COMMUNITY ANTENNA TELEVISION (CATV), better known as cable TV, has become the premier choice for TV viewers. First offered in the 1950s as an alternative to regular TV, cable really took off in the late '70s and early '80s, thanks to the advent of HBO and ESPN, among others. Here are some of the most viewed cable networks in the US today (dates in parentheses are dates founded):
H(ome) B(ox) O(ffice) (12/1975)/Cinemax (1980)
Showtime (3/7/1978)/The Movie Channel (8/1/1982)
Bravo (12/7/1980)
E(ntertainment) and S(ports) P(rogramming) N(etwork) (9/7/1979)/ESPN 2 (10/1/1993)
USA Network (9/27/1977 as Madison Square Garden Network, became USA Network 4/9/1980)/Sci-Fi Channel (1994?)
TBS Superstation (Atlanta, GA) (12/17/1976)/T(urner) N(etwork) T(elevision) (10/3/1988)/Cartoon Network (10/1/1992)/C(able) N(ews) N(etwork) (6/1/1980)/Headline News (1/82 as CNN-2, became HN 1983)
M(usic) T(elevision) (8/1/1981)/V(ideo) H(its)-1 (1/1/1985)/Nickelodeon (4/1/1979)/Nick-at-Nite (7/1985)/TV Land (1997?)
Disney Channel (4/18/1983)
Discovery Channel (6/17/1985)/T(he) L(earning) C(hannel) (1972 as Applachian Community Service Network, became TLC in 1980, acquired by Discovery in 1991)/Travel Channel (2/1/1987)/Animal Planet (6/1/1996)
A(rts) & E(ntertainment Network) (2/1/1984 by merger of ARTS [1981] and the Entertainment Channel [1982])
Lifetime Television for Women (2/1/1984)
B(lack) E(ntertainment) T(elevision) (1/29/1980)
T(he) N(ational) N(etwork) (3/7/1983 as the Nashville Network, became the National Network summer 2000)/Country Music TV
H(ome) S(hopping) N(etwork) (1985)
Q(uality-)V(alue-)C(onvenience) ()
Comedy Central (4/1/1991 by merger of the Comedy Channel [11/1989] and Ha! [4/1990])
C(onsumer) N(ews and) B(usiness) C(hannel) (4/17/1989, acquired Financial News Network in 1991 and shut it down)/M(icro)S(oft)NBC (7/15/1996)
ABC Family Channel (4/29/1997 as Christian Broadcasting Network, became Family Channel 1989, Fox Family Channel 1997, ABC Family Channel November 2001)
E! (Entertainment Television) (7/31/1987)
C(able)-S(atellite) P(ublic) A(ffairs) N(etwork) (3/19/1979)/C-SPAN 2 (6/1986)/C-SPAN 3 (2001)
E(ternal) W(ord) T(elevision) N(etwork) (1981)
T(rinity) B(roadcasting) N(etwork) (1974)
Court(room) TV (Network) (7/1/1991)
Food Network (11/23/1993)
Game Show Network (12/1/1994)
web sites to these networks and more can be found, starting HERE!!!