time of the barker channel Masses (if you know what I mean!). WSMW-TV gave up the ghost with "Preview" on January 1, 1986. They returned to a general entertainment format 24/7. Cable had grown very quickly since the late 70's. And besides, the OTA STV formats were easy to decode. There were actually more pirated boxes than the legitimate ones. So, the demise of OTA STV was bound to happen sooner or later.

 

[RyanHoward]

There were 3 subscription TV stations in the Philadelphia area:

WWSG 57(now CW affil WPSG), with SelecTV, then PRISM
WRBV 65 in Vineland, NJ(now Univision WUVP), with WHT(Wometco Home Theatre)
WTVE 51 in Reading, PA, with the same thing as WWSG(SelecTV and PRISM)

Also, New York had 2 of them:

WWHT 68 Newark, NJ, and WSNL 67 Smithtown, NY(now Telefutura WFUT and WFTY, respectively),
both of which carried the WHT service.

 

[ropertex]

There was also a microwave service on Channel 3 called "ShowBiz".

Showbiz was on 2150 Mhz, Multipoint distibution service, far from Channel 3 (60 to 66 Mhz)

The set top box downconverted the signal to Channel 3 or 4, whichever was unused in the area, like
VCRs and cable boxes.