MSG Metro Channels - MSG Metro Learning Center

MSG Metro Learning Center

MSG Metro Learning Center actually began in the late 70s as a public service by Cablevision. Throughout the 80s and into the 90s, it aired as Extra Help on Long Island's TeLICare Channel before finding its home on Long Island One in the early 90s. Long Island One featured mostly Public-access television cable TV shows, as well as a photo bulletin board detailing events on Long Island and was available on channel 1 on most Cablevision systems.

In the late spring of 1995, Cablevision "retooled" the show, improving its image for middle- and high-schoolers, and created an "adult-programming" block, which included shows on gardening, computers, cars, finance, and legal issues. Viewers were invited to "join the show" and ask questions by calling 1-800-EXT-HELP. The after-school programming featured a number of EJ's or educational jockeys who presented the different segments. Marissa Fenech, Mark Citorella, and Mark Kenny were among the first of this group. One of the High School geared segments, called "Peer to Peer," featured High School students answering questions from viewers; many of these early panelists went on to become EJ's themselves. Marc Morrone actually got his start on this channel hosting a show called Extra Help: Pets. This "retooling" was entrusted to Thomas Garger and Brad Dorsogna, executive producers, William L. Palminteri, production designer, Michael Zmuda, assistant production designer, Rocyna Yoingco and Kathleen Nugent, producers. Mr. Palminteri notes that the studio was re-designed from the ground up to accommodate the new series, and Rick Ruggles installed the new broadcast console. Numerous students from Hofstra University got their internship requirements fulfilled during this period, including Lorraine Buzzetta.

The approach to educational TV pioneered during this time has become the template for educational TV throughout the country. In 1997, Extra Help was expanded to 24 hours on weekdays, and the Long Island One branding was removed. On weekends, they would still show the Photo Bulletin Board, but the Cablevision logo was pasted over the Long Island One logo in the banner that showed up every five minutes telling viewers how to submit events. At the end of its first Spring Season (March 1995 to July 1995) extrahelp won a Cable Ace Award for Best New Educational Show Concept – 1995

In 1998, Extra Help was rebranded to "MSG Metro Learning Center", most of the shows initially survived the moved, and were now filmed from the MSG Metro set in New York City. The channels homework help shows were now all merged under the banner "School's Out" which later became "Studio Y," the lead flagship teen talk show program around the three networks. When the MSG name was dropped from the channels, the channel was renamed to "Metro Learning".

After School's Out moved to Metro, the Learning Element from the channel went with it. The channel still kept the Metro Learning name for a year or so, until it was renamed "Metro Stories". By this time the channel aired the show "Metro Stories" back to back 24/7, which focused on the history of New York City, its people, and its sites. During New York Fashion Week, they would air nothing but Full Frontal Fashion on this channel. Eventually, Full Frontal Fashion was all this channel showed. By this time, Cablevision removed the channel from its analog lineup and replaced it with TV Land. Metro Stories then went to its digital cable service, iO on channel 174, where it would die, along with Metro in Summer 2005.