first 24 hour cable television channel

[sross1000]

Just curious, what was the first major cable television channel in the United States to broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (366 days in leap years)? I think it was CNN, but I'm not quite sure.

Thanks,
sross1000

 

[Connieh]

From wikipedia: On June 1, 1980, Ted Turner launched CNN, the first 24-hour cable news operation

 

[sross1000]

From wikipedia: On June 1, 1980, Ted Turner launched CNN, the first 24-hour cable news operation

Were there any other major cable television channels in the United States to broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (366 days in leap years), like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, etc. before CNN was launched on June 1, 1980?

 

[Imzadi]

From wikipedia: On June 1, 1980, Ted Turner launched CNN, the first 24-hour cable news operation

The key word there is it was a news channel to go 24 hours. It may not have been the first 24 hour channel. I think maybe one of the paid premium cable channels was probably first, like HBO. I remember when my parents first subscribed to it. There was so little to broadcast that they kept replaying the same stuff over & over , way more than they do now.

 

[Cool-Beans]

The key word there is it was a news channel to go 24 hours. It may not have been the first 24 hour channel. I think maybe one of the paid premium cable channels was probably first, like HBO. I remember when my parents first subscribed to it. There was so little to broadcast that they kept replaying the same stuff over & over , way more than they do now.

LOL, I remember that, too. I think I saw Poltergeist about 30 times one summer as a kid. "There is peace and serenity in the light."

The first 24 hour channel I cared about was MTV. I wanted my MTV and was so happy when it finally came to our area. "Friday Night Videos" just sucked.

But who came first...I just don't know.

 

[John VN]

LOL, I remember that, too. I think I saw Poltergeist about 30 times one summer as a kid. "There is peace and serenity in the light."

The first 24 hour channel I cared about was MTV. I wanted my MTV and was so happy when it finally came to our area. "Friday Night Videos" just sucked.

But who came first...I just don't know.

Remember the first video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtHEmVjVw8

 

[powellrj]

copied and pasted from wikipedia

The first "Superstation"
Main article: TBS (TV network)
Beginning in the early 1970s many cable systems in surrounding states would microwave the WTCG signal into neighboring Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina, far beyond the Atlanta TV market. WTCG was one of the first TV stations to broadcast via satellite. It, along with WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV) in New York and WGN-TV in Chicago, were among America's first "superstations": independent channels distributed to cable systems throughout their respective regions, or the entire country.

At 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 17, 1976, WTCG's signal was beamed via the Satcom 1 satellite to four cable systems in Grand Island, Nebraska; Newport News, Virginia; Troy, Alabama; and Newton, Kansas. All four cable systems started receiving the sleepy 1948 Dana Andrews and Cesar Romero film Deep Waters, which was already 30 minutes in progress. Instantly, WTCG added 24,000 more households to its viewing audience, which consisted of 675,000 households in metropolitan Atlanta. That number would grow exponentially in the next several years, with the first heaviest concentrations in the Southern United States (where WTCG's telecasts of Atlanta Braves baseball and professional wrestling were highly popular), but eventually encompassing the nation. The station, and Turner's innovation, signaled the start of the basic cable revolution. By 1978, WTCG was on cable systems in all 50 states, many of which lacked access to a local commercial independent station and in some cases even a distant one.

Programming stayed pretty similar as shows such as Brady Bunch, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, I Dream Of Jeannie, Hogan's Heroes, made for TV Popeye cartoons, and other vintage shows would be purchased second and even third hand. They did manage to win bids for All In The Family and Sanford and Son however.

 

[rcraw45425]

I thought it was TBS! I remember being around 13 when we started getting it (we are 90 minutes south of Atlanta, and it was a big deal because you could turn on the TV anytime and there would be some thing on, like old Gilligans Islands or Beverly Hillbillies. Does anyone else remember when HBO used to sign on daily around 5:30PM EST? I remember turning on the TV and ther being the little sign on logo! First movies I remember seeing on there were Mother Jugs and Speed (Bill Cosby and Raquel Welch) an the Choirboys with Charles Durning (nothing like the Joseph Wambaugh book!) Those wer the good old days!We'd get the little HBO guide in the mail with the cable bill and would plan our viewing!

 

[powellrj]

I thought it was TBS! I remember being around 13 when we started getting it (we are 90 minutes south of Atlanta, and it was a big deal because you could turn on the TV anytime and there would be some thing on, like old Gilligans Islands or Beverly Hillbillies. Does anyone else remember when HBO used to sign on daily around 5:30PM EST? I remember turning on the TV and ther being the little sign on logo! First movies I remember seeing on there were Mother Jugs and Speed (Bill Cosby and Raquel Welch) an the Choirboys with Charles Durning (nothing like the Joseph Wambaugh book!) Those wer the good old days!We'd get the little HBO guide in the mail with the cable bill and would plan our viewing!

Remeber when they use to show everything at 5 minutes after the hour?

 

[Cool-Beans]

Remember the first video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtHEmVjVw8

Ah, the good old days. I still think that's a good song.

That may be the first video they ever played, but we didn't have MTV then, damn it. The first video I saw on MTV was the end of a John Cougar (pre-Mellencamp) one - "Hurts So Good", followed by Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

Then I watched for 45 more minutes until mom got home and turned on Phil Donahue or Merv or whatever.

But MTV and I were love at first sight. I was the queen of Remote Control.

I miss the 80s, lol.

 

[perdidobay]

Remeber when they use to show everything at 5 minutes after the hour?

Yup!
Remember Bill Tush?
That man did about every job at TBS in the early days!

 

[rcraw45425]

Remeber when they use to show everything at 5 minutes after the hour?

I do! I also remember that distinctive "Chime" that they used when signing on and off! Man, we're telling our age!