CBN Cable (Network)
The network was founded by Pat Robertson on April 29, 1977 as the CBN Satellite Service, an arm of his Christian Broadcasting Network. It was the first satellite-launched basic-cable network. The network offered only Christian television programs when it first began. The offerings included The 700 Club three times a day along with many well known and lesser-known television evangelists. As a result, a few televangelists began making Monday-through-Friday programs. The CBN Satellite Service grew to 10.9 million homes by May 1981.
In September 1981, the network relaunched as CBN Cable Network, a "family-friendly" entertainment network. The network continued to offer religious shows about a third of the day. The entertainment shows included classic sitcoms from the 1950s, westerns, reruns of game shows, old movies, and some family drama shows, as well as a handful of Christian or family-friendly animation series (including some anime, such as CBN's own co-productions with Tatsunoko Production in Japan, Superbook and The Flying House. There were also English-dubbed versions of Honey, Honey and Leo the Lion). Under the new format, the CBN Cable Network grew from 28 million households in May 1985, to 35.8 million in May 1987.
Read more about this topic: Television Networks Preceding ABC Family
Famous quotes containing the word cable:
“To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars.”
—Douglass Cross (b. 1920)