Independent Station (North America) - Overview

Overview

During the 1950s and 1960s, independent stations filled their broadcast hours with movies, sports, cartoons, newsreels, filmed travelogues, and some locally-produced television programs, including newscasts. Independents on the air during this period would sign-on at times later than affiliated television network stations, some in the early or middle afternoon hours.

Another source of programming became available to independent stations by the mid-1960s: Reruns of network programs which, after completing their initial runs, were sold into syndication.

By the start of the 1970s, independent stations typically aired children's programming in the morning and afternoon, and movies and other adult-oriented shows (some stations aired paid religious programs) during middays. They counterprogrammed local network stations' news programs with syndicated reruns—usually sitcoms and hour-long dramas—in the early evening, and movies during prime time and late night hours. In some areas, independents carried network programs that were not aired on a local affiliate.

In larger markets such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, independent stations benefited from a Federal Communications Commission ruling barring network-affiliated stations within the top 50 television markets from airing network-originated programs in the two hours preceding prime time. What was known as the Prime Time Access Rule was in effect from 1971 to 1995, and as a result independents faced less competition for syndicated reruns.

In the 1980s, television syndicators began offering original, first-run series such as Fame, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Star Search and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and made-for-television movies and miniseries like Sadat -- and this trend primarily benefited independent stations. Independents scheduled these first-run programs during prime time and on weekends. Some stations in larger markets ventured into local news broadcasts, usually at 10:00 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific time zones, and 9:00 p.m. in the Central and Mountain time zones. Network stations aired their late newscasts an hour later.

Nearly 300 independent stations existed in the United States by the mid-1980s. Many belonged to the Association of Independent Television Stations, a group similar to the National Association of Broadcasters, and which lobbied the FCC on behalf of independents.

In the United States, many independent stations were commonly-owned. Companies that operated three or more independents included:

• Chris-Craft Industries, and its subsidiary BHC Communications
• Christian Broadcasting Network
• Clear Channel Communications
• Cox Enterprises
• Gaylord Broadcasting
• Grant Broadcasting
• Kaiser Broadcasting, and its successor Field Communications
• Meredith Corporation
• Metromedia
• Pappas Telecasting Companies
• Renaissance Broadcasting
• RKO General
• Scripps-Howard Broadcasting
• Sinclair Broadcast Group
• Taft Television and Radio Company
• Tribune Broadcasting
• TVX Broadcast Group, and its successor Paramount Stations Group

In 1986 several independent outlets, led by the Metromedia stations, formed the Fox Broadcasting Company, the fourth U.S. broadcast-television network. Many affiliates, however, still filled its broadcast hours with independent-like programming as Fox only programmed two hours a day, leaving over 20 hours daily for syndicated shows. Fox still only offers two hours of programming on weekdays.