TV Guide Channel
Encyclopedia
TV Guide Network is an American
cable network
owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation
.
At the bottom third of the screen, TV Guide Network provides a scrolling grid, or "scrid" for short, listing all channels
available to the viewer coupled with the titles of the television program
s and film
s those channels are currently showing. Appearing in the top three-quarters of the screen are programs featuring movie previews and celebrity news, repeats of select popular television shows, and commercials. The majority of the network's audience consists of channel surfer
s looking to see what's on, and what's coming on next, on their respective cable and satellite systems' channel lineups.
Although its bottom-screen program listings grid continues to be the major feature of the channel, TV Guide Network has attempted to reposition itself as a destination channel for television news and information through its original series and specials. This is because internet-based TV listings sites and the on-screen interactive program guide
s (IPGs) built directly into most of today's cable and satellite set top terminals, as well as into digital video recorder
s like TiVo
, have mostly obviated the need for a dedicated TV listings channel by providing the same information in a speedier manner, and often in much more detail. TV Guide offers its own IPG software for digital cable boxes, called TV Guide Interactive. It is visually similar in its presentation to the TV Guide Network's bottom-screen program listings grid.
TV Guide Network is only available from within the digital tiers of certain cable providers in some markets. As its programming is considered non-critical, many cable providers also use the TV Guide Network's channel space as a default Emergency Alert System
conduit for transmitting warning information applicable to their local service areas, or as channel space for a regional sports network
's "RSN2"/"RSN+" alternate feed for sports right conflicts.
A gridless version of the channel, featuring all of its programming full-screen, is offered to cable and satellite operators providing only digital television service and whose digital set top receivers already include integrated IPGs; though some digital cable providers use the scrolling grid version even if they use IPGs integrated within set top boxes.
Launched in 1981 by United Video Satellite Group, the TV Guide Network began its life as a simple electronic program guide
software application sold to cable system operators throughout the United States and Canada. Known simply as the Electronic Program Guide, or the EPG for short, the software was designed to be run within the head end
facility of each participating cable system on a single, custom-modified consumer-grade computer supplied by United Video. Its scrolling program listings grid, which cable system operators broadcast to subscribers on a dedicated channel, covered the entire screen and provided four hours of listings for each system's entire channel line-up, one half-hour period at a time. Because of this, listings for programs currently airing would often be several minutes away. Additionally, because the EPG software generated only video, cable operators commonly resorted to filling the EPG channel's audio with music from a local FM
station, or with programming from a cable TV-oriented audio service provider such as Cable Radio Network.
By 1985 and under the newly formed Trakker, Inc. united of United Video Satellite Group, two versions of the EPG were offered: EPG Jr., a 16KB EPROM
version which ran on various Atari
models including the 130XE and 600XL, and EPG Sr., a 3½ bootable diskette
version for the Amiga 1000
. Raw program listings data for national cable networks, as well as for regional and local terrestrial stations
, was fed en masse from a Tulsa, Oklahoma mainframe
to each EPG installation via a 2400 baud
data stream on an audio subcarrier
of WGN by United Video. (United Video was WGN's nationwide satellite distributor.) By cherry-picking data from this master feed for only the networks its cable system actually carried, each EPG installation was able to generate a continuous visual display of program listings customized to its local cable system's unique channel line-up. (Data describing the unique channel line-up each EPG was to display also arrived via this master feed.)
Both the EPG Jr. and EPG Sr. allowed cable operators to further customize their operation locally. Among other functions, the listings grid's scrolling speed could be changed, and local text-based advertisements could be inserted. Each text-based advertisement could be configured to display as either a "scroll ad" (appearing within the vertically scrolling listings grid between its half-hour cycles) or as a "crawl ad" (appearing within a horizontally scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen). If no advertisements were configured as "crawl ads," no bottom ticker would be shown on-screen.
The on-screen appearances of both the Jr. and Sr. versions of the EPG software differed only slightly, due primarily to differences in text font and extended ASCII
graphic glyph character rendering between the underlying Atari and Amiga platforms.
Because neither version of the EPG software was capable of silent remote administration for its locally customizable features, cable company employees were required to visit their head end facilities in order to make all necessary adjustments to the software in person. Consequently, EPG channel viewers would often see its otherwise continuous listings interrupted without warning each time a cable company technician brought up its administrative menus to adjust settings, view diagnostics information, or hunt-and-peck new local text advertisements into the menus' built-in text editor.
The Atari-based EPG Jr. units were encased in blue rack enclosures containing custom-made outboard electronics, such as the Zephyrus Electronics Ltd. UV-D-2 demodulator board, which delivered data decoded from the WGN data stream to the Atari's 13 pin Serial Input/Output (SIO) handler port. (The EPG Jr. software's EPROM was interfaced to the Atari's ROM cartridge
port.)
configuration, which was the forerunner to Prevue Guide (below), the upper half of the screen displayed static or animated graphical advertisements and logos created locally by each cable system operator. Up to 64 such ads were supported.
Locally created text-based advertisements were still supported too. However, they now appeared in the top half of the screen as well, support for showing them within the listings grid as scrolling ads, or beneath it as crawling banner ads, having been removed. Although most cable systems kept the original, full-screen EPG in operation well into the early 1990s, some systems with large numbers of subscribers opted for this upgraded version of EPG Sr. in order to exploit the revenue potential of its graphical local advertising capabilities.
The Atari-based EPG Jr. was never afforded this split-screen upgrade and fell out of favor during the late 1980s as cable systems migrated to the full- or split-screen Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr., and later to the Amiga 2000-based Prevue Guide (below). However, the EPG Jr. remained in service as late as 2005 on a few small cable systems, as well as on a number of private cable systems
operated by various hotel chains and certain housing and apartment complexes.
, it displayed a split-screen listings grid visually identical to the upgraded EPG Sr.'s, but also supported – along with up to 128 locally inserted top-screen graphical advertisements – the display of video with accompanying sound in the top half of the screen. Primarily promos
for upcoming TV shows, films, and special events, these videos appeared in either the left or right halves of the top portion of the screen, coupled with supplementary information concerning them in the opposing halves (program title, channel, air date and time).
Making the video integration possible were the Amiga 2000's native video compositing
capabilities. All video (and associated audio) content was provided live by Prevue Networks, Inc. via a special analog C-band satellite backhaul feed
from Tulsa, Oklahoma. This feed contained a national satellite listings grid in the bottom half of its picture (strictly as a courtesy for the era's C-band dish owners), with the top half of its picture divided horizontally in two, both halves showing promos for unrelated telecasts on different networks. (Sound for each half was provided in mono on the feed's left and right audio channels, respectively.) Within each cable system's head end facility, meanwhile, the Amiga 2000-powered Prevue Guide software overlaid the bottom half of the satellite feed's video frame with its own, locally generated listings grid. It also continuously chose which of the two simultaneously available promos in the top half of the satellite feed's picture to let local cable subscribers see, patching its audio through to them while visually blocking out the other promo. During periods where both of the satellite feed's simultaneous promos were for cable networks not carried by a local cable system, the local Prevue Guide software blocked out both, filling the entire top half of the screen with a local text or graphical advertisement instead.
The satellite feed's national scheduling grid was never meant to be seen by cable subscribers. On occasion, however, when a cable system's local Prevue Guide software crashed
into Amiga Guru Meditation
mode, subscribers would be exposed to the satellite feed's full video frame, letting them see not only the two disparate promos simultaneously running in its upper half, but perhaps more confusingly, the satellite transponder-oriented national listings grid in its lower half.
Commercials, often for psychic hotlines, and featurettes produced by Prevue Networks, Inc., such as Prevue Tonight, voiced by network announcer Larry Hoefling (1989–1993), were also delivered via this satellite feed. For commercials, the top half of the feed's video frame would be completely filled out, with local cable system Prevue Guide installations letting it show through in full. The satellite feed also carried a third audio channel containing Prevue Guide theme music in an infinite loop. Local Prevue Guide installations would switch to this audio source during the display of local top-screen advertising, and when they crashed. Prevue Guide could additionally signal cable system video playback equipment to override the Prevue Networks, Inc. satellite feed entirely with up to nine minutes of local, video-based advertising per hour. Few cable systems utilized this feature, however, oweing to the need to produce special versions of their local advertisements wherein, as with the satellite feed itself, all action occurred only within the top half of the video frame.
Other features of Prevue Guide, unavailable in the earlier full- and split-screen EPG Sr. versions, were colorized listings backgrounds and program-by-program channel summaries. Between its already colored grid lines, which alternated blue, green, yellow, and red with each half-hour listings cycle, each cable operator could choose to enable either red or light blue (rather than black) background colors for multiple channels of its choice. These backgrounds were usually used to highlight premium movie channels and pay-per-view services. Additionally, program-by-program channel summaries with light grey backgrounds, for up to four channels of each cable operator's choice, could be included within the scrolling grid. Appearing between each four-hour listings cycle, the names of channels (rather than times) would scroll up and slide into the grid's header bar one at a time, each followed by up to four hours worth of program-by-program listings for that channel alone.
Prevue Guide could also display graphical "Prevue Weather" logos, accompanied by local weather conditions, within its scrolling grid. These inserts were available to cable operators for an additional fee and appeared after each four-hour listings cycle.
By the early 1990s, United Video began encouraging cable systems still using either the full- or split-screen versions of the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. to upgrade to the Amiga 2000-based Prevue Guide. Active support for the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. installations was discontinued in 1993.
Like the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr., Prevue Guide also ran from bootable 3½ diskettes, and its locally customizable features remained configurable only from the local keyboard, subjecting viewers to the same on-screen maintenance-related interruptions by local cable company employees as before. (Silent remote administration of locally customizable features would not be added until the "yellow grid" appeared shortly after the beginning of the TV Guide Channel era, when the Amiga platform was fully abandoned.) To support Prevue Guide's new, satellite-delivered video and audio, each Amiga 2000 featured a UV Corp. UVGEN video/genlock
card for the satellite feed's video and a Zephyrus Electronics Ltd model 100 rev. C demodulator/switching ISA
card for manipulating the feed's audio. Also included were a Zephyrus Electronics Ltd. model 101 rev. C demodulator ISA card for the WGN data stream, and a Great Valley Products
Zorro II
A2000 HC+8 Series II card (used only for 2 MB of Fast RAM with SCSI
disabled). The 101C fed demodulated listings data at 2400 baud from a DE9
RS232
serial connector on its backpanel to the Amiga's stock DB25
RS232 serial port via a short cable. The 101C also featured connection terminals for contact closure triggering of external cable system video playback equipment.
Beginning in late March 1993, Prevue Networks, Inc. overhauled the Prevue Guide software once again, this time to modernize its appearance. Still operating on the same Amiga 2000 hardware, the old grid's black background with white text separated by colored lines gave way to a new, embossed-looking navy blue grid featuring 90 minutes of scheduling information per channel. Arrow symbols had been added to listings whose start or end times stretched beyond that timeframe, and for viewer convenience, local cable operators could now configure the grid's scrolling action to momentarily pause for up to four seconds after each screenful of listings. Additionally, local cable operators could enable light grey sports and movie summaries within the grid. Appearing between each listings cycle, these showed all films and sporting events airing on any channel during the next 90 minutes. The light grey program-by-program summaries for individual channels, red and light blue channel highlighting, and graphical "Prevue Weather" forecasts that were previously available to cable systems as optional grid features and inserts remained available in the same manners as before. Closed captioning
, MPAA
movie rating, and VCR Plus+ logos were additionally introduced by this version of the software, and unlike in prior versions, large graphical Prevue Guide logos appeared within its grid, between listings cycles. The old, synthesized interstitial music that had been used since 1988 was also replaced with a more modern piece called "Opening Act", from the defunct James & Aster music library.
By late 1993, Prevue Guide was re-branded "Prevue Channel", and an updated channel logo was unveiled to match. Beginning in early 1994 and up until its first couple of years as the TV Guide Channel, the network licensed production music (first at 1 min. length, later at 15 and 30-sec. lengths) from several music libraries for use as interstial music. In 1996, the Prevue Channel logo was given a new eye-like design, and two years later, the classic Dodger-like font face its logo had incorporated since 1988 was replaced with Univers
, though Sneak Prevue continued to use the original typeface until its demise in 2002. In 1997, Prevue Channel became the first electronic program guide to show Canada's and the United States' formalized TV Ratings symbols. They appeared alongside program titles within the listings grid, as well as in the supplementary scheduling information overlays accompanying promo videos in the top half of the screen.
During the mid-1990s, Prevue Networks, Inc. also expanded beyond its Prevue Channel operation. In 1996, Prevue Networks introduced their first set top terminal-integrated digital IPG
, Prevue Interactive, designed for the General Instruments DCT 1000. It was launched as part of TCI
's first digital cable service offerings. In 1997, Prevue Networks and United Video Satellite Group also launched Prevue Online, an internet web site providing local TV listings, audio/video interviews, and weather forecasts. Another web site, PrevueNet, was co-launched to provide more history and useful information for the Prevue Channel, as well as for Sneak Prevue
, UVTV, WGN
Chicago, and WPIX
New York.
The new navy blue grid version of the Prevue Channel software was as crash-prone as previous ones. Flashing red Amiga "guru meditation" errors (with the raw satellite feed's dual promo windows and national satellite listings grid showing through from behind them) remained a frequent sight on many cable systems throughout the United States and Canada. While Prevue Networks' software engineers released regular patches
to correct bugs, it simultaneously became clear that an entirely new hardware platform would soon be needed. New Amiga 2000 hardware was no longer being manufactured by Commodore
, which filed for bankruptcy in 1994, and Prevue Networks began resorting to cannibalizing parts from second-hand dealers of used Amiga hardware in order to continue supplying and maintaining operational units. During periods where Amiga 2000 hardware availability proved insufficient, newer models such as the Amiga 3000
were used instead. However, as those models' stock cases would not accept the company's large existing inventory of Zephyrus ISA demodulator cards, only their motherboards were used, in custom-designed cases with riser card and backplane modifications.
Towards the end of the decade, in 1998, Prevue Channel's programming was entirely revamped. New short "shows" were introduced to replace Prevue Tonight, FamilyVue, and Intervue. These included Prevue This, Prevue Family, Prevue Sports, Prevue TV, Prevue News and Weather, and Prevue Revue. They each lasted only a couple of minutes, but every show happened twice every hour.
for $2 billion in stock and cash. At midnight on February 1, 1999, new graphics were in place, officially renaming Prevue Channel "TV Guide Channel". In early October, Gemstar International Group Ltd. purchased United Video Satellite Group. Finally, throughout December of that year on cable systems nationwide, a new yellow grid began replacing the navy blue grid that had presented channel listings to viewers for the past six years. The old navy blue grid was completely phased out by March 2000.
With the arrival of TV Guide Channel's yellow grid, all remaining vestiges of Prevue Channel had been eliminated: its Amiga-based hardware infrastructure was decommissioned, and purpose-built, Windows NT/2000
PCs
employing custom-designed video/audio expansion cards were installed. With this new infrastructure additionally came the ability for local cable companies to perform silent remote administration of all their installations' locally customizable features, making live, on-screen guide maintenance interruptions by cable system technicians a thing of the past.
The yellow grid also eliminated the optional red and light blue background colors local cable operators were formerly able to assign various channels of their choices. In their place, universal, program genre-based background colors were introduced. Sporting events appeared with green backgrounds, and movies on all networks were given red backgrounds. Pay-per-view events additionally appeared with purple backgrounds. The light grey backgrounds which had formerly appeared in channel- and program genre-based summaries were also eliminated, with the aforementioned red, green, and purple color coding now applying to those summaries as well.
Despite its elimination from the American television market, the Prevue brand continued to be seen in Canada in the form of various Prevue Interactive services, most of which were simply re-branded versions of TV Guide Interactive products.
A few years after Prevue Channel completed its transition to TV Guide Channel, the programming it featured changed drastically. Full-length shows were added, moving away from the typical model of showing television previews and other information. Starting in 2005, Joan Rivers
and her daughter Melissa Rivers
began providing coverage for televised awards ceremonies such as The Emmy Awards
and The Academy Awards
. In 2007, the mother-daughter duo were unceremoniously dropped by TV Guide in favor of Lisa Rinna. Later, in 2007, Rinna was joined by fellow Dancing with the Stars
alumni Joey Fatone
. On July 29, 2009, TV Guide announced that Rinna and Fatone had been replaced by Hollywood 411
, presented by The Bachelor host Chris Harrison
and Dancing with the Stars
judge Carrie Ann Inaba
.
Also with the transition from Prevue Channel to TV Guide Channel, the nature of the service's scrolling listings grid began to change. During broadcasts of the channel's original primetime series as well as during red carpet
awards ceremony coverage, programming started appearing almost entirely full-screen, with a transparent, non-scrolling, two-line version of the channel's regular listings grid occupying only the extreme bottom of the frame. Semi-regular stylistic re-designs of the grid also occurred, and support was added for showing locally inserting provider logos and graphical advertisements within it. Starting in 2004, light blue backgrounds began to appear on listings for children's programming, complimenting the red, green, and purple background colors already applied to listings for films, sporting events, and pay-per-view programming respectively.
Because of Gemstar-TV Guide's dominant position within the television listings market, listings for TV Guide Channel's own original programming began to appear on the topmost lines of most TV listings web sites to which the company provided listings data, regardless of which channel number any given cable system carried it on. This also became the case with the print version of TV Guide.
Rather than purchasing TV Guide Channel carriage rights, some services such as IO Digital Cable
and Bright House Networks
created their own scrolling listings grids, with IO's occasionally interrupted by full-screen commercials, and otherwise featuring banner ads accompanied by music. Bright House Networks' version featured a video inlay of a local news station instead of banner ads, with its overall on-screen presentation otherwise matching that of IO's.
DirecTV
did not begin carrying the TV Guide Channel until 2004, and began carrying it in an entirely full-screen format (without the bottom listings grid) in 2005. This was also the case with DISH Network
, which aired the network in full-screen format to avoid duplication of its set top receiver-integrated IPG, also provided by Gemstar-TV Guide.
On May 2, 2008, Gemstar-TV Guide was acquired by Macrovision
(now Rovi Corporation
). Macrovision, which purchased Gemstar-TV Guide mostly to boost the value of its lucrative VCR+ and electronic program guide patent
s, later stated that they were possibly looking to sell both TV Guide Network and the TV Guide print edition's namesake to other parties. On December 18 of that year, Macrovision announced that it had found a willing party for TV Guide Network in One Equity Partners
. The transaction included tvguide.com, with Macrovision retaining the IPG service.
At the beginning of January 2009, the print edition of TV Guide quietly removed its listings for TV Guide Network (along with its listings for several other networks) over what the magazine's management described as "space concerns". In actuality, the two entities had been forced apart by their new, individual owners, with promotions for the network ending in the magazine, and vice versa. TV Guide magazine journalists also no longer appeared on TV Guide Network. The top-line "plug" for the network did, however, remain intact on the web sites of internet-based listings providers using TV Guide's EPG listings.
On January 5, 2009, Lionsgate announced its intent to purchase TV Guide Network and TV Guide Online for $255 million. Lionsgate closed the transaction on March 2, 2009, paying cash. The following April, Lionsgate announced plans to revamp the network into a more entertainment-oriented channel, including plans to discontinue the bottom-screen scrolling program listings grid that has been a part of the channel since its inception in late 1981, however the scrolling grid still remains on the channel as of 2011. Following the announcement, Mediacom announced that it would be dropping the network. Time Warner Cable
has also dropped the network in Texas.
Twenty-three days later, on July 24, TV Guide Network introduced a new non-scrolling grid used for primetime programming, which was later dropped with providers using the scrolling grid during primetime programming. On August 3, 2010 the scrolling grid was changed once again, with the scrolling grid stopping at each channel, and the channel listings became two lines once again (in some areas, the grid is still three lines wide thus cutting off half of the second listing). On October 17, 2010 the scrolling grid was changed to black, and channel listings are one line, although some cable systems are still using the previous grid.
service (TV Guide Interactive), program genres are indicated on-screen by color:
On TV Guide Network itself, during the weeks prior to the Emmys, shows that have been nominated were also highlighted in gold. The same gold highlighting could be seen during the lead-up to the Oscars, except only for movies that have won in the past. Titles for other special shows, like those that are a part of Discovery Channel
's Shark Week
, had a bubbly-water graphical scheme. During the lead-up to Halloween
, horror movie titles featured spiderwebs in their schemes, and Holiday
movie titles listed during December were blue and snow-covered. Similar important shows and/or premieres have had other special graphical schemes added to their grid cells.
Due to a restructuring of TV Guide Network's scrolling grid on July 1, 2010 that saw the grid being shrunk to the lower third of the screen, grey is now used as the color code for all programming and genre-based color coding can now be seen exclusively in IPG.
Between the late 1980s and 1999, local cable operators could configure listings for certain channels to appear with alternate background colors (their choice of red or light blue). Light grey backgrounds were additionally used for channel- and program genre-based listings summaries, when enabled by local cable operators. Beginning with the yellow grid in 1999, all such coloring was discarded in favor of program genre-based coloring which affected all channels and summaries. Listings for movies featured red backgrounds, pay-per-view events bore purple backgrounds, and sporting events featured green backgrounds. Starting in 2004, light blue backgrounds were additionally applied to listings for children's programming.
, Weeds
, Just Shoot Me and American Idol Rewind
, the TV Guide Network has many original series that air during primetime.
. The channel was also driven by Amiga 2000 hardware, and its software was as crash-prone as the Prevue Guide software itself. TV Guide Network ceased operations of Sneak Prevue in 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cable network
Cable network
A cable channel is a television channel available via cable television. Such channels are usually also available via satellite television, including direct broadcast satellite providers such as DirecTV, Dish Network and BSkyB...
owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
.
At the bottom third of the screen, TV Guide Network provides a scrolling grid, or "scrid" for short, listing all channels
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
available to the viewer coupled with the titles of the 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 and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s those channels are currently showing. Appearing in the top three-quarters of the screen are programs featuring movie previews and celebrity news, repeats of select popular television shows, and commercials. The majority of the network's audience consists of channel surfer
Channel surfing
Channel surfing is the practice of quickly scanning through different television channels or radio frequencies in order to find something interesting to watch or listen to. Modern viewers, who may have cable or satellite services beaming down dozens if not hundreds or thousands of channels, are...
s looking to see what's on, and what's coming on next, on their respective cable and satellite systems' channel lineups.
Although its bottom-screen program listings grid continues to be the major feature of the channel, TV Guide Network has attempted to reposition itself as a destination channel for television news and information through its original series and specials. This is because internet-based TV listings sites and the on-screen interactive program guide
Electronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
s (IPGs) built directly into most of today's cable and satellite set top terminals, as well as into digital video recorder
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
s like TiVo
TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
, have mostly obviated the need for a dedicated TV listings channel by providing the same information in a speedier manner, and often in much more detail. TV Guide offers its own IPG software for digital cable boxes, called TV Guide Interactive. It is visually similar in its presentation to the TV Guide Network's bottom-screen program listings grid.
TV Guide Network is only available from within the digital tiers of certain cable providers in some markets. As its programming is considered non-critical, many cable providers also use the TV Guide Network's channel space as a default Emergency Alert System
Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
conduit for transmitting warning information applicable to their local service areas, or as channel space for a regional sports network
Regional sports network
In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
's "RSN2"/"RSN+" alternate feed for sports right conflicts.
A gridless version of the channel, featuring all of its programming full-screen, is offered to cable and satellite operators providing only digital television service and whose digital set top receivers already include integrated IPGs; though some digital cable providers use the scrolling grid version even if they use IPGs integrated within set top boxes.
Electronic program guide
Electronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
software application sold to cable system operators throughout the United States and Canada. Known simply as the Electronic Program Guide, or the EPG for short, the software was designed to be run within the head end
Cable television headend
A cable television headend is a master facility for receiving television signals for processing and distribution over a cable television system. The headend facility is normally unstaffed and surrounded by some type of security fencing and is typically a building or large shed housing electronic...
facility of each participating cable system on a single, custom-modified consumer-grade computer supplied by United Video. Its scrolling program listings grid, which cable system operators broadcast to subscribers on a dedicated channel, covered the entire screen and provided four hours of listings for each system's entire channel line-up, one half-hour period at a time. Because of this, listings for programs currently airing would often be several minutes away. Additionally, because the EPG software generated only video, cable operators commonly resorted to filling the EPG channel's audio with music from a local FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
station, or with programming from a cable TV-oriented audio service provider such as Cable Radio Network.
By 1985 and under the newly formed Trakker, Inc. united of United Video Satellite Group, two versions of the EPG were offered: EPG Jr., a 16KB EPROM
EPROM
An EPROM , or erasable programmable read only memory, is a type of memory chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. In other words, it is non-volatile. It is an array of floating-gate transistors individually programmed by an electronic device that supplies higher voltages...
version which ran on various Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
models including the 130XE and 600XL, and EPG Sr., a 3½ bootable diskette
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
version for the Amiga 1000
Amiga 1000
The A1000, or Commodore Amiga 1000, was Commodore's initial Amiga personal computer, introduced on July 23, 1985 at the Lincoln Center in New York City....
. Raw program listings data for national cable networks, as well as for regional and local terrestrial stations
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
, was fed en masse from a Tulsa, Oklahoma mainframe
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
to each EPG installation via a 2400 baud
Baud
In telecommunications and electronics, baud is synonymous to symbols per second or pulses per second. It is the unit of symbol rate, also known as baud rate or modulation rate; the number of distinct symbol changes made to the transmission medium per second in a digitally modulated signal or a...
data stream on an audio subcarrier
Subcarrier
A subcarrier is a separate analog or digital signal carried on a main radio transmission, which carries extra information such as voice or data. More technically, it is an already-modulated signal, which is then modulated into another signal of higher frequency and bandwidth...
of WGN by United Video. (United Video was WGN's nationwide satellite distributor.) By cherry-picking data from this master feed for only the networks its cable system actually carried, each EPG installation was able to generate a continuous visual display of program listings customized to its local cable system's unique channel line-up. (Data describing the unique channel line-up each EPG was to display also arrived via this master feed.)
Both the EPG Jr. and EPG Sr. allowed cable operators to further customize their operation locally. Among other functions, the listings grid's scrolling speed could be changed, and local text-based advertisements could be inserted. Each text-based advertisement could be configured to display as either a "scroll ad" (appearing within the vertically scrolling listings grid between its half-hour cycles) or as a "crawl ad" (appearing within a horizontally scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen). If no advertisements were configured as "crawl ads," no bottom ticker would be shown on-screen.
The on-screen appearances of both the Jr. and Sr. versions of the EPG software differed only slightly, due primarily to differences in text font and extended ASCII
Extended ASCII
The term extended ASCII describes eight-bit or larger character encodings that include the standard seven-bit ASCII characters as well as others...
graphic glyph character rendering between the underlying Atari and Amiga platforms.
Because neither version of the EPG software was capable of silent remote administration for its locally customizable features, cable company employees were required to visit their head end facilities in order to make all necessary adjustments to the software in person. Consequently, EPG channel viewers would often see its otherwise continuous listings interrupted without warning each time a cable company technician brought up its administrative menus to adjust settings, view diagnostics information, or hunt-and-peck new local text advertisements into the menus' built-in text editor.
The Atari-based EPG Jr. units were encased in blue rack enclosures containing custom-made outboard electronics, such as the Zephyrus Electronics Ltd. UV-D-2 demodulator board, which delivered data decoded from the WGN data stream to the Atari's 13 pin Serial Input/Output (SIO) handler port. (The EPG Jr. software's EPROM was interfaced to the Atari's ROM cartridge
ROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, sometimes referred to as a cart, is a removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices designed to be connected to a computer or games console....
port.)
Split-screen electronic program guide
By the late 1980s, a software upgrade "option" was offered by United Video for the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. This updated version featured a program listings grid identical in appearance to that of the original EPG Sr. version, but confined it to the lower half of the screen. In this new split-screenSplit screen (computer graphics)
Split screen is a display technique in computer graphics that consists of dividing graphics and/or text into non-movable adjacent parts, typically two or four rectangular areas. This is done in order to allow the simultaneous presentation of related graphical and textual information on a computer...
configuration, which was the forerunner to Prevue Guide (below), the upper half of the screen displayed static or animated graphical advertisements and logos created locally by each cable system operator. Up to 64 such ads were supported.
Locally created text-based advertisements were still supported too. However, they now appeared in the top half of the screen as well, support for showing them within the listings grid as scrolling ads, or beneath it as crawling banner ads, having been removed. Although most cable systems kept the original, full-screen EPG in operation well into the early 1990s, some systems with large numbers of subscribers opted for this upgraded version of EPG Sr. in order to exploit the revenue potential of its graphical local advertising capabilities.
The Atari-based EPG Jr. was never afforded this split-screen upgrade and fell out of favor during the late 1980s as cable systems migrated to the full- or split-screen Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr., and later to the Amiga 2000-based Prevue Guide (below). However, the EPG Jr. remained in service as late as 2005 on a few small cable systems, as well as on a number of private cable systems
Private Cable Operator
A private cable operator is a private small independent cable company competing directly with Multi system operators . PCOs typically offer services to multi-family dwellings, gated communities, hotels and other small businesses. In some small municipalities the city may be a PCO.In some cases...
operated by various hotel chains and certain housing and apartment complexes.
Prevue Guide
In 1988, the Trakker, Inc. unit of United Video Holdings was renamed Prevue Networks, Inc. and the split-screen version of the EPG Sr. software was further updated and renamed "Prevue Guide". Now running on the Amiga 2000Amiga 2000
The Amiga 2000, or A2000, is a personal computer released by Commodore in 1986. It is the successor to the Amiga 1000.-Features:Aimed at the high-end market, the original Europe-only model adds a Zorro II backplane, implemented in programmable logic, to the custom Amiga chipset used in the Amiga 1000...
, it displayed a split-screen listings grid visually identical to the upgraded EPG Sr.'s, but also supported – along with up to 128 locally inserted top-screen graphical advertisements – the display of video with accompanying sound in the top half of the screen. Primarily promos
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
for upcoming TV shows, films, and special events, these videos appeared in either the left or right halves of the top portion of the screen, coupled with supplementary information concerning them in the opposing halves (program title, channel, air date and time).
Making the video integration possible were the Amiga 2000's native video compositing
Compositing
Compositing is the combining of visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create the illusion that all those elements are parts of the same scene. Live-action shooting for compositing is variously called "chroma key", "blue screen", "green screen" and other names. Today,...
capabilities. All video (and associated audio) content was provided live by Prevue Networks, Inc. via a special analog C-band satellite backhaul feed
Backhaul (TV industry)
In the context of broadcasting, backhaul refers to uncut program content that is transmitted point-to-point to an individual television station or radio station, broadcast network or other receiving entity where it will be integrated into a finished TV show or radio show...
from Tulsa, Oklahoma. This feed contained a national satellite listings grid in the bottom half of its picture (strictly as a courtesy for the era's C-band dish owners), with the top half of its picture divided horizontally in two, both halves showing promos for unrelated telecasts on different networks. (Sound for each half was provided in mono on the feed's left and right audio channels, respectively.) Within each cable system's head end facility, meanwhile, the Amiga 2000-powered Prevue Guide software overlaid the bottom half of the satellite feed's video frame with its own, locally generated listings grid. It also continuously chose which of the two simultaneously available promos in the top half of the satellite feed's picture to let local cable subscribers see, patching its audio through to them while visually blocking out the other promo. During periods where both of the satellite feed's simultaneous promos were for cable networks not carried by a local cable system, the local Prevue Guide software blocked out both, filling the entire top half of the screen with a local text or graphical advertisement instead.
The satellite feed's national scheduling grid was never meant to be seen by cable subscribers. On occasion, however, when a cable system's local Prevue Guide software crashed
Crash (computing)
A crash in computing is a condition where a computer or a program, either an application or part of the operating system, ceases to function properly, often exiting after encountering errors. Often the offending program may appear to freeze or hang until a crash reporting service documents...
into Amiga Guru Meditation
Guru Meditation
Guru Meditation is an error notice displayed by early versions of the Commodore Amiga computer when they crashed. It is analogous to the "Blue Screen Of Death" in Microsoft Windows operating systems.- Description :...
mode, subscribers would be exposed to the satellite feed's full video frame, letting them see not only the two disparate promos simultaneously running in its upper half, but perhaps more confusingly, the satellite transponder-oriented national listings grid in its lower half.
Commercials, often for psychic hotlines, and featurettes produced by Prevue Networks, Inc., such as Prevue Tonight, voiced by network announcer Larry Hoefling (1989–1993), were also delivered via this satellite feed. For commercials, the top half of the feed's video frame would be completely filled out, with local cable system Prevue Guide installations letting it show through in full. The satellite feed also carried a third audio channel containing Prevue Guide theme music in an infinite loop. Local Prevue Guide installations would switch to this audio source during the display of local top-screen advertising, and when they crashed. Prevue Guide could additionally signal cable system video playback equipment to override the Prevue Networks, Inc. satellite feed entirely with up to nine minutes of local, video-based advertising per hour. Few cable systems utilized this feature, however, oweing to the need to produce special versions of their local advertisements wherein, as with the satellite feed itself, all action occurred only within the top half of the video frame.
Other features of Prevue Guide, unavailable in the earlier full- and split-screen EPG Sr. versions, were colorized listings backgrounds and program-by-program channel summaries. Between its already colored grid lines, which alternated blue, green, yellow, and red with each half-hour listings cycle, each cable operator could choose to enable either red or light blue (rather than black) background colors for multiple channels of its choice. These backgrounds were usually used to highlight premium movie channels and pay-per-view services. Additionally, program-by-program channel summaries with light grey backgrounds, for up to four channels of each cable operator's choice, could be included within the scrolling grid. Appearing between each four-hour listings cycle, the names of channels (rather than times) would scroll up and slide into the grid's header bar one at a time, each followed by up to four hours worth of program-by-program listings for that channel alone.
Prevue Guide could also display graphical "Prevue Weather" logos, accompanied by local weather conditions, within its scrolling grid. These inserts were available to cable operators for an additional fee and appeared after each four-hour listings cycle.
By the early 1990s, United Video began encouraging cable systems still using either the full- or split-screen versions of the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. to upgrade to the Amiga 2000-based Prevue Guide. Active support for the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. installations was discontinued in 1993.
Like the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr., Prevue Guide also ran from bootable 3½ diskettes, and its locally customizable features remained configurable only from the local keyboard, subjecting viewers to the same on-screen maintenance-related interruptions by local cable company employees as before. (Silent remote administration of locally customizable features would not be added until the "yellow grid" appeared shortly after the beginning of the TV Guide Channel era, when the Amiga platform was fully abandoned.) To support Prevue Guide's new, satellite-delivered video and audio, each Amiga 2000 featured a UV Corp. UVGEN video/genlock
Genlock
Genlock is a common technique where the video output of one source, or a specific reference signal from a signal generator, is used to synchronize other television picture sources together. The aim in video and digital audio applications is to ensure the coincidence of signals in time at a...
card for the satellite feed's video and a Zephyrus Electronics Ltd model 100 rev. C demodulator/switching ISA
Industry Standard Architecture
Industry Standard Architecture is a computer bus standard for IBM PC compatible computers introduced with the IBM Personal Computer to support its Intel 8088 microprocessor's 8-bit external data bus and extended to 16 bits for the IBM Personal Computer/AT's Intel 80286 processor...
card for manipulating the feed's audio. Also included were a Zephyrus Electronics Ltd. model 101 rev. C demodulator ISA card for the WGN data stream, and a Great Valley Products
Great Valley Products
Great Valley Products is a former third-party Amiga hardware supplier.The company was mostly known for CPU-Accelerators and SCSI-Hostadapters for the Commodore Amiga 500 and the Amiga 2000 computer series. The company liquidated itself in July 1995...
Zorro II
Zorro II
Zorro II is the name of the general purpose expansion bus used by the Amiga 2000 computer. The bus is mainly a buffered extension of the Motorola 68000 bus, with support for bus mastering DMA. The expansion slots use a 100-pin connector and the card form factor is the same as the IBM PC...
A2000 HC+8 Series II card (used only for 2 MB of Fast RAM with SCSI
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
disabled). The 101C fed demodulated listings data at 2400 baud from a DE9
D-subminiature
The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smaller connectors used on computer systems....
RS232
RS-232
In telecommunications, RS-232 is the traditional name for a series of standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals connecting between a DTE and a DCE . It is commonly used in computer serial ports...
serial connector on its backpanel to the Amiga's stock DB25
D-subminiature
The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smaller connectors used on computer systems....
RS232 serial port via a short cable. The 101C also featured connection terminals for contact closure triggering of external cable system video playback equipment.
Prevue Channel
Closed captioning
Closed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
, MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
movie rating, and VCR Plus+ logos were additionally introduced by this version of the software, and unlike in prior versions, large graphical Prevue Guide logos appeared within its grid, between listings cycles. The old, synthesized interstitial music that had been used since 1988 was also replaced with a more modern piece called "Opening Act", from the defunct James & Aster music library.
By late 1993, Prevue Guide was re-branded "Prevue Channel", and an updated channel logo was unveiled to match. Beginning in early 1994 and up until its first couple of years as the TV Guide Channel, the network licensed production music (first at 1 min. length, later at 15 and 30-sec. lengths) from several music libraries for use as interstial music. In 1996, the Prevue Channel logo was given a new eye-like design, and two years later, the classic Dodger-like font face its logo had incorporated since 1988 was replaced with Univers
Univers
Univers is the name of a realist sans-serif typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1954.Originally conceived and released by Deberny & Peignot in 1957, the type library was acquired in 1972 by Haas. Haas'sche Schriftgiesserei was later folded into the D...
, though Sneak Prevue continued to use the original typeface until its demise in 2002. In 1997, Prevue Channel became the first electronic program guide to show Canada's and the United States' formalized TV Ratings symbols. They appeared alongside program titles within the listings grid, as well as in the supplementary scheduling information overlays accompanying promo videos in the top half of the screen.
During the mid-1990s, Prevue Networks, Inc. also expanded beyond its Prevue Channel operation. In 1996, Prevue Networks introduced their first set top terminal-integrated digital IPG
Electronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
, Prevue Interactive, designed for the General Instruments DCT 1000. It was launched as part of TCI
TCI
-Medicine:*Transient Cerebral Ischaemic attack, see Transient ischemic attack*Tricyclic antidepressant medication*Target Controlled Infusion, a method for controlling intravenous infusions.-Psychology:*Theme-Centered Interaction, a method of psychotherapy by Dr...
's first digital cable service offerings. In 1997, Prevue Networks and United Video Satellite Group also launched Prevue Online, an internet web site providing local TV listings, audio/video interviews, and weather forecasts. Another web site, PrevueNet, was co-launched to provide more history and useful information for the Prevue Channel, as well as for Sneak Prevue
Sneak Prevue
Sneak Prevue was a pay-per-view preview cable barker channel in the 1990s, spun off from the Prevue Channel .- History :...
, UVTV, WGN
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
Chicago, and WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
New York.
The new navy blue grid version of the Prevue Channel software was as crash-prone as previous ones. Flashing red Amiga "guru meditation" errors (with the raw satellite feed's dual promo windows and national satellite listings grid showing through from behind them) remained a frequent sight on many cable systems throughout the United States and Canada. While Prevue Networks' software engineers released regular patches
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
to correct bugs, it simultaneously became clear that an entirely new hardware platform would soon be needed. New Amiga 2000 hardware was no longer being manufactured by Commodore
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
, which filed for bankruptcy in 1994, and Prevue Networks began resorting to cannibalizing parts from second-hand dealers of used Amiga hardware in order to continue supplying and maintaining operational units. During periods where Amiga 2000 hardware availability proved insufficient, newer models such as the Amiga 3000
Amiga 3000
The Commodore Amiga 3000, or A3000, was the third major release in the Amiga computer family. Released in June 1990, it features improved processing speed, improved rendering of graphics, and a new revision of the operating system...
were used instead. However, as those models' stock cases would not accept the company's large existing inventory of Zephyrus ISA demodulator cards, only their motherboards were used, in custom-designed cases with riser card and backplane modifications.
Towards the end of the decade, in 1998, Prevue Channel's programming was entirely revamped. New short "shows" were introduced to replace Prevue Tonight, FamilyVue, and Intervue. These included Prevue This, Prevue Family, Prevue Sports, Prevue TV, Prevue News and Weather, and Prevue Revue. They each lasted only a couple of minutes, but every show happened twice every hour.
TV Guide Channel
In February 1999, United Video Satellite Group, the parent company of Prevue Networks, Inc., bought TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
for $2 billion in stock and cash. At midnight on February 1, 1999, new graphics were in place, officially renaming Prevue Channel "TV Guide Channel". In early October, Gemstar International Group Ltd. purchased United Video Satellite Group. Finally, throughout December of that year on cable systems nationwide, a new yellow grid began replacing the navy blue grid that had presented channel listings to viewers for the past six years. The old navy blue grid was completely phased out by March 2000.
With the arrival of TV Guide Channel's yellow grid, all remaining vestiges of Prevue Channel had been eliminated: its Amiga-based hardware infrastructure was decommissioned, and purpose-built, Windows NT/2000
Windows NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix. It was intended to complement...
PCs
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
employing custom-designed video/audio expansion cards were installed. With this new infrastructure additionally came the ability for local cable companies to perform silent remote administration of all their installations' locally customizable features, making live, on-screen guide maintenance interruptions by cable system technicians a thing of the past.
The yellow grid also eliminated the optional red and light blue background colors local cable operators were formerly able to assign various channels of their choices. In their place, universal, program genre-based background colors were introduced. Sporting events appeared with green backgrounds, and movies on all networks were given red backgrounds. Pay-per-view events additionally appeared with purple backgrounds. The light grey backgrounds which had formerly appeared in channel- and program genre-based summaries were also eliminated, with the aforementioned red, green, and purple color coding now applying to those summaries as well.
Despite its elimination from the American television market, the Prevue brand continued to be seen in Canada in the form of various Prevue Interactive services, most of which were simply re-branded versions of TV Guide Interactive products.
2000s
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
and her daughter Melissa Rivers
Melissa Rivers
Melissa Joan Rivers is an American television host, producer and the daughter of Joan Rivers.-Early life:Rivers was born Melissa Warburg Rosenberg in Manhattan on January 20, 1968; the only child of Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg...
began providing coverage for televised awards ceremonies such as The Emmy Awards
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and The Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
. In 2007, the mother-daughter duo were unceremoniously dropped by TV Guide in favor of Lisa Rinna. Later, in 2007, Rinna was joined by fellow Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (US TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
alumni Joey Fatone
Joey Fatone
Joseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
. On July 29, 2009, TV Guide announced that Rinna and Fatone had been replaced by Hollywood 411
Hollywood 411
Hollywood 411 is an entertainment news show that airs on the TV Guide Network hosted by Chris Harrison.-External links:* Hollywood 411 Website...
, presented by The Bachelor host Chris Harrison
Chris Harrison
Christopher Bryan "Chris" Harrison is an American television host, perhaps best known for his role as host of the ABC reality television dating show The Bachelor since 2002 and its spin-offs The Bachelorette since 2003 and Bachelor Pad in 2010...
and Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
judge Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba is an American dancer, choreographer, actress, game show host, and singer.She started her career as a singer in Japan, but became best known for her dancing, first introducing herself to American audiences as one of the original Fly Girls on the sketch comedy series In Living Color...
.
Also with the transition from Prevue Channel to TV Guide Channel, the nature of the service's scrolling listings grid began to change. During broadcasts of the channel's original primetime series as well as during red carpet
Red carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
awards ceremony coverage, programming started appearing almost entirely full-screen, with a transparent, non-scrolling, two-line version of the channel's regular listings grid occupying only the extreme bottom of the frame. Semi-regular stylistic re-designs of the grid also occurred, and support was added for showing locally inserting provider logos and graphical advertisements within it. Starting in 2004, light blue backgrounds began to appear on listings for children's programming, complimenting the red, green, and purple background colors already applied to listings for films, sporting events, and pay-per-view programming respectively.
Because of Gemstar-TV Guide's dominant position within the television listings market, listings for TV Guide Channel's own original programming began to appear on the topmost lines of most TV listings web sites to which the company provided listings data, regardless of which channel number any given cable system carried it on. This also became the case with the print version of TV Guide.
Rather than purchasing TV Guide Channel carriage rights, some services such as IO Digital Cable
IO Digital Cable
Interactive Optimum, better known as iO Digital Cable or simply iO, is a digital cable service offered by Cablevision, available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and parts of Pennsylvania. It includes 130 HDTV channels, interactive channels, such as games, and channels that allow viewers to...
and Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
created their own scrolling listings grids, with IO's occasionally interrupted by full-screen commercials, and otherwise featuring banner ads accompanied by music. Bright House Networks' version featured a video inlay of a local news station instead of banner ads, with its overall on-screen presentation otherwise matching that of IO's.
DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
did not begin carrying the TV Guide Channel until 2004, and began carrying it in an entirely full-screen format (without the bottom listings grid) in 2005. This was also the case with DISH Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
, which aired the network in full-screen format to avoid duplication of its set top receiver-integrated IPG, also provided by Gemstar-TV Guide.
TV Guide Network
On April 30, 2007, Gemstar-TV Guide announced that beginning June 4, 2007, TV Guide Channel would be re-branded "TV Guide Network". According to its press release, the move was intended to reflect "the continued evolution of the Channel from primarily a utility service to a more fully-developed television guidance and entertainment network with a continued commitment to high quality programming."On May 2, 2008, Gemstar-TV Guide was acquired by Macrovision
Macrovision
Rovi Corporation is a globally operating, US-based company that provides guidance technology, entertainment data, copy protection, industry standard networking and media management technology for digital entertainment devices and services...
(now Rovi Corporation
Macrovision
Rovi Corporation is a globally operating, US-based company that provides guidance technology, entertainment data, copy protection, industry standard networking and media management technology for digital entertainment devices and services...
). Macrovision, which purchased Gemstar-TV Guide mostly to boost the value of its lucrative VCR+ and electronic program guide patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s, later stated that they were possibly looking to sell both TV Guide Network and the TV Guide print edition's namesake to other parties. On December 18 of that year, Macrovision announced that it had found a willing party for TV Guide Network in One Equity Partners
One Equity Partners
One Equity Partners is a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in middle-market companies across a range of industries....
. The transaction included tvguide.com, with Macrovision retaining the IPG service.
At the beginning of January 2009, the print edition of TV Guide quietly removed its listings for TV Guide Network (along with its listings for several other networks) over what the magazine's management described as "space concerns". In actuality, the two entities had been forced apart by their new, individual owners, with promotions for the network ending in the magazine, and vice versa. TV Guide magazine journalists also no longer appeared on TV Guide Network. The top-line "plug" for the network did, however, remain intact on the web sites of internet-based listings providers using TV Guide's EPG listings.
On January 5, 2009, Lionsgate announced its intent to purchase TV Guide Network and TV Guide Online for $255 million. Lionsgate closed the transaction on March 2, 2009, paying cash. The following April, Lionsgate announced plans to revamp the network into a more entertainment-oriented channel, including plans to discontinue the bottom-screen scrolling program listings grid that has been a part of the channel since its inception in late 1981, however the scrolling grid still remains on the channel as of 2011. Following the announcement, Mediacom announced that it would be dropping the network. Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
has also dropped the network in Texas.
2010s
On July 1, 2010, TV Guide Network's scrolling grid was given an extensive facelift; the grid was shrunk to the bottom one-quarter of the screen, the channel listings were reduced from two lines to one (with the channel number now being placed to the right of the channel ID code), the color coding for programs of specific genres (children's shows, movies and sports, etc.) was removed, synopses for films were dropped and the grid now stops scrolling for four seconds with every four channels displayed. Despite the change, the non-scrolling grid (which is the same height as the restyled scrolling grid) continued to be used for primetime programming for a time.Twenty-three days later, on July 24, TV Guide Network introduced a new non-scrolling grid used for primetime programming, which was later dropped with providers using the scrolling grid during primetime programming. On August 3, 2010 the scrolling grid was changed once again, with the scrolling grid stopping at each channel, and the channel listings became two lines once again (in some areas, the grid is still three lines wide thus cutting off half of the second listing). On October 17, 2010 the scrolling grid was changed to black, and channel listings are one line, although some cable systems are still using the previous grid.
Genre color coding
On TV Guide Network until July 1, 2010 and currently in Gemstar-TV Guide's set top box-integrated IPGElectronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
service (TV Guide Interactive), program genres are indicated on-screen by color:
- Normal Programming: Gray (in IPG, dark blue)
- Children's Shows: Light blue
- Sports Programming: Green
- Movies: Red on regular channels, purple on pay-per-view channels (in IPG, purple on all channels)
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Shark Week
Shark Week
The Discovery Channel's Shark Week, which first aired on July 27, 1987, is a week-long series of feature television programs dedicated to sharks. Shark Week is held annually, normally running in July or August. Shark Week was developed to help the average person have a greater respect for sharks....
, had a bubbly-water graphical scheme. During the lead-up to Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, horror movie titles featured spiderwebs in their schemes, and Holiday
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
movie titles listed during December were blue and snow-covered. Similar important shows and/or premieres have had other special graphical schemes added to their grid cells.
Due to a restructuring of TV Guide Network's scrolling grid on July 1, 2010 that saw the grid being shrunk to the lower third of the screen, grey is now used as the color code for all programming and genre-based color coding can now be seen exclusively in IPG.
Grid color history
On the EPG/Prevue Guide/Prevue Channel/TV Guide Channel/TV Guide Network channel, the following colors have been used for the listings grid:- Black (during the Amiga-based EPG and Prevue Guide years prior to mid-1993)
- Navy blue (during the Amiga-based Prevue Guide, Prevue Channel, and TV Guide Channel years of 1993-2000)
- Yellow (during the TV Guide Channel years of 2000-2003)
- Blue (during the TV Guide Channel years of 2003-2004)
- Teal (during the TV Guide Channel years of 2004-2005)
- Grey (during the TV Guide Channel and TV Guide Network years of 2005–present)
Between the late 1980s and 1999, local cable operators could configure listings for certain channels to appear with alternate background colors (their choice of red or light blue). Light grey backgrounds were additionally used for channel- and program genre-based listings summaries, when enabled by local cable operators. Beginning with the yellow grid in 1999, all such coloring was discarded in favor of program genre-based coloring which affected all channels and summaries. Listings for movies featured red backgrounds, pay-per-view events bore purple backgrounds, and sporting events featured green backgrounds. Starting in 2004, light blue backgrounds were additionally applied to listings for children's programming.
Programming
In addition to paid programming that airs from early-mid morning, along with reruns of programs such as Punk'dPunk'd
Punk'd is an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003 and was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. It bore a resemblance to both the classic hidden camera show Candid Camera and to TV's Bloopers...
, Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
, Just Shoot Me and American Idol Rewind
American Idol Rewind
American Idol Rewind is a syndicated television series that ran from September 30, 2006 to May 15, 2010. The hour-long weekly series was a repurposed edition of the hit reality talent show American Idol, featuring present day interviews with the contestants, semi-finalists and rejected auditioners...
, the TV Guide Network has many original series that air during primetime.
Current shows
- Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
(2009–present) - Acquired repeats - Punk'dPunk'dPunk'd is an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003 and was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. It bore a resemblance to both the classic hidden camera show Candid Camera and to TV's Bloopers...
(2009–present) - Acquired repeats - Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
(2010–present) - Acquired repeats - The Hills (2011–present) - Acquired repeats
- Nail FilesNail Files (TV series)Nail Files is a reality television series set to air on the TV Guide Network starting in June 2011.Nail Files is created by the creators of Jersey Shore, and follows Katie Cazorla, who owns a popular Hollywood's nail salon, The Painted Nail, while juggling her relationship with Walter Afanasieff, a...
(2011–present) - Original reality seriesReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
about the owner of a Los Angeles nail salonNail salonA nail salon or nail bar is a beauty services establishment that primarily offers nail care services such as manicures, pedicures, and nail enhancements. Often, nail salons also offer skin care services. There are approximately 9,900 nail salons in the U.S., up 23% from 2007 according to the ....
. - Ned & StaceyNed & StaceyNed & Stacey is a US television sitcom that aired on the FOX network from 1995 to 1997. It starred Thomas Haden Church and Debra Messing. The major thread of the series was that the two were brought together in a marriage of convenience—Ned Dorsey needed to be married to get a promotion at...
(2011-present) - Acquired repeats - Veronica's ClosetVeronica's ClosetVeronica's Closet is a sitcom which aired on NBC from September 25, 1997, to June 27, 2000.The show starred Kirstie Alley as Veronica “Ronnie” Chase, the head of her own lingerie company.- Season one :...
(2011-present) - Acquired repeats - Samantha Who?Samantha Who?Samantha Who? is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from October 15, 2007 to July 23, 2009. The series was created by Cecelia Ahern and Don Todd, who also served as producers...
(2011-present) - Acquired repeats - CybillCybillCybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show...
(2011-present) - Acquired repeats - Designing WomenDesigning WomenDesigning Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
(2011-present) - Acquired repeats - Dharma & GregDharma & GregDharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
(2011-present) - Acquired repeats
Former shows
- America's Next ProducerAmerica's Next ProducerAmerica's Next Producer is a reality show where ten contestants compete for a TV Guide Network deal, office space in Hollywood, 17" MacBook Pro, 23" monitor, Final Cut Studio video editing software, $100,000, and the right to call themselves America's Next Producer. They are challenged to produce a...
(2007) - Competition series where the winner received a $100,000 prize and development deal with TVGC. - Celebrity Says!Celebrity Says!Celebrity Says! is a game show that premiered in early 2008 on the TV Guide Channel, created by Michael Krupat and hosted by Dave Holmes. On each episode, three contestants guess what celebrities say from footage taken of interviews for the TV Guide Channel.-Round 1 :In round 1, video footage of a...
(2008) - Man on the street game show where interviewees attempted to guess what a celebrity said during a red carpet interview. Hosted by Dave HolmesDave HolmesDavid Robert "Dave" Holmes is a television personality who gained national attention as the runner-up on MTV's first Wanna Be a VJ contest in 1998. From the beginning, he distinguished himself from other candidates with an encyclopedic knowledge of music trivia.Despite his loss to Jesse Camp, MTV...
. - Hollywood 411Hollywood 411Hollywood 411 is an entertainment news show that airs on the TV Guide Network hosted by Chris Harrison.-External links:* Hollywood 411 Website...
(2008–2011) - Entertainment newsmagazine program hosted by Chris HarrisonChris HarrisonChristopher Bryan "Chris" Harrison is an American television host, perhaps best known for his role as host of the ABC reality television dating show The Bachelor since 2002 and its spin-offs The Bachelorette since 2003 and Bachelor Pad in 2010...
; varied over the years between a daily and weekly presentation. - Hollywood ShowdownHollywood ShowdownHollywood Showdown is an American game show that aired on both PAX and Game Show Network from January to November 2000, then again until April 2002. Reruns aired on GSN again from September 2004 to April 2005 plus June 2006 and June 2007 on TV Guide Network...
(2006–2008) - Acquired repeats from PAX/Game Show NetworkGame Show NetworkThe Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
run. - Hollywood 411 on Set (2009) - Set visits and behind-the-scenes info on the latest movies, profiling three each show.
- Idol Chat & Idol Tonight (2006–2009) - Official discussion of the week's events on American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Hosted by Kimberly CaldwellKimberly CaldwellKimberly Ann Caldwell is an American singer, actress, and television hostess, from Katy, Texas who was the seventh place finalist on the second season of American Idol. She used to work as an entertainment correspondent and hosted various shows on the TV Guide Network...
and Justin GuariniJustin GuariniJustin Guarini is an American singer/songwriter and actor who rose to fame in 2002 as the first runner-up on the debut season of the television show American Idol.-Background:...
(Rosanna TavarezRosanna TavarezRosanna Tavarez is a Dominican American entertainment reporter and presenter on television. Tavarez stars on TV Guide Channel alongside former American Idol contestants Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini. She started off on Mun2, a Telemundo cable channel, hosting a show...
was a former co-host from 2006–2008, and Manny StreetzManny GuevaraManny Streetz is a Filipino radio & TV personality, actor, hit songwriter and record producer. He is the oldest of four children to Manuel and Vicenta Guevara....
was a guest correspondent in 2007) - InFANity (2007–2010) - One hour program devoted to a detailed history and interviews with stars of one primetime series. Hosted by Lisa JoynerLisa JoynerLisa Marie Joyner is an American entertainment reporter and television host.- Life and career :Joyner has reported on celebrity news in the Los Angeles area for KTTV and KCBS-TV. She first gained national recognition for her InFANity segments on the TV Guide Network. Joyner is married to Two and a...
. - Look-a-Like (2004–2010) - Makeover program involving people wanting to look like certain celebrities.
- Making News: Texas StyleMaking News: Texas StyleMaking News: Texas Style was a TV Guide Network documentary series based in the Odessa/Midland, Texas Metro area, following the work lives of the anchors and reporters at KOSA-TV, the market's local CBS affiliate...
(2007–2008) - Follows news anchors at TV stations in the state of Texas. During the first season, the anchors of Odessa, TexasOdessa, TexasOdessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, CBSCBSCBS 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...
affiliate KOSAKosa, also known as Hongan-ji Kennyo , was the 11th head of the Hongan-ji in Kyoto, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki , during its siege at the end of the Sengoku Period...
were featured (some episodes also featured an anchor at the market's NBCNBCThe 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...
affiliate, KWESKWES-TVKWES-TV, channel 9, commonly referred to as NewsWest 9, is the NBC affiliated television station in the Midland/Odessa area. The station is owned by the Drewry Communications Group. It also operates a satellite station, KWAB-TV , in Big Spring, Texas.-History:KWES began broadcasting in 1958 as...
). The second seasonMaking News: Savannah StyleMaking News: Savannah Style was a reality program set at the duopoly of WJCL and WTGS in Savannah, Georgia. It followed the daily activities of the lowest-rated news department in the Savannah television market. The show was the second in the Making News series, following Making News: Texas Style,...
followed anchors at the duopoly of WJCLWJCL (TV)WJCL is the ABC-affiliated television station for Georgia's Coastal Empire and South Carolina's Lowcountry. Licensed to Savannah, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 from a transmitter in unincorporated Western Chatham County, Georgia. The station can also be seen on...
and WTGSWTGSWTGS is the Fox-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Lowcountry and Southeastern Georgia's Coastal Empire. Licensed to Hardeeville, South Carolina, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 27 from a transmitter in unincorporated Western Chatham County, Georgia...
, the ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe 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...
and FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox 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...
affiliates (respectively) in Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, GeorgiaSavannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, as well as long-dominant CBS affiliate WTOCWTOC-TVWTOC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Southeastern Georgia's Coastal Empire and Southern South Carolina's Lowcountry. Licensed to Savannah, Georgia, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter along Fort Argyle Road/SR 204 in unincorporated...
and NBC affiliate WSAVWSAV-TVWSAV-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Coastal Empire of Southeastern Georgia and the Lowcountry of Southern South Carolina. Licensed to Savannah, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter in Pooler, Georgia...
, from time to time). The second season was called Making News: Savannah StyleMaking News: Savannah StyleMaking News: Savannah Style was a reality program set at the duopoly of WJCL and WTGS in Savannah, Georgia. It followed the daily activities of the lowest-rated news department in the Savannah television market. The show was the second in the Making News series, following Making News: Texas Style,...
. - Reality Chat (2006–2009) - Discussion show about reality television. Hosted by Rosanna TavarezRosanna TavarezRosanna Tavarez is a Dominican American entertainment reporter and presenter on television. Tavarez stars on TV Guide Channel alongside former American Idol contestants Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini. She started off on Mun2, a Telemundo cable channel, hosting a show...
and Sadie Murray (Kimberly CaldwellKimberly CaldwellKimberly Ann Caldwell is an American singer, actress, and television hostess, from Katy, Texas who was the seventh place finalist on the second season of American Idol. She used to work as an entertainment correspondent and hosted various shows on the TV Guide Network...
was a former co-host from 2006–2008) - TV Watercooler (2006–2009) - A weekly recap of TV's noteworthy shows and moments. Hosted by John FugelsangJohn FugelsangJohn Fugelsang is an American actor, television personality and stand-up comedian.-Stage and screen:...
and Teresa StrasserTeresa StrasserTeresa Lynn Strasser is an American writer and television personality known for hosting the first season of the home makeover show While You Were Out on TLC. She also co-hosted The Adam Carolla Show.-Personal life:...
(Debra WilsonDebra WilsonDebra Wilson Skelton , professionally known as Debra Wilson or Debra Wilzon, is an American comedienne and actress. Wilson is likely most famous for being the second longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv, having appeared for the show's first eight seasons...
was a former co-host in 2006)
Prevue Guide and Prevue Channel
- Just what you're looking for. (1988–1992)
- We Are What's On. (1992–1995)
- Prevue...See what's on (1995-1997 secondary)
- Prevue First! (1998–1999; secondary)
- Before you view, Prevue! (1993 to 1995; alternate, 1995–1999; primary)
TV Guide Channel/Network
- Change the way you channel (1999–2001)
- Don't miss a thing (2001–2004)
- Original shows, original channel, TV Guide Channel. (2004–2007)
- America's Television Headquarters (2007–2010)
- Original shows, original network, TV Guide Network (2007–2010; secondary)
- Eat. Sleep. Watch. (2010–present)
Sneak Prevue
In 1991, Prevue Networks spun off another network exclusively for pay-per-view programming, Sneak PrevueSneak Prevue
Sneak Prevue was a pay-per-view preview cable barker channel in the 1990s, spun off from the Prevue Channel .- History :...
. The channel was also driven by Amiga 2000 hardware, and its software was as crash-prone as the Prevue Guide software itself. TV Guide Network ceased operations of Sneak Prevue in 2002.