Spike (TV Channel)

Spike (TV Channel)

Spike (formerly Spike TV) is an American general entertainment cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network (TNN), a joint venture of WSM, Inc. (a subsidiary of National Life and Accident Insurance Company) and Group W Satellite Communications; Gaylord Entertainment Company acquired the channel a few months later. After several changes of ownership and name, Spike currently operates as part of MTV Networks, owned by Viacom.

Spike is available in 98.7 million American homes. It features re-runs of popular shows such as CSI, CSI: NY, Unsolved Mysteries, and The Ren & Stimpy Show, along with various original programs and movies, all targeting males 18-34. It is also the home of Impact Wrestling, the flagship show of professional wrestling organization Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. As of 2006, Spike's viewership was almost half women (45%), although many of them are reported to be watching it with male partners or family members, or were watching the CSI franchise. The average age of the channel's viewers was 42 years old.

In October 2007, Kevin Kay was appointed network president after being executive vice president and general manager of the channel for the previous two years. The post had been vacant since December 2006.