The Nashville Network

In the early 1980's, a gold rush was in effect on cable TV. Companies were claiming their piece of the cable dial, becoming the kids network, the music network, etc. one early contender was The Nashville Network, which aimed to be more than just a country MTV. Years before MTV diversified its programming, The Nashville Network was airing talk shows, sitcoms and other non-video programming. Operating out of Nashville, the channel sought to promote its Nashville based properties- the Grand Old Opry, the Opryland theme park and its other Nashville properties.

 

By the late 1990's, the cable channel had been sold and its new owners felt that its audience was too old. They decided to embrace younger country acts and make a run as a younger hipper network- TNN.

 

The newly rebooted channel bombed and it became The National Network, a general programming channel. Seen as being too generic, it eventually became Spike TV, a channel geared towards young men.

 

USA Network in the 1980's

The USA Network looked much different in the 1980's than it does today. Now known as a home of NCIS and Law & Order: SVU reruns plus some stellar original programming, the network originally ran just about anything it could get its hands on in the 80's. Lower tier syndicated sitcoms, 1970's game show reruns and rock bottom programming like Dance Party USA, an American Bandstand clone filmed in Philadelphia and sponsored by Esleep.

The overnight television programming Night Flight presented a cavalcade of B-Movies and MTV rejected music videos. Pretty much anything cheap that could conceivably be considered programming.

Despite being called "USA Network", the cable channel also found time on the schedule for various Canadian game shows. 

American audiences were none the wiser that these productions originated from Canada up until the contestants spoke about "going oot" and telling their fellow contestants how "sore-y" they were. (The consolation prizes of Kraft Dinner and poutine mix were dead giveaways as well.)

The dawn of the 1990's meant greener pastures for USA, though the network's current streak of original programming wouldn't take flight until 2000.

CNN Signs On

CNN, the first cable news channel signed onto service on June 1, 1980. After channel founder Ted Turner explained that this channel would only feature new programming, the first CNN anchors began the broadcast- David Walker and Lois Hart. They had previously been a husband/wife anchor team in the local Sacramento market and were personally chosen by Ted Turner to launch his news network.

Mr. Walker and Ms. Hart would stay with the network until the late 1980's.  Mr. Walker would move to CNBC, where he would become its first anchor as well. The couple later returned to Sacramento to finish out their careers and are currently retired.