Television channels

Home Box Office (HBO) is the first television broadcaster in the United States to be designed from the outset for cable systems and its oldest and longest-running pay television service.

Launched on November 8, 1972, HBO has been a trailblazer in pay TV, but also cable TV overall.

Noted HBO innovations include the first national satellite delivery for a cable TV service, sparking the cable revolution.

For HBO, its success and popularity are built on its strategy: airing films, original series and sports.

SuperStation WTBS is the national version of the local WTBS signal, but also a trailblazer in the cable television industry, like its future sister service HBO.

One of the notable innovations for SuperStation WTBS is the first national satellite delivery for a local independent television station, sparking the basic cable revolution, like HBO as a whole.

Cable News Network (CNN) is the first television network in the world to offer live and uninterrupted news coverage around the world, around the clock, also one of the world's major news providers.

The CNN effect is a theory of television news.

For the CNN effect, television networks, utilizing their ability to provide live 24-hour television news coverage from around the world, play a role in deciding the actions and outcomes of events.

Headline News is CNN's spin-off channel.

While CNN blends newscasts with specialized topical and feature programs, Headline News formerly strictly focused on rolling news coverage, featuring half-hour newscasts 24 hours a day.

On television, online or in other sources, CNN is one of the world's most successful and trusted media sources for news and information.

CNN has had a significant impact in pop culture across the globe, influencing news trends.

Your 24-Hour News Source is a testament to short news updates at the top and bottom of the hour.

Inspired by CNN and CNN Headline News, Your 24-Hour News Source belongs to viewers who keep tuning in to the television set at home and who want fast-paced news coverage.

MTV: Music Television is the first television channel in the world to present music videos around the clock.

The MTV style is a visual form that emerged during the music video boom.

A cinematic style which features fast-paced, non-linear editing, dynamic camera angles and a visually slick, flashy and glossy look, the MTV style is also used in films, television and commercials.

Having started its operations in 1981, MTV has had a significant impact in popular culture around the world, influencing music, fashion and youth trends.

Central European Media Enterprises (CME) is a media company initially using American roots.

Led by former US ambassadors Ronald Lauder and Mark Palmer, CME has been a pioneer in bringing Western-influenced (Western European and American) media principles to the Eastern Bloc.

For CME, it facilitates the Eastern Bloc's television modernization by mixing Western-style television presentation (specifically American and Hollywood) with local Eastern content.

Plus, CME exports Western management and marketing strategies to the Eastern Bloc.

Since 2020, CME has been run by the PFF Group, a multinational investment group founded by Czech businessman Petr Kellner, breaking from its American ties.

The Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) is the first and leading private television channel in the Arabic-speaking world.

Initially based in London, MBC has been a pioneer in bringing Western-style (Western European and American) media principles to the Arab world.

MBC facilitates the modernization of television in the Arab world by mixing Western-style television presentation (specifically American and Hollywood) with local Arab content, similar to CME.

Plus, like CME, MBC exports Western management and marketing strategies to the Arab world.

Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, a Saudi businessman who was educated in the United States, launched MBC as part of his ARAvision group.

London had freedom of press and a neutral and independent territory, so it was MBC's first location.

Both CME and MBC are pioneers in bringing Western media principles to the two emerging markets in Eurasia, turning them into pluralistic, commercially-driven media economies.

Sam Barnett, who worked at MBC Group from 2002 to 2025 (14 as its CEO), also works at CME.

For Sam Barnett, he bridges both the CME and MBC companies, which, from their early period in the 1990's, facilitated television's modernization in both the Eastern Bloc and the Arab world.

TRT is Turkey's main public broadcaster.

Private television channels, such as Star TV and Kanal D, counter the TRT formula with a dynamic and modern presentation.

Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI) is the first private television channel in Indonesia; its official August 24, 1989 launch broke the monopoly held by Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI).

Initially a local pay television service in Greater Jakarta, RCTI made its shift to a terrestrial service on August 24, 1990, its first anniversary, though on a local basis.

On August 24, 1993, its fourth anniversary, RCTI was officially given permission from the Indonesian government to offer broadcasts on a national basis.

Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) is the second private television channel in Indonesia; its August 24, 1990 launch came after RCTI's in 1989.

At first, SCTV was a local channel serving Surabaya, in similar fashion to RCTI.

January 1993 was when SCTV was given official permission from the Indonesian government to offer broadcasts on a national basis, which it did on August 24, 1993 like RCTI.

During its first years, SCTV had a collaborative arrangement with RCTI, sharing many programs, like imported series and newscasts, until SCTV had produced programs of its own.