Retro Jams
Encyclopedia
Retro Jams was a music video
network that played music videos from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Established in 2007, it was owned and operated by now-defunct Equity Media Holdings. Retro Jams was formerly carried as a full-time TV channel on Galaxy 18
(Ku band
free-to-air
DVB-S
, 123°W) and on various Equity-owned low-power
television station
s nationwide.
The "Retro Jams" name and branding have also been used by Retro Television Network
to refer to two individual programming blocks, "Retro Jams" and "Retro Jams by Request".
On most of these stations, Equity replaced Retro Jams with the Retro Television Network
in mid-2008. As Equity had founded RTN and owned the network until 2008, the "Retro Jams" name was moved to individual RTN programming blocks "Retro Jams" and "Retro Jams by Request" when the full-channel music video format was dropped. While most affected stations (such as KCBU
and KEGS-LP) simply replaced Retro Jams with RTN
, a few stations went to other networks. WEVU-CA
switched to Univisión
affiliation and K25DM
was operated as an independent station.
The "Retro Jams" name and branding was then used by the Retro Television Network
to refer to two programming blocks:
Cash-strapped Equity Media Holdings sold Retro Television Network to Luken Communications in June 2008 and entered federal chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection in Little Rock, Arkansas
in December 2008. An option allowing Equity to re-purchase RTN frum Luken expired unexercised on December 24, 2008. Equity's continued to provide broadcast automation
facilities and operate RTN on behalf of Luken Communications until January 2009, when Equity's failure to pay RTN's programming suppliers forced Luken Communications to move RTN to independent facilities.
RTN was permanently removed from all Equity-owned or operated stations on January 4, 2009.
While many of the affected stations replaced RTN with This TV
, classic movies or similar content, Equity returned the full-channel Retro Jams to the air in January 2009 in order to provide programming to the remaining Equity-owned stations and continued this all-music video format until what remained of Equity's equity was liquidated and the individual stations sold at auction later that same year.
Retro Jams and the associated Equity Broadcasting free-to-air
satellite television
feeds on Galaxy 18
(Ku band
, 123°W) are now silent.
While RTN is a trademark of the Retro Television Network, there is no record of any registered trademark on the Retro Jams name by either RTN or Equity.
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
network that played music videos from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Established in 2007, it was owned and operated by now-defunct Equity Media Holdings. Retro Jams was formerly carried as a full-time TV channel on Galaxy 18
Galaxy 18
Galaxy 18 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300-series hybrid communications satellite owned by Intelsat and located in geosynchronous orbit at 123° W longitude, serving the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and Canada with 24 C-band, and 24 Ku band transponders...
(Ku band
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
DVB-S
DVB-S
DVB-S is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Satellite; it is the original Digital Video Broadcasting forward error coding and demodulation standard for satellite television and dates from 1994, in its first release, while development lasted from 1993 to 1997...
, 123°W) and on various Equity-owned low-power
Low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s nationwide.
The "Retro Jams" name and branding have also been used by Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
to refer to two individual programming blocks, "Retro Jams" and "Retro Jams by Request".
History
Retro Jams was established in December 2007 by Equity Media Holdings to provide music video programming to a few individual, local Equity-owned stations which lacked a conventional television network affiliation. Programming consisted primarily of music videos from the 1980s and early 1990s.On most of these stations, Equity replaced Retro Jams with the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
in mid-2008. As Equity had founded RTN and owned the network until 2008, the "Retro Jams" name was moved to individual RTN programming blocks "Retro Jams" and "Retro Jams by Request" when the full-channel music video format was dropped. While most affected stations (such as KCBU
KCBU
KCBU was a television station in Price, Utah, broadcast locally in analog on channel 3 under the ownership of Equity Media Holdings. Until January 4, 2009 KCBU was an affiliate of the Retro Television Network ....
and KEGS-LP) simply replaced Retro Jams with RTN
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
, a few stations went to other networks. WEVU-CA
WEVU-CA
WEVU-LP was a low-power television station in Fort Myers, Florida, broadcasting locally on channel 4. The station was last owned by Silver Point Capital; it was most recently a rebroadcaster of Univision affiliate WUVF-LP.-History:...
switched to Univisión
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
affiliation and K25DM
K25DM
K25DM is a low-power broadcast television station located in Phoenix, Arizona. It transmits on channel 25 from Shaw Butte in North Phoenix. The station is owned by Mako Communications of Corpus Christi, Texas.-History:...
was operated as an independent station.
The "Retro Jams" name and branding was then used by the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
to refer to two programming blocks:
- Retro Jams, an individual RTN program.
- Retro Jams by Request, another individual television program.
Cash-strapped Equity Media Holdings sold Retro Television Network to Luken Communications in June 2008 and entered federal chapter 11 bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
protection in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
in December 2008. An option allowing Equity to re-purchase RTN frum Luken expired unexercised on December 24, 2008. Equity's continued to provide broadcast automation
Broadcast automation
Broadcast automation incorporates the use of broadcast programming technology to automate broadcasting operations. Used either at a broadcast network, radio station or a television station, it can run a facility in the absence of a human operator...
facilities and operate RTN on behalf of Luken Communications until January 2009, when Equity's failure to pay RTN's programming suppliers forced Luken Communications to move RTN to independent facilities.
RTN was permanently removed from all Equity-owned or operated stations on January 4, 2009.
While many of the affected stations replaced RTN with This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
, classic movies or similar content, Equity returned the full-channel Retro Jams to the air in January 2009 in order to provide programming to the remaining Equity-owned stations and continued this all-music video format until what remained of Equity's equity was liquidated and the individual stations sold at auction later that same year.
Retro Jams and the associated Equity Broadcasting free-to-air
FTA Receiver
A free-to-air or FTA Receiver is a satellite television receiver designed to receive unencrypted broadcasts. Modern decoders are typically compliant with the MPEG-2/DVB-S and more recently the MPEG-4/DVB-S2 standard for digital television, while older FTA receivers relied on analog satellite...
satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
feeds on Galaxy 18
Galaxy 18
Galaxy 18 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300-series hybrid communications satellite owned by Intelsat and located in geosynchronous orbit at 123° W longitude, serving the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and Canada with 24 C-band, and 24 Ku band transponders...
(Ku band
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
, 123°W) are now silent.
While RTN is a trademark of the Retro Television Network, there is no record of any registered trademark on the Retro Jams name by either RTN or Equity.