AMC traded classic movies, such as “Horse Feathers” (above), for original series, such as “Mad Men.” (
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Samantha Morton with Ciaran Hinds in “Jane Eyre” (©A&E / Everett Collection)
Happiness on “Storage Wars.” (
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Pat Robertson (National Geographic/Getty Images)
“Secret Life of the American Teenager.” (ABC FAMILY)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn of “Project Runway.” (
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Hitler in Germany (Everett Collection / Everett Col)
Bruce Mitchell from “Swamp People.” (
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Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (20th Century Fox Licensing/Merch)
“The Walking Dead” (
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Buddy Valastro of “Cake Boss” (
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“Dancing in the Dark” video (WireImage)
The infamous “Mob Wives” (
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Remember when Bravo aired ballet and TLC actually considered education part of its mission? Yeah, we don’t either — but that’s where those channels got their starts. The founders of cable networks once thought people wanted to watch such high-minded programming as ballet, opera and theater, historical documentaries and scientific lectures. However, once they figured out they could garner much bigger ratings with lowbrow fare such as “The Real World,” “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” and “Trading Spaces,” cable fell off its pedestal forever.
By now, cable networks have changed so much that the acronyms that compose their names — A&E, MTV, TLC — make no sense whatsoever. And when you know what those letters once stood for — Arts & Entertainment, Music Television, The Learning Channel — and then watch the channels, they definitely make no sense. Still, most of us know our A&E from our TLC, even though there’s very little arts, entertainment or learning on either network.
“There are so many different channels and so many different shows, how can a cable network possibly distinguish itself? It all lends itself to confusion,” says Brad Adgate, senior vice president and director of research at Horizon Media. “When a network is rebranding itself with different programming, maybe keeping the original name — even if it’s no longer relevant to the content — is a better idea because at least it’s familiar to viewers.”
The executives have become as aware of shifts in viewer loyalties as their counterparts at the networks and have enjoyed huge successes from the establishment of franchise programming that emphasizes upscale living.
“Cable networks are just trying to stay in synch with viewing tastes,” Adgate says. “TLC used to air ‘Clean Sweep’ and ‘While You Were Out.’ Then the genre passed. Now they have ‘Cake Boss’ and ‘DC Cupcakes.’ It’s all about trying to update and reposition yourself to attract younger viewers and better advertisers.”
Here’s a surprising look at the humble origins of cable television’s most popular channels and where they are today. For the most part, they aren’t journeys anyone would have predicted.
A&E
From high to lowbrow
Launched Feb. 1, 1984, the Arts &Entertainment Network aired concerts, ballet and opera. The network changed its name to A&E in May 1995. Its signature series,“Biography,” was eventually spun off into its own channel in 1999. The network favored mini-series based on classic British novels, such as “Jane Eyre,” “Pride & Prejudice” and “Vanity Fair.”
In summer 2002, A&E underwent an overhaul and developed its current slate of reality programs, including “Storage Wars,” the harrowing “Intervention,” the truly strange “Hoarders,” “Barter Kings,” “Cajun Justice” and “Gene Simmons Family Jewels.”
ABC FAMILY
From Jesus to sinners
Founded by Pat Robertson in 1977 as Christian Broadcasting Network Satellite Service, an extension of Robertson’s ministry. On Aug. 1, 1988, it became the CBN Family Channel and was renamed The Family Channel in 1990. Sold to Fox Kids Worldwide in 1998 and renamed Fox Family. On Oct 24, 2001, Fox Kids was sold to Disney, and it relaunched as ABC Family on Nov. 1, 2001. As part of original sale from Robertson to Fox, it was required that the word “family” be kept in the network’s name in perpetuity. Also required: that ABC Family broadcast Robertson’s “The 700 Club.”
ABC Family has been steadily on the rise since 2006, when it set network ratings records with the premiere of “Kyle XY.” Those numbers were finally eclipsed by “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” starring Shailene Woodley (“The Descendants”), which premiered summer 2008. Since then, the network has successfully targeted young women and their mothers. The channel’s next big hit was 2010’s “Pretty Little Liars,” followed by last summer’s “Switched at Birth.” ABC Family also is having success with such shows as “Make It or Break It” and “Melissa and Joey.” “Bunheads,” starring Broadway darling Sutton Foster, premiered in June.
BRAVO
From films to ‘Runway’
Launched by Cablevision in December 1980 as an advertising-free premium channel, Bravo aired classic and international films. It became a basic cable channel in the mid-’80s. NBC purchased Bravo in 2002.
Bravo shifted gears when a marathon of its series “Gay Weddings” fared well opposite the 2003 Super Bowl. That year it launched “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” and it became a cultural phenomenon. Its next hit was the fashion reality series “Project Runway,” which premiered in December 2004 and moved to Lifetime in 2009. Other popular franchises include “Real Housewives” and “Top Chef.
HISTORY
From Hitler to the ‘Swamp’
”Like other high-minded cable networks before it (A&E, Bravo), History launched on Jan. 1, 1995, with the intent of bringing history to the people via an endless supply of documentaries on World War II that rightly earned it the nickname The Hitler Channel. The channel quickly realized that what people say they want to watch and what they watch are two different things, thus “Ice Road Truckers” arrived at the network.
Today, the channel’s top shows lean more toward offbeat American sub-cultures than history, but it did just have a huge hit with the record-breaking miniseries “Hatfields and McCoys,” starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. Otherwise, the network draws strong ratings with such series as “Swamp People,” “Pawn Stars” and “American Pickers.”
AMC
From movies to zombies
Launched as American Movie Classics in 1984, the channel made its name airing exactly that: classic films. In 2002, unable to stay in business as a commercial-free movie channel subsidized by cable operators, AMC started playing all sorts of movies. At that time, it also officially became an ad-supported basic cable network, even though it had been accepting ads since 1998.
AMC’s fortunes changed dramatically when “Mad Men” premiered in 2007 (both HBO and Showtime passed on the script). The world fell in love with Don Draper and AMC, which had unsuccessfully dabbled in original series before (“Remember WENN” or “The Lot”), and went on to win the Best Drama Emmy four years in a row. AMC has followed that show up with other critical favorites, particularly “Breaking Bad,” and “The Walking Dead,” whose season finale was watched by 9 million.
TLC
From education to entertainment
The channel was founded in 1972 by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and NASA to provide education. In 1980, it was privatized and renamed the Appalachian Community Service Network, and then renamed The Learning Channel later that year. The network aired educational programming on nature, science, medicine and technology. “Captain’s Log With Captain Mark Gray,” a boating safety series, was the big hit.
The channel started moving toward reality programming in 1999, changing its name to TLC. The British import, “Trading Spaces” showed viewers how to do interior design on the cheap.In 2008, TLC focused on programming about families, such as “Jon & Kate Plus Eight,” and “Little People, Big World.” Another British import, “What Not to Wear” has been a consistent performer since 2003. And in 2009, the network had a new hit in “Cake Boss,” which focused on charismatic Buddy Valastro, his gigantic Italian family and the Hoboken bakery he runs.
VH1
From hit songs to hit men’s wives
VH1 (Video Hits One) launched Jan. 1, 1985, as an MTV for adults, playing such artists as Billy Joel, Elton John and Sting. The mid-’90s were big for the network with “Pop-Up Video” in 1996 and “Behind the Music,” which told stories of how stars handled fame, in 1997. Both series are still on today.
Since 2005, VH1’s bread and butter has been celeb-reality programs, such as “The Surreal Life” (D-list celebs cohabitate in a house), “Celebrity Fit Club” and “Celebrity Rehab.” The channel also got a lot of mileage out of celebrity-dating shows, including “Strange Love,” a spinoff of “The Surreal Life” that followed the absurd relationship of Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav. The love didn’t last but a franchise was born: remember “Flavor of Love”? Today, VH1 airs the reality series “Mob Wives” and the dating series “Tough Love,” featuring mother-and-son dating coaches JoAnn and Steve Ward.