Satellite Program Network

Satellite Program Network (SPN) was a satellite and cable television network that broadcast in the United States from 1979 to 1989. Following a name change to Tempo Television in 1986, it was bought by NBC and relaunched as CNBC in 1989.

Not to be confused with ESPN.

History

SPN was created by Ed Taylor, an associate of Ted Turner and the head of the Southern Satellite Systems company. The network, which began in 1979, was the second-oldest cable-only network. In 1985, SPN was acquired by Satellite Syndicated Systems.[1]

Among the programs broadcast on SPN were Video Concert Hall, an early music video show (before the launch of MTV); News from Home, a program for Canadians in the US, hosted by early CNN news anchor Don Miller; The Shopping Game, a Nicholson-Muir game show produced in Nashville and hosted by Art James; The Susan Noon Show, featuring celebrity interviews; Nutrition Dialogue, hosted by Dr. Betty Kamen; Sewing with Nancy; The Paul Ryan Show, another celebrity interview program with the actor/interviewer of the same name; and Moscow Meridian, a current-affairs program produced by Soviet authorities and hosted by Vladimir Posner. Reruns of old situation comedies and movies, mostly from low-budget studios, rounded out the schedule.

In 1984, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) paid SPN to broadcast some college football games of the Division I-AA playoffs, including that season's championship game,[2] following a Supreme Court ruling (NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma) that halted the NCAA's practice of negotiating television contracts for its members.[3]

Tempo Television

In March 1986, Satellite Syndicated Systems changed its name to Tempo Enterprises, and SPN and SPN International were changed to Tempo Television and TEMPO International, respectively.[4][5] Tempo Television was a 24-hour national cable network serving all contiguous states, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Using a counter-programming philosophy, Tempo Television fulfilled viewer needs by dividing its program schedule into various dayparts including international programming, finance, sports, leisure and classic films. Market studies clearly indicated that this unique programming approach attracted and retained upscale audiences who were looking for entertainment that was informative and substantially different from the standard options.

A Canadian regulatory description of the channel in 1988 said that Tempo's "schedule consists of outdoors, travel, general information and entertainment programming and classic feature films that are in the public domain."[6] In May 1988, by which time Tempo had 12 million subscribers, the channel was purchased by NBC, mainly for its existing carriage and not its programming.[7][8] It was relaunched on April 17, 1989, in a new guise as the business news channel CNBC.[9]

References
  1. "Satellite Syndicated Systems reports earnings for Qtr to June 30." The New York Times. August 6, 1985.
  2. Geise, George (December 15, 1984). "Bobcats ready for I-AA championship shootout". Great Falls Tribune. Great Falls, Montana. p. 1-B. Retrieved May 5, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. Nance, Roscoe (December 1, 1984). "I-AA playoffs spell trouble M-O-N-E-Y". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 2D. Retrieved April 22, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "(TV column)". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. March 10, 1986. p. C4. Retrieved April 22, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "(notice)". Chicago Tribune. March 23, 1986. p. 13. Retrieved April 22, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. "Public Notice CRTC 1988-58: Revised List of Part II Eligible Satellite Services and List of Part III Non-Canadian Eligible Satellite Services". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. April 13, 1988.
  7. "NBC buy latest as Hollywood goes cable". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. AP. May 3, 1988. p. 8A. Retrieved April 22, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "The Media Business: NBC to Buy Cable Service". The New York Times. May 3, 1988.
  9. Winfrey, Lee (April 18, 1989). "A pretty big baby just one day old". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 1-E. Retrieved April 22, 2019 – via newspapers.com.

Further reading
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