Fourth television network
Encyclopedia
In American television terminology, a fourth network is a reference to a fourth broadcast (over-the-air) television network
, as opposed to the Big Three television networks
that dominated US TV from the 1950s to the 1990s: ABC
, CBS
, and NBC
.
When the US television industry was in its infancy in the 1940s, there were four major full-time TV networks that operated across the country: ABC, CBS. NBC, and the DuMont Television Network
. Never able to find solid financial ground, DuMont ceased broadcasting in 1956. Later, many companies operated TV networks which aspired to compete against the Big Three. However, between the 1950s and the 1980s, none of these start-ups endured. After decades of these failed "fourth networks", many TV industry insiders believed a viable fourth network was impossible. TV critics grew jaded. "Industry talk about a possible full-time, full-service, commercial network structured like the existing big three, ABC, CBS and NBC, pops up much more often than the fictitious town of Brigadoon
," one critic wrote.
The 1986 launch of the Fox Broadcasting Company
was met with ridicule. Despite the industry skepticism and initial network instability, the Fox network eventually proved profitable by the early '90s, becoming the first successful fourth network.
telephone network. The linking allowed stations to share television program
s across great distances, and allowed advertisers to air television commercials nationally. Local stations became affiliate
s of one or more of the four networks. These four networks — the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), and the DuMont Television Network
— would be the only full-time TV networks during the 1940s and 1950s, for in 1948, the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) suspended approvals for new station construction permits. Although other companies — including Paramount
and Mutual
— announced network plans or began limited network operations, these companies withdrew from TV after the first few years.
The FCC's "freeze", as it was called, was supposed to last for six months. When it was lifted in 1952, there were only four full-time television networks. The FCC would only license three local VHF
stations in each TV market in the US. A fourth station, the FCC ruled, would have to broadcast on the UHF
band. Hundreds of new UHF stations began operations, but these stations quickly folded because TV set manufacturers weren't required to include a UHF tuner until 1964. Most viewers couldn't receive UHF stations, and advertisers wouldn't advertise on stations which no one could view. Without advertising revenue, UHF station owners either returned their station licenses to the FCC, or cut operating costs in attempts to stay in business.
Since there were four networks but only three VHF stations in most major US cities, one network would be forced to broadcast on an unwatched UHF outlet. NBC and CBS had been the largest, most successful broadcasters in radio. As they began bringing their popular radio programs and stars into the TV medium, they sought—and attracted—the most profitable VHF television stations. In many areas, ABC and DuMont were left with undesirable UHF stations, or were forced to affiliate with NBC or CBS stations on a part-time basis. ABC was near bankruptcy in 1952; DuMont's network was unprofitable after 1953.
On August 6, 1956, DuMont ceased regular network operations; the end of DuMont allowed ABC to experience a profit increase of 40% that year, although ABC would not reach parity with NBC and CBS until the 1970s. The end of the DuMont Network left many UHF stations without a reliable source of programming. Several new television companies were formed through the years in failed attempts to band these stations together in a new fourth network.
Advertisers, too, called for the creation of a fourth network. Representatives from Procter and Gamble and General Foods
, two of the largest advertisers in the US, hoped the competition from a fourth network would lower advertising rates on the Big Three. Independent TV producers, too, called for a fourth network after battles with the Big Three.
stations; each of these stations would have a voice in deciding what programs the network would air. Four initial programs, Jack for Jill, I'm the Champ, Answer Me This, and It's a Living, were slated to be aired; the programs would be filmed in Hollywood. However, only 17 stations had agreed to affiliate in May. The film network never made it off the ground, and none of the planned programs aired.
purchased the television network
in 1968, changing the name to the Hughes Television Network
. Speculation abounded that Hughes would add non-sports programs to the line-up, launching a fourth network. One television critic speculated "If Hughes does have the exciting sports programs they can change viewer's dialing habits. If dialing habits are changed might he extend his network facilities to include nonsport programming? It would be one way, less costly and with far less of a risk, to start the illusionary fourth network."
Despite the speculation, the Hughes Network never offered non-sports programs and never developed into a fourth major TV network.
launched the NTA Film Network, a syndication service which distributed both films and television programs to independent television stations and stations affiliated with NBC
, CBS
, or ABC
; the network had signed agreements with over 100 affiliate stations. The ad-hoc network's flagship station was WNTA-TV
, channel 13 in New York. The NTA Network was launched as a "fourth TV network", and trade papers of the time referred to it as a new TV network.
The NTA Film Network offered dozens of programs to its affiliates, among them sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire
(1957-1959), Western Man Without a Gun
(1957-1959), sitcom This is Alice
(1958-1959), Peabody Award
winner Play of the Week
(1959-1961), sports show The Bill Corum Sports Show (circa 1957), religious program Man's Heritage
(circa 1957), The Passerby (circa 1957), courtroom drama Divorce Court
(1957–1969), mystery Official Detective
(1957–1958), talk show Open End (1958–1961), swashbuckler William Tell (1958–1959), adventure series Assignment: Underwater
(1959–1960), cartoon Q. T. Hush
(1960–1961), drama Sheriff of Cochise
(later retitled U.S. Marshall, 1956–1958), Alex in Wonderland (1959), news program Newsbeat (1959–1961) and musical program Mantovani
(1959).
Among its 1956–1957 offerings were 52 Twentieth Century-Fox films. Premiere Performance, a prime time
block of Twentieth Century-Fox films, aired from 1957–1959. Other film blocks included TV Hour of Stars and The Big Night (both 1958–1959). The film network also announced provisional plans to telecast live sporting and special events (using network relays) by the 1959–1960 television season
.
Despite this major fourth network effort, by 1961 WNTA-TV was losing money, and the network's flagship station was sold to the Educational Broadcasting Corporation that November. WNTA-TV became WNDT (later WNET), flagship station of the National Educational Television
network, a forerunner of PBS. NTA network operations did not continue without a flagship station, although parent company National Telefilm Associates continued syndication services. Divorce Court was seen as late as 1969.
, a former president of NBC
, twice attempted to launch his own television network. According to one source, the network would have been called the Pat Weaver Prime Time Network. Although the new network was announced, no programs were ever produced.
The network finally launched under the name Mizlou Television Network
in 1968, but the concept had changed. Like the Hughes Network, Mizlou only carried occasional sporting and special events. Despite developing a sophisticated microwave and land line broadcasting system, the company never developed into a major television network.
stations existed during the 1950s. By 1962, 62 educational stations were operating, most of which had affiliated with the non-commercial educational
, National Educational Television
(NET). That year, the US Congress approved $32 million in funding for educational television, giving a boost to the non-commercial
television network
. Although at the 1962 revamp of the organization, NET was branded a "fourth network", later historians have disagreed. McNeil (1996) stated, "in a sense, NET was less a true network than a distributor of programs to educational stations throughout the country; it was not until late 1966 that simultaneous broadcasting began on educational outlets."
. The name was later changed to the United Network, but the network itself broadcast only for a single month, and aired only one program, The Las Vegas Show
. The lack of reliable VHF stations helped kill the new, unprofitable network. Shortly after the network ceased operations, one critic called the network a fiasco, and likened the failure to the earlier DuMont, NTA Film Network, and Weaver network failures.
and Metromedia
, were floated in 1969 as possible fourth network entries. Westinghouse was the owner of several VHF stations and produced several series which aired on its stations and others. However, Donald McGannon
, president of Westinghouse, estimated it would take $200 million each year to operate a full-time television network and a modest news department. McGannon denied his company had full network aspirations.
Metromedia, the successor company to the defunct DuMont Network, was a healthy chain of independent television stations. Although Metromedia "dabbled at creating a fourth network", the company was content with offering series to independent stations on a part-time basis, "nowhere near the conventional definition of a network". In 1976, the company proposed a link of independent TV stations called MetroNet. The proposed programming would consist of several Sunday night family dramas, on weeknights a half-hour serial and a gothic series similar to Dark Shadows
, and on Saturdays a variety program hosted by Charo
. The plans for MetroNet failed when advertisers balked at Metromedia's advertising rate, which was only slightly lower than the Big Three's.
made tentative plans to launch the Paramount Television Service
, a new fourth television network; its programming would have consisted of one night a week. Thirty Movies of the Week would have followed Star Trek: Phase II
on Saturday nights. This plan was aborted when executives decided the venture would cost too much, with no guarantee of profitability. The decision was made to transform Phase II into Star Trek: The Motion Picture
. Paramount continued to produce TV programs for the Big Three networks. Paramount would eventually create a network seventeen years later with the launch of UPN.
. In October 1985, 20th Century Fox
announced its intentions to form an independent television system which would compete with the three major television networks. 20th Century-Fox studios would combine with the former Metromedia stations to both produce and distribute programming. Because Metromedia was the successor company to the DuMont Network, radio personality Clarke Ingram
has argued that Fox was essentially not a new fourth network per se, but DuMont "rising from the ashes". Former DuMont stations like WNYW
in New York City
and WTTG
in Washington, D.C.
became Fox stations.
The Fox network launched in 1986 with 88 affiliates, many of them UHF stations. This latest fourth network was met with ridicule by critics and with scorn by Big Three executives, who pointed out that the Fox network, like the failed television networks before it, would be seen mostly on poorly-watched UHF stations. Brandon Tartikoff
gave Fox the dismissive nickname "the coat hanger network", implying that viewers would need to attach wire hangers to their TV sets to view Fox. NBC head Grant Tinker
stated, "I will never put a fourth column on my schedule board. There will only be three."
By 1988, the network was still struggling, and Fox executives considered pulling the plug on the network. By 1990 Fox had cracked the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings with The Simpsons
, which became the first series from a fourth network to enter the top 30 since the demise of DuMont more than 30 years earlier.
Fox became profitable by the early 1990s, and in 1994, was able to lure major affiliates away from CBS, when Fox took the rights to the NFL
from CBS
. No fourth network had been able to entice a Big Three affiliate to switch before. Fox became the most watched network in the US for the first time in its history in 2008.
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, as opposed to the Big Three television networks
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
that dominated US TV from the 1950s to the 1990s: ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
When the US television industry was in its infancy in the 1940s, there were four major full-time TV networks that operated across the country: ABC, CBS. NBC, and the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
. Never able to find solid financial ground, DuMont ceased broadcasting in 1956. Later, many companies operated TV networks which aspired to compete against the Big Three. However, between the 1950s and the 1980s, none of these start-ups endured. After decades of these failed "fourth networks", many TV industry insiders believed a viable fourth network was impossible. TV critics grew jaded. "Industry talk about a possible full-time, full-service, commercial network structured like the existing big three, ABC, CBS and NBC, pops up much more often than the fictitious town of Brigadoon
Brigadoon
Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the musical, such as "Almost Like Being in Love" have become standards....
," one critic wrote.
The 1986 launch of the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
was met with ridicule. Despite the industry skepticism and initial network instability, the Fox network eventually proved profitable by the early '90s, becoming the first successful fourth network.
Background
In the 1940s, four television networks began operations by linking local TV stations together via AT&T's coaxial cableCoaxial cable
Coaxial cable, or coax, has an inner conductor surrounded by a flexible, tubular insulating layer, surrounded by a tubular conducting shield. The term coaxial comes from the inner conductor and the outer shield sharing the same geometric axis...
telephone network. The linking allowed stations to share television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s across great distances, and allowed advertisers to air television commercials nationally. Local stations became affiliate
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
s of one or more of the four networks. These four networks — the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), and the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
— would be the only full-time TV networks during the 1940s and 1950s, for in 1948, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) suspended approvals for new station construction permits. Although other companies — including Paramount
Paramount Television Network
The Paramount Television Network was a venture by American film corporation Paramount Pictures to organize a television network in the late 1940s...
and Mutual
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
— announced network plans or began limited network operations, these companies withdrew from TV after the first few years.
The FCC's "freeze", as it was called, was supposed to last for six months. When it was lifted in 1952, there were only four full-time television networks. The FCC would only license three local VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
stations in each TV market in the US. A fourth station, the FCC ruled, would have to broadcast on the UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
band. Hundreds of new UHF stations began operations, but these stations quickly folded because TV set manufacturers weren't required to include a UHF tuner until 1964. Most viewers couldn't receive UHF stations, and advertisers wouldn't advertise on stations which no one could view. Without advertising revenue, UHF station owners either returned their station licenses to the FCC, or cut operating costs in attempts to stay in business.
Since there were four networks but only three VHF stations in most major US cities, one network would be forced to broadcast on an unwatched UHF outlet. NBC and CBS had been the largest, most successful broadcasters in radio. As they began bringing their popular radio programs and stars into the TV medium, they sought—and attracted—the most profitable VHF television stations. In many areas, ABC and DuMont were left with undesirable UHF stations, or were forced to affiliate with NBC or CBS stations on a part-time basis. ABC was near bankruptcy in 1952; DuMont's network was unprofitable after 1953.
On August 6, 1956, DuMont ceased regular network operations; the end of DuMont allowed ABC to experience a profit increase of 40% that year, although ABC would not reach parity with NBC and CBS until the 1970s. The end of the DuMont Network left many UHF stations without a reliable source of programming. Several new television companies were formed through the years in failed attempts to band these stations together in a new fourth network.
Rationale
Some within the industry felt there was a need for a fourth network; that complaints about diversity in programming could be addressed by adding another network. "We need a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth network," one broadcaster stated. While critics rejected "the nightly tripe being offered the public on the three major networks," they were skeptical that a fourth network would offer better material: "[O]ne wonders if a new network lacking the big money already being spread three ways will be able to come up with tripe that is equal. Certainly a new network is not going to stress quality programming when the ratings indicate that the American public prefer hillbillies, cowboys and spies. A new network will have to deliver an audience if it is to attract the big spenders from the ranks of sponsors."Advertisers, too, called for the creation of a fourth network. Representatives from Procter and Gamble and General Foods
General Foods
General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the USA by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The name General Foods was adopted in 1929, after several corporate acquisitions...
, two of the largest advertisers in the US, hoped the competition from a fourth network would lower advertising rates on the Big Three. Independent TV producers, too, called for a fourth network after battles with the Big Three.
George Fox Organization network
George Fox, the president of the George Fox Organization, announced tentative plans for a television film network in May 1956. The plan was to sign 45-50 affiliateAffiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
stations; each of these stations would have a voice in deciding what programs the network would air. Four initial programs, Jack for Jill, I'm the Champ, Answer Me This, and It's a Living, were slated to be aired; the programs would be filmed in Hollywood. However, only 17 stations had agreed to affiliate in May. The film network never made it off the ground, and none of the planned programs aired.
Sports Network/Hughes Network
Also in 1956, Dick Bailey founded the Sports Network, a specialty TV network which aired only sports television programs. Millionaire Howard HughesHoward Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
purchased the television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
in 1968, changing the name to the Hughes Television Network
Hughes Television Network
Hughes Television Network was an American television network created by businessman Howard Hughes.It never lived up to its dream of being the nation's fourth television network, following the demise of the DuMont Television Network...
. Speculation abounded that Hughes would add non-sports programs to the line-up, launching a fourth network. One television critic speculated "If Hughes does have the exciting sports programs they can change viewer's dialing habits. If dialing habits are changed might he extend his network facilities to include nonsport programming? It would be one way, less costly and with far less of a risk, to start the illusionary fourth network."
Despite the speculation, the Hughes Network never offered non-sports programs and never developed into a fourth major TV network.
NTA Film Network
On October 15, 1956, National Telefilm AssociatesNational Telefilm Associates
National Telefilm Associates was an independent distribution company that handled reissues of American film libraries, including much of Paramount Pictures' animated and short-subjects library.-History:...
launched the NTA Film Network, a syndication service which distributed both films and television programs to independent television stations and stations affiliated with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, or ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
; the network had signed agreements with over 100 affiliate stations. The ad-hoc network's flagship station was WNTA-TV
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
, channel 13 in New York. The NTA Network was launched as a "fourth TV network", and trade papers of the time referred to it as a new TV network.
The NTA Film Network offered dozens of programs to its affiliates, among them sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire
How to Marry a Millionaire (TV series)
How to Marry a Millionaire is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from 1957 to 1959. The series was based on the 1953 film of the same name which starred Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Lauren Bacall.-Synopsis:...
(1957-1959), Western Man Without a Gun
Man Without a Gun
Man Without a Gun is a western television series produced by 20th Century Fox television and presented in first-run syndication in the United States from 1957 to 1959...
(1957-1959), sitcom This is Alice
This is Alice
This is Alice was an early American television program starring nine-year-old Patty Ann Garrity. The program aired from 1958 to 1959 on the NTA syndicated network....
(1958-1959), Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
winner Play of the Week
Play of the Week
Play of the Week is an American anthology series of televised stage plays which aired in NTA Film Network syndication from October 12, 1959 to May 1, 1961...
(1959-1961), sports show The Bill Corum Sports Show (circa 1957), religious program Man's Heritage
Man's Heritage
Man's Heritage is an early American television series which aired in NTA Film Network syndication in the 1950s. It was a religious program featuring prolific American actor Raymond Massey. Few details about this little-noted series have been recorded. According to McNeil , the series aired during...
(circa 1957), The Passerby (circa 1957), courtroom drama Divorce Court
Divorce Court
Divorce Court is a judge show about cases which only involve divorcing couples. Out of the shows currently airing in the court-themed genre, Divorce Court is the oldest...
(1957–1969), mystery Official Detective
Official Detective
Official Detective is an early American television series which aired in NTA Film Network syndication from 1957-1958. It was a detective adventure series hosted by veteran film actor Everett Sloane....
(1957–1958), talk show Open End (1958–1961), swashbuckler William Tell (1958–1959), adventure series Assignment: Underwater
Assignment: Underwater
Assignment: Underwater is an early American television series which aired in NTA Film Network syndication in 1960. It was an adventure series starring prolific B-movie actor Bill Williams and Diane Mountford. Williams played Bill Greer, the skipper aboard a charter boat named The Lively Lady...
(1959–1960), cartoon Q. T. Hush
Q. T. Hush
Q.T. Hush is an American animated cartoon produced in 1960 and appearing in syndication, beginning on 24 September 1960. The show's 100 five-minute episodes, all in color, were directed by veteran animator Ken Southworth, and produced by a company called Animation Associates. The main character was...
(1960–1961), drama Sheriff of Cochise
Sheriff of Cochise
Sheriff of Cochise , renamed U.S. Marshal , is a 58-episode syndicated western-themed crime drama set in Arizona and starring John Bromfield as law enforcement officer Frank Morgan. In the first two seasons, Morgan was sheriff of Cochise County...
(later retitled U.S. Marshall, 1956–1958), Alex in Wonderland (1959), news program Newsbeat (1959–1961) and musical program Mantovani
Mantovani (TV series)
Mantovani is an early American television series which aired in NTA Film Network syndication during 1959. It was a music program featuring British orchestra leader Annunzio Paolo Mantovani and his 46-piece orchestra, and hosted by John Conte....
(1959).
Among its 1956–1957 offerings were 52 Twentieth Century-Fox films. Premiere Performance, a prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
block of Twentieth Century-Fox films, aired from 1957–1959. Other film blocks included TV Hour of Stars and The Big Night (both 1958–1959). The film network also announced provisional plans to telecast live sporting and special events (using network relays) by the 1959–1960 television season
1959 in television
The year 1959 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1959:For the American TV schedule, see: 1959-60 American network television schedule.-Events:...
.
Despite this major fourth network effort, by 1961 WNTA-TV was losing money, and the network's flagship station was sold to the Educational Broadcasting Corporation that November. WNTA-TV became WNDT (later WNET), flagship station of the National Educational Television
National Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
network, a forerunner of PBS. NTA network operations did not continue without a flagship station, although parent company National Telefilm Associates continued syndication services. Divorce Court was seen as late as 1969.
Pat Weaver's network
Pat WeaverPat Weaver
Sylvester Barnabee "Pat" Weaver was an American radio advertising executive, who became president of NBC between 1953 and 1955. He has been credited with reshaping commercial broadcasting's format and philosophy as radio gave way to television as America's dominant home entertainment...
, a former president of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, twice attempted to launch his own television network. According to one source, the network would have been called the Pat Weaver Prime Time Network. Although the new network was announced, no programs were ever produced.
Unisphere/Mizlou
In mid-1965, radio businessman Vincent C. Piano proposed the Unisphere Broadcasting System. The service would have operated 2.5 hours each night. However, Piano had difficulty signing affiliates; a year later, no launch date had been set, and the network still lacked a "respectable number of affiliates in major markets."The network finally launched under the name Mizlou Television Network
Mizlou Television Network
The Mizlou Television Network was an early syndicator of sports television in the United States. It was founded in 1961 by brothers Claude and Vic Piano. Its first telecast was of the 1968 Peach Bowl football game....
in 1968, but the concept had changed. Like the Hughes Network, Mizlou only carried occasional sporting and special events. Despite developing a sophisticated microwave and land line broadcasting system, the company never developed into a major television network.
National Educational Television
Educational television (ETV) had existed since 1952, but was poorly funded. Only a few educational televisionEducational television
Educational television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable television in the United States as Public, educational, and government access ...
stations existed during the 1950s. By 1962, 62 educational stations were operating, most of which had affiliated with the non-commercial educational
Non-commercial educational
The term non-commercial educational applies to a radio station or TV station that does not accept on air advertisements , as defined in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission . NCE stations do not pay broadcast license fees for their non-profit uses of the radio spectrum...
, National Educational Television
National Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
(NET). That year, the US Congress approved $32 million in funding for educational television, giving a boost to the non-commercial
Non-commercial
Non-commercial refers to an activity or entity that does not in some sense involve commerce, at least relative to similar activities that do have a commercial objective or emphasis...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
. Although at the 1962 revamp of the organization, NET was branded a "fourth network", later historians have disagreed. McNeil (1996) stated, "in a sense, NET was less a true network than a distributor of programs to educational stations throughout the country; it was not until late 1966 that simultaneous broadcasting began on educational outlets."
Overmyer/United Network
Millionaire Daniel Overmyer built a chain of five UHF stations during the mid-1960s. In late 1966, Overmyer announced plans for a new fourth network, named the Overmyer NetworkOvermyer Network
The Overmyer Network was a short-lived television network. It was intended to be a fourth national network in the United States, competing with the Big Three television networks. The network was founded by self-made millionaire Daniel H. Overmyer, who built five UHF stations from 1965-67...
. The name was later changed to the United Network, but the network itself broadcast only for a single month, and aired only one program, The Las Vegas Show
The Las Vegas Show
The Las Vegas Show is an American late night television program broadcast on the short-lived United Network. The two hour long talk show, hosted by comedian Bill Dana, was supposed to be the flagship program of a planned fourth television network....
. The lack of reliable VHF stations helped kill the new, unprofitable network. Shortly after the network ceased operations, one critic called the network a fiasco, and likened the failure to the earlier DuMont, NTA Film Network, and Weaver network failures.
Westinghouse or Metromedia
By the late 1960s, several fourth networks had vanished. TV set manufacturers were required to include a UHF tuner after 1964, and it was thought this would help UHF stations and any company hoping to band (mostly) UHF stations together in a fourth network. Two companies, WestinghouseWestinghouse Broadcasting
The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndication....
and Metromedia
Metromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
, were floated in 1969 as possible fourth network entries. Westinghouse was the owner of several VHF stations and produced several series which aired on its stations and others. However, Donald McGannon
Donald McGannon
Donald H. McGannon was a broadcasting industry executive during the formative years of the television industry in the United States...
, president of Westinghouse, estimated it would take $200 million each year to operate a full-time television network and a modest news department. McGannon denied his company had full network aspirations.
Metromedia, the successor company to the defunct DuMont Network, was a healthy chain of independent television stations. Although Metromedia "dabbled at creating a fourth network", the company was content with offering series to independent stations on a part-time basis, "nowhere near the conventional definition of a network". In 1976, the company proposed a link of independent TV stations called MetroNet. The proposed programming would consist of several Sunday night family dramas, on weeknights a half-hour serial and a gothic series similar to Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
, and on Saturdays a variety program hosted by Charo
Charo
María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten , better known as Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, comedienne, and flamenco guitarist, best known for her flamboyant stage presence, her provocative outfits, and her trademark phrase...
. The plans for MetroNet failed when advertisers balked at Metromedia's advertising rate, which was only slightly lower than the Big Three's.
Kaiser Broadcasting
In September 1967, the Kaiser Broadcasting Company announced plans for live network operations by 1970. Kaiser owned eight UHF TV stations, most of them in large cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, and Detroit. The planned network never gained traction, and Kaiser sold the stations in 1977.Paramount Television Service
In 1978, Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
made tentative plans to launch the Paramount Television Service
Paramount Television Service
The Paramount Television Service was the name of a proposed but ultimately, unrealized "fourth television network" from the major American film studio, Paramount Pictures...
, a new fourth television network; its programming would have consisted of one night a week. Thirty Movies of the Week would have followed Star Trek: Phase II
Star Trek: Phase II
Star Trek: Phase II was a planned television series based on the characters of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, which had run from 1966 to 1969. It was set to air in early 1978 on a proposed Paramount Television Service...
on Saturday nights. This plan was aborted when executives decided the venture would cost too much, with no guarantee of profitability. The decision was made to transform Phase II into Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
. Paramount continued to produce TV programs for the Big Three networks. Paramount would eventually create a network seventeen years later with the launch of UPN.
Fox Network
By 1985, there were 267 independent television stations in the US, most of which were small UHF stations. In May 1985, News Corporation paid $1.55 billion to acquire six independent television stations in major US cities from John Kluge's company, MetromediaMetromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
. In October 1985, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
announced its intentions to form an independent television system which would compete with the three major television networks. 20th Century-Fox studios would combine with the former Metromedia stations to both produce and distribute programming. Because Metromedia was the successor company to the DuMont Network, radio personality Clarke Ingram
Clarke Ingram
Clarke Ingram is a United States radio personality and programming executive.Ingram is best known in his home market and hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, he was employed at Pittsburgh-area stations WKHB and WKFB , which program a mixture of talk shows and oldies...
has argued that Fox was essentially not a new fourth network per se, but DuMont "rising from the ashes". Former DuMont stations like WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and WTTG
WTTG
WTTG, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
became Fox stations.
The Fox network launched in 1986 with 88 affiliates, many of them UHF stations. This latest fourth network was met with ridicule by critics and with scorn by Big Three executives, who pointed out that the Fox network, like the failed television networks before it, would be seen mostly on poorly-watched UHF stations. Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff was a television executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, Miami Vice, The Golden Girls, Knight Rider, The A-Team, St...
gave Fox the dismissive nickname "the coat hanger network", implying that viewers would need to attach wire hangers to their TV sets to view Fox. NBC head Grant Tinker
Grant Tinker
Grant Almerin Tinker is the former chairman and CEO of NBC from 1981 to 1986, co-founder of MTM Enterprises, and television producer. Tinker is the former husband of television actress Mary Tyler Moore...
stated, "I will never put a fourth column on my schedule board. There will only be three."
By 1988, the network was still struggling, and Fox executives considered pulling the plug on the network. By 1990 Fox had cracked the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings with The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, which became the first series from a fourth network to enter the top 30 since the demise of DuMont more than 30 years earlier.
Fox became profitable by the early 1990s, and in 1994, was able to lure major affiliates away from CBS, when Fox took the rights to the NFL
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
from CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
. No fourth network had been able to entice a Big Three affiliate to switch before. Fox became the most watched network in the US for the first time in its history in 2008.