Cable television

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.

Some 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.

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.

Cable News Network (CNN) is the first television network in the world to offer live and uninterrupted news coverage 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.

ESPN is the first television network in the world to provide live and uninterrupted coverage of sports around the clock, also one of the world's major sports providers.

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of the cable television business, active in both the United States and the world.

John Walson, Milton J. Shapp, Bill Daniels, Robert Rosencrans and Hubert Schlafly are notable cable television pioneers.

Charles Dolan, Ted Turner, Kay Koplovitz and Joseph M. Cohen are likewise notable cable television pioneers.

Bob Tarlton, Bob Magness, John C. Malone and Ken Gunter are also noted cable television pioneers.

For years until the 1980's, cable television had relied on microwave relays, local antennas and coaxial cables to improve reception in remote areas.

In fact, until the 1980's, cable TV was on a regional and rural basis.

Plus, until the 1980's, video tapes were used at the headend for programs specially-produced for a local cable company, commercial insertion and playing back content sent down the cable network.

Satellite technology in the 1980's nationalized cable TV, becoming a diverse, multi-channel platform.

What satellite technology means is that cable TV captures high-quality feeds with dish-shaped antennas and offers them to subscribers in any local geography.

The Anik A satellites, in particular Anik A1, are the world's first domestic communications satellites in geostationary orbit to receive television transmissions.

Meanwhile, Westar 1 and Satcom 1 are innovative American-made domestic satellites.

Westar 1 is the first domestic geostationary communications satellite in America, while Satcom 1 is the primary vehicle for the cable television expansion.

Service Electric was the first company for community antenna television (CATV).

Innovations from Service Electric include community antenna television systems, cable lines on utility poles, a five-channel system, distant signal importation, local programming and others.

AUSSAT, founded in 1981, is the first domestic communications satellite system in Australia.

With its first two satellites launched in 1985 via NASA's Space Shuttle, plus a third one by an Ariane rocket, AUSSAT changed telecommunications down under.

When John Walson's own Service Electric company was founded, television reception was poor due to mountain ranges blocking the signals.

To solve this problem, in June 1948, John Walson erected a big antenna on top of a nearby mountain.

In spring 1949, John Walson also added amplifiers to the cable system and started offering household connections for a fee.

Having moved to Philadelphia after WWII, Milton Shapp, in 1948, founded Jerrold Electronics, whose name was taken from his middle name.

Kenneth Alden Simons was the chief engineer at Milton Shapp's own Jerrold Electronics company.

Simon uller

Jerrold Electronics had innovations, like the first equipment designed for CATV systems.

For Bob Tarlton, in 1950, he made up the first cable television system to achieve not just publicity, but commercial success, using equipment from Jerrold Electronics.

Bill Daniels, not long after WWII, happened upon a Denver bar, where he saw a television set, which offered a boxing match from out-of-state.

This encounter made Bill Daniels interested in technologies bringing television over long distances.

Having gained experience from a boxing match in a Denver bar, Bill Daniels set up a microwave feed sending programs from Denver, Colorado to Casper, Wyoming in the early-1950's.

For Bill Daniels, his Casper system was the first to send broadcast signals to a microwave system.

Western Microwave Inc. and Community Television Inc. serve as the early cable companies that Bob Magness had held, doubling as precursors of Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI).

John C. Malone, hailing from Jerrold Electronics, was the President of TCI from 1973 to 1996.

Under John C. Malone, TCI was the top cable television system in the United States.

Plus, John C. Malone famously coined the term 500-channel universe to describe digital television's future.

Nicknamed Cable Cowboy and Darth Vader, John C. Malone also ran TCI's spin-off Liberty Media.

For Bob Magness, his own company Community Television Inc. acted as the cable operator, while his other company Western Microwave Inc. was a common carrier used to carry signals.

Having been a pioneer in cable television system financing, Bill Daniels had been a key figure in the business side of this industry, facilitating crucial deals and investments.

American Cable Systems is a former corporate spin-off of Jerrold Electronics, sold in the mid-1960's period to businessman Ralph J. Roberts and his partners Daniel Aron and Julian A. Brodsky.

Incorporated in 1969, Comcast is, like Service Electric and Jerrold Electronics, a pioneer in the cable television scene.

Hubert Schlafly invented the teleprompter device in 1950, and alongside Broadway theatre actor Fred Barton Jr. and media proprietor Irv B. Kahn, co-founded TelePrompTer Corporation, also in 1950.

TelePrompTer Corporation also expanded to cable in the late-1950's.

Box Office Television (BOT) was a former American subscription television service, launched in July 1953 and sold not long after to TelePrompTer.

Early television star Sid Caesar backed (and invested in) Box Office Television (BOT).

With Box Office Television (BOT), closed-circuit programs, including movies and special events, were delivered via microwave or telephone lines to movie theatres across the United States.

Plus, Box Office Television (BOT) produced programming for hotels.

Some other pay television systems used broadcast signals and required a descrambler, but Box Office Television (BOT) used direct line transmission, ensuring high quality.

Bob Rosencrans entered cable television in 1953 with Box Office Television/TelePrompTer.

Having entered the cable television scene in 1953, Bob Rosencrans founded his own company named Columbia Cable Systems, based in Washington (and in the Pacific Northwest), in 1961.

For Columbia Cable Systems, its name came from its base along the Columbia River near the Oregon border, plus Bob Rosencrans' alma mater Columbia College, run by Columbia University.

In 1972, United Artists Cablevision, which was United Artists Theatres' cable subsidiary, merged with Columbia Cable Systems, led by Bob Rosencrans, to form UA-Columbia Cablevision.

Rogers Cablesystems, a Canadian-based cable company, acquired UA-Columbia Cablevision in 1981.

Bob Rosencrans left Rogers UA Cable Systems in 1984 to found Columbia International.

Ken Gunter founded San Angelo's first cable TV system in 1961 called International Cablevision.

Having been the first cable television company in the United States to go public and be traded on Wall Street, Ken Gunter's own International Cablevision had prospered.

Jack Cole was Ken Gunter's Washington attorney, who put with him Bob Rosencrans, whose Columbia Cable Systems had 4 West Coast services.

International Cablevision merged with Columbia Cable Systems in 1969 (with United Artists acquiring this company in 1972).

During the early-1950's, Charles Dolan worked on short sports films for television syndication.

Charles Dolan's sports newsreel business was financially unsuccessful, but its potential was successful enough to be sold to to a larger rival company.

Telenews Productions, a New York-based company held by the Hearst Corporation, purchased Charles Dolan's financially unsuccesful but potential sports newsreel business.

With Telenews purchasing his initial business, Charles Dolan moved to New York at age 26.

Not long after, in 1954, Charles Dolan joined a Telenews customer to found Sterling Movies USA.

Sterling Movies USA's initial purpose was to distribute industrial movies to targeted audiences, such as conventions and hotel guests.

For Sterling Movies USA, it was the launchpad for Charles Dolan's later ventures.

Teleguide, founded in 1962, provided tourist information, news, interviews and feature interstitials to hotels, and later, apartment and office buildings in the New York area via closed-circuit TV.

Plus, Sterling Information Services was Charles Dolan's other company.

Having gained experience with Teleguide, Charles Dolan realized that, since tall buildings prevented television broadcast signals in the air, Manhattan needed cable.

Manhattan Cable, run by Sterling, was the first cable television system in America to earn cable lines located underground in urban areas, rather than via microwave antennas or on telephone poles. 

With the financial backing made by Time-Life Inc., which serves as Time's book publishing division, Sterling Manhattan Cable was one of the company's first cable outlets.

Despite investments, Manhattan Cable suffered a loss of money.

In 1969, Sterling Communications took a 49% stake in Sterling Manhattan held by Time-Life, which, concurrently, increased its share in Sterling Communications.

Also in 1969, Sterling Manhattan Cable launched its own television service dedicated to sports events from Madison Square Garden.

Later, Charles Dolan began proposing a cable television service that would provide unedited theatrical movies from major Hollywood studios and sports events without commercial breaks.

HBO started its operations on November 8, 1972 under Charles Dolan's own Sterling Communications empire as a regional service via its microwave network across the Eastern United States.

Not long after its debut on November 8, 1972, HBO and its associated outlets were spun off into a new subsidiary called Home Box Office Inc. by Sterling Communications in February 1973.

Warner Communications acquired Time's stake in Sterling in May 1973, but failed in June 1973.

July 1973 was when Time agreed to acquire Sterling Communications (and also to assume its financial liabilities), completed on September 18, 1973.

By completing the 1973 transaction, HBO and Sterling Manhattan were transferred into Time-Life.

In exchange, Charles Dolan purchased a small cable system in Nassau Country on Long Island, which served as the foundation for his Cablevision Systems Corporation in 1973.

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania was the first place in the world to have HBO upon its 1972 launch.

Upon its 1972 launch, HBO had 375 subscribers via Service Electric Cablevision in Wilkes-Barre.

Gerald Levin was HBO's programming Vice President upon its November 8, 1972 launch; on its first broadcast, he appeared to welcome 375 subscribers via Service Electric in Wilkes-Barre.

After Time Inc. purchased HBO in 1973, Gerald Levin became its President and CEO.

Nicholas J. Nicholas Jr., who was Gerald Levin's rival, became Time's President and CEO in 1986.

Developing microwave and telephone towers all across the US was cost-prohibitive for Time/HBO; its microwave network was also expansive and difficult to maintain, especially in winter.

Geographical limits also caused difficulties for HBO's microwave network.

In the fall of 1974, executives from both Time Inc. and HBO made plans to nationalize HBO.

The use of a communications satellite to directly carry HBO to cable systems all across America, both within and outside its microwave relay system, was chosen by Time Inc.

On September 30, 1975, HBO began to carry its feed via satellite across the nation.

Westar 1 was the satellite being used by HBO for its national debut using satellite distribution to cable systems on September 30, 1975.

Satcom 1 replaced the competing Westar 1 as the satellite being used to carry HBO, coming just a few months after its national debut on September 30, 1975.

Prior to HBO's uplink, since its 1948 inception, cable television had been limited and regional.

Conversely, the Big Three networks used microwave links covering all 50 US states.

HBO's satellite uplink via Westar 1, and later, Satcom 1, made it the first cable television service in the world to deliver its signal via satellite on a national basis.

Upon its launch in 1972, HBO covered northeastern Pennsylvania, before expanding to other states in America's Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, all by microwave relays.

With its satellite uplink, HBO served the Eastern, Midwest and Southern regions of the United States.

TelePrompTer extended HBO's reach to the West Coast in December 1975 through its Seattle-Tacoma cable operations, achieving coast-to-coast distribution, a historic feat for cable TV.

By December 1978, HBO covered all 50 US states.

Delivered via satellite, HBO uses separate Eastern and Pacific feeds, ensuring that programs could be presented at consistent local times across the US.

Michael J. Fuchs, who entered the entertainment scene as a lawyer, notably worked at HBO, where he pioneered the concept of programming specially-created for cable TV.

From 1984 to the mid-1990's or before 1996, Michael J. Fuchs was HBO's Chairman and CEO.

Scientific Atlanta, led by Sid Topol, and RCA Americom, run by RCA, which also owned NBC, played roles in providing equipment for HBO's satellite plan, unveiled by Gerald Levin in 1975.

UA-Columbia, held by Bob Rosencrans, had installed the first commercial satellite earth station in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach, both based in Florida's Treasure Coast, to nationalize HBO.

Assisting Bob Rosencrans in HBO's national debut was Ken Gunter.

Kay Koplovitz was the promoter for HBO's national debut; both Hubert Schlafly and Joseph M. Cohen were likewise involved in this event.

Joel Crager, who served as one of the announcers for the Big Three network ABC until the late-20th century, also went to cable with HBO in its first national years.

As one of the main staff announcers for both ABC and HBO, Joel Crager bridged the gap between the traditional Big Three television scene and the cable industry,

From its 1972 inception until 1977, HBO aired games emanating from MSG, including the New York Rangers (NHL) and the New York Knicks (NBA).

Incidentally, games from MSG were also on Sterling Manhattan Cable, also run by Charles Dolan.

The first program on HBO when launched on November 8, 1972 was an NHL match between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks.

Sometimes a Great Notion was the first film aired on HBO after the Rangers-Canucks match.

HBO World Championship Boxing is HBO's former flagship offering of live boxing matches.

Boxing After Dark and KO Nation are spin-offs of the HBO World Championship Boxing brand.

Whereas World Championship Boxing had top-tier professional boxers, Boxing After Dark had rising boxing stars, and KO Nation blended boxing with hip-hop.

Inside the NFL, which HBO originated in 1977, was cable television's longest-running program until 2021.

Gulf and Western Industries, which had owned Paramount Pictures Corporation since 1966, assumed a stake in Madison Square Garden in 1969, taking complete control in 1977.

Jack M. Rice Jr., who owned locally-based pay television companies in Atlanta, launched a television station with the call letters named in his honour.

Operating on UHF channel 17, WJRJ-TV ran on a shoestring budget and suffered technical issues.

Initially, WJRJ-TV aired a few off-network reruns, vintage films, cartoons and a local newscast.

As Atlanta's first new commercial television station in 13 years and its second indie overall, WJRJ-TV emanated from its West Peachtree Street Northwest studios, once held by WAGA-TV.

WQXI-TV launched its operations on December 18, 1954 as the first independent television station in Atlanta, having operated on UHF channel 36, but a few months later, was shut down.

Relaunched in 1969 after 14 dark years on channel 36, WATL-TV originated The Now Explosion.

Created by Bob Whitney, The Now Explosion was a concept that mixed top forty hit music tunes with video and film techniques, an early experiment in music videos before MTV.

As for the WQXI-TV call letters, they were previously used since the late-1960's era by a former ABC station (now WXIA-TV) under the Pacific & Southern Broadcasting empire.

Pacific & Southern Broadcasting had its origins in Hawaii, where KHON-TV was its flagship.

In 1973, Pacific & Southern merged with Combined Communications Corporation (CCC).

Formed in the late-1960's era, Combined Communications Corporation was based in Phoenix, Arizona, where the KTAR stations served as its flagship outlets.

John J. Louis Jr., whose father was one of the founders of the Needham, Louis and Brorby advertising agency, ran the KTAR stations that his father had purchased years ago.

Karl Eller., meanwhile, already had experience in the outdoor advertising scene in Arizona, notably as Needham, Louis and Brorby's account supervisor.

Altogether, John J. Louis Jr. and Karl Eller, both experienced at Needham, Louis and Brorby, were key figures at Combined Communications Corporation.

Gannett merged with Combined Communications Corporation.

Turner Communications Corporation, a media empire run by the eponymous Ted Turner, who was an Atlanta entrepreneur, announced an agreement to merge with Rice Broadcasting in July 1969.

Upon the FCC's approval in December 1969, the calls WTCG were chosen to replace WJRJ-TV.

When his media empire agreed to merge with Rice Broadcasting in July 1969, Ted Turner had run the billboard advertising business founded by his deceased father, plus a few radio stations.

However, for Ted Turner himself, WTCG was the first television property.

The WTCG call letters reportedly stood for "Watch This Channel Grow," although the TCG in its calls officially stood for Turner Communications Group.

During its first years under Ted Turner, WTCG retained its low-budget programming format, which its precursor WJRJ-TV used.

However, one of the main changes for WTCG under Ted Turner's ownership was its focus on financial stability and technical upgrades, like colour, which WJRJ-TV lacked.

WTCG assumed the rights to air The Now Explosion from its recently-closed originator WATL-TV.

In July 1972, WTCG obtained the broadcast rights to air Major League Baseball games involving the Atlanta Braves, effective in the 1973 season.

Plus, in 1972, WTCG obtained the broadcast rights to air NBA games involving the Atlanta Hawks.

Both the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks were later sold to Ted Turner to air match-ups for his station and keep his sports franchises in Atlanta.

Furthermore, Ted Turner purchased WCTU-TV, which began earlier in the late-1960's period as North Carolina's first independent television station, around the same time he bought WTCG.

Under Ted Turner, WCTU-TV became WRET-TV, using the initials of his full real name.

When Ted Turner began to own WTCG, most American cities below the top 20 media markets lacked independent television stations with a general entertainment format.

For this reason, most American cities below the top 20 television markets largely have access to three stations affiliated with the Big Three networks and a non-commercial educational station.

In addition, cable systems in most US cities below the top 20 media markets also carried three stations affiliated with the Big Three networks and three PBS stations.

One PBS member station was available over local cable systems from within the home market in most American cities below the top 20 media markets, two from neighbouring markets.

17 Update Early in the Morning is a former newscast on WTCG with a humorous tone.

Short news updates on WTCG, under the name WTCG Update, have a more serious tone than the 17 Update program.

Under Ted Turner, WTCG began to carry its feed to cable systems using microwave antennas across the Southeastern United States in 1972, with the enactment the Prime Time Access Rule.

Following HBO's example, Turner planned to do the same for one of its television stations in December 1975, since it lacked coverage outside the Southeastern United States.

Although WTCG was the preferred choice for distribution to cable providers, WRET was a backup.

Like its future sister network HBO, Scientific Atlanta provided equipment for the satellite transmission proposal for WTCG.

Just before 1977 arrived nearly a month later, WTCG, having been selected over WRET-TV, started to distribute its signal via satellite to cable systems across the United States.

Satcom 1, used by its future sister network HBO to replace Westar 1, was being used by WTCG for its national debut using satellite distribution to cable systems.

Before its satellite uplink, WTCG used microwave relays to carry its signal on a regional basis.

However, WTCG's national satellite uplink via Satcom 1 made it the first local independent station to deliver its signal via satellite on a national level.

For WTCG, its national satellite uplink was the launchpad for basic cable, like HBO's national satellite uplink was for the satellite-delivered cable business as a whole.

With its national satellite uplink, WTCG became a superstation.

In North American broadcasting, superstation is a term used to describe independent television stations based in their originating media market being delivered via satellite on a national level.

Plus, WTCG's superstation status transformed the small-town Atlanta Braves baseball club, run by Ted Turner, into a team with a national presence, nicknamed America's Team, starting in 1977.

Meanwhile, the nickname America's Team is most famously associated with the Dallas Cowboys. 

Southern Satellite Systems (SSS) was a independent company founded by Ted Turner to distribute his Atlanta television station WTCG on a national level.

FCC regulations forbade Ted Turner from running both a television station and a satellite carrier.

Ed Taylor, hailing from Western Union, which launched the Westar 1 satellite that distributed the HBO signal nationally when uplinked in 1975, took SSS from Ted Turner for a dollar.

The SSS purchase by Ed Taylor from Ted Turner was done to comply with FCC regulations.

Not long after its national satellite uplink, WTCG changed its call letters to WTBS.

Since 1961, the WTBS calls have been used by a college radio station in Massachusetts.

According to the changes of its call letters, the TBS in the WTBS calls stood for Turner Broadcasting System, the name its parent company adopted.

For this purpose, the station began branding itself as SuperStation WTBS.

However, until October 1980, the national WTBS signal continued to sporadically use the same on-air branding as the Atlanta signal (which was referred to as WTBS Channel 17).

The short news updates on WTBS were renamed TBS NewsWatch.

In 1981, Turner decided to have all programs carried by WTBS continue on locally and nationally, but separated the feeds.

By spliting the feeds, local commercials being seen on WTBS in Atlanta were substitued with separate national commercials, direct response ads and public service announcements.

For the local Atlanta feed, by 1981, WTBS became SuperStation 17.

Meanwhile, on the national signal available outside Atlanta, by 1981, references to WTBS' over-the-air channel number were removed.

On June 29, 1981, SuperStation WTBS began using a specialized program scheduling format allowing programs to begin 5 minutes later, both past the hour and the half-hour.

This format, informally called Turner Time, was reduced in 1997 and completely ended years later.

While other broadcast and cable networks generally have programs begin at the top and bottom of each hour, SuperStation WTBS decided to have programs begin 5 minutes later.

The W being used in the SuperStation WTBS name was dropped, and SuperStation TBS was utilized to emphasize its national reach, both in the late-1980's or after 1986.

In September 1989, this SuperStation TBS on-air brand was swapped for TBS SuperStation (in order to further emphasize the strong national standing of this channel).

Just one year later, in September 1990, after the swap of its on-air branding, TBS SuperStation became simply known as TBS.

For TBS, its 3-letter branding being utilized for the national feed lasted until December 1996, when, in celebration of its 20th year on a national basis, the Superstation name, lost in 1990, was reinstated.

Super-branded blocks were also aired on TBS Superstation since December 1996.

For instance, Super TV offered weekday daytime films and series, Super Prime for primetime films and Super Weekend for films on Saturdays and Sundays, all on TBS Superstation.

Plus, WTBS was carried north of the border in Canada from 1985 to before 2008.

Meanwhile, WTOV-TV (unrelated to WTOV-TV serving the Ohio Valley), operated twice in the 1950's decade, firstly as the second built in Norfolk proper, the third in Hampton Roads.

Pat Robertson, a young televangelist, acquired the UHF license being held by the defunct and unrelated WTOV-TV in 1960, establishing the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). 

On October 1, 1961, WYAH-TV began its operations as America's first Christian television station.

From its early roots in Virginia as WYAH-TV, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), which Pat Robertson owned, grew to become a media empire.

April 29, 1977 was when CBN launched its national extension: the CBN Satellite Service.

In 1989, a group of local investors under the name Centennial Communications purchased WYAH-TV, becoming WGNT, which stands for Great New Television (or Great Norfolk Television).

Under Centennial, WGNT had a more modern and racy programming approach than WYAH-TV.

Both HBO and TBS began on a regional basis, but became nationalized through satellite delivery.

Conversely, 1977 was when both the CBN Satellite Service and an unrelated Madison Square Garden Network began on a national satellite-delivered basic cable basis.

Initially, upon its April 29, 1977 launch, the CBN Satellite Service was commercial-free.

However, upon its September 1, 1981 relaunch, the CBN Cable Network began accepting advertising revenue.

MSG, which Gulf+Western had run since 1969 (totally since 1977), joined forces with UA-Columbia Cablevision, led by Bob Rosencrans, to start the unrelated MSG Network in September 1977.

On April 9, 1980, the national feed of the unrelated MSG Network, launched in 1977, became the USA Network, in order to expand beyond sports into a generalist service.

Besides Bob Rosencrans, Kay Koplovitz masterminded the USA Network from 1977 to 1998.

As for its local feed, a cable TV network that Madison Square Garden and UA-Columbia Cablevision have launched in 1977 remained.

Upon its April 29, 1977 launch, the CBN Satellite Service was a dedicated religious service.

On September 1, 1981, the CBN Satellite Service became the CBN Cable Network and began to offer secular programs, aside from religious ones.

This secular-religious programming mix being used by the CBN Cable Network mirrored the concept being used by CBN-owned independent stations.

Meanwhile, upon its September 1977 debut, the USA Network aired mostly sports events.

Just one year after its 1977 debut, in 1978, the USA Network broadened its scope to include children's programming, and with its April 1980 relaunch, general entertainment.

C-SPAN, of which Bob Rosencrans was an early financial backer, was seen during the daytime on the USA Network until the early-1980's.

With C-SPAN no longer being carried, the USA Network began to offer a full 24-hour service.

Between 1984 and 1986, the USA Network phased out sports in favour of general entertainment.

However, the USA Network still aired athletics, specifically pro wrestling (WWF/WWE), which was a major portion of its programming line-up.

In 1981, Rogers took UA-Columbia, which, in 1977, along with MSG, began the USA Network.

MCA/Universal and Paramount Pictures Corporation, two of the Hollywood film studios, acquired the USA Network in 1981, as well as Time Inc., which held HBO.

Gulf+Western transferred its stake in the USA Network from MSG to Paramount in 1981.

Six years after its 1981 entry, in the late-1980's, Time Inc. exited the USA Network ownership, leaving MCA/Universal and Paramount as its equal partners.

ABC had become the top-rated television network in the United States by 1978, and wanted a stronger Charlotte station.

On July 1, 1978, WSOC-TV broke with the stodgy NBC and instead joined the higher-rated ABC.

WSOC-TV is one of the two television stations held by Cox Enterprises in the Southern United States making the switch from NBC to ABC, along with its flagship station in Atlanta.

Still in Charlotte, NBC went to former indie WRET-TV, which Ted Turner ran.

For WRET-TV, it was the sole television station owned by Ted Turner to be affiliated with a Big Three network.

Having gained the NBC affiliation, WRET-TV launched its news operation called Action News, which WPVI-TV pioneered.

On July 13, 1948, United Press agreed with Fox's Movietone News service to shoot news film for local television stations across the United States.

United Press Movietone (UPMT) had endured many innovations and procedures in the news-gathering business for television.

With the BBC as its first European client, United Press Movietone became the first agency in television news to operate on a truly international level.

In the mid-1960's, UPI ended its partnership with Fox-Movietone, the latter remaining in the newsreel business, also resulting in the loss of its contract with the BBC.

Meanwhile, UPI set up a new entity of its own called United Press International News Film (UPIN).

The BBC's main domestic rival ITN joined forces with United Press International to form United Press International Television News (UPITN) in the late-1960's era.

UPI suffered financial difficulties, and in the early-1980's, sold its stake in UPITN, which was renamed Worldwide Television News (WTN) in 1985.

Stakes in WTN, which ITN partly owned, were by ABC (America) and the Nine Network (Australia).

With the other broadcasters from the British Commonwealth and the Rank Organization, the BBC also formed Visnews, with Reuters joining in 1960.

From 1957 to 1993, Visnews, based in London, served as the primary non-American competitor of the US-involved UPITN/WTN agency, which formerly had the BBC as its first European client.

Changes in Visnews came in the late-1960's period, when Rank left Visnews and Reuters took a bigger interest.

NBC, which, since 1962, had a long-term partnership with Visnews, acquired a minority interest in this London-based television news agency, effective January 1, 1989.

Television News Inc. (TVN) is a short-lived syndicated news service, offering daily news film feeds to independent television stations in the United States and Canada from 1973 to 1975.

Joseph Coors, a Colorado businessman with conservative views, owned a majority stake in Television News Inc., a conservative alternative to the Big Three networks, whose news output was liberal.

Robert Pauley, a former ABC Radio executive, was the chief executive for Television News Inc.

Visnews, a UPITN rival formed by the BBC and other Commonweath broadcasters, had owned a small stake in Television News Inc.

TVN (partly-held by Visnews, which the BBC and Reuters held) took the US business of its competitor UPITN (partly-held by ITN, which was the BBC's main domestic rival) in 1974.

In January 1975, TVN disclosed plans to change newsfeed distribution from a long-distance phone line method to a satellite delivery one, using Westar 1, which could send HBO to a national level.

Like HBO's own innovative satellite distribution proposal, TVN's plan was equally-innovative in that it marked the first full use of an American domestic satellite for television program distribution.

Having suffered financial difficulties and having not executed a proposed satellite distribution plan that would have made it a pioneer, TVN closed in 1975 after Coors withdrew its financial support.

Reese Schonfeld was a member of the UPITN personnel.

After TVN closed its doors in 1975, Reese Schonfeld founded his own newsfeed distributor named the Independent Television News Association (ITNA).

For ITNA, it successfully executed the satellite plan that TVN had pursued, but failed to materialize.

Not to be confused with the British television news provider ITN, which partly held UPITN for whom Reese Schonfeld worked, ITNA was based at WPIX in the Daily News Building in New York.

Using Westar 1, which also carried HBO for its national launch, ITNA had provided both pooled news coverage and newsfeed to independent stations in the United States.

With ITNA's successful satellite plan, Reese Schonfeld teamed up with Ted Turner (who masterminded Superstation WTBS) to develop their own concept: a 24-hour all-news station.

The concept developed by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld was CNN. 

Countering the humorous tone of the 17 Update program on WTCG, CNN used a serious, dramatic and hard-hitting tone.

Satcom 1, which already carried other pioneering cable networks like HBO and TBS, also carried CNN upon its 1980 debut, after its intended satellite Satcom 3 failed to reach orbit and was lost.

Besides Reese Schonfeld, whose ITNA came from WPIX, Ted Kavanau, who began the first primetime newscast in New York through rival WNEW-TV, was also involved with CNN's launch.

At WNEW-TV, Ted Kavanau developed the tabloid and fast-paced news style that other indie outlets in major markets across the United States also used, as well as CNN.

Ed Turner, unrelated to Ted Turner despite sharing a surname, was also involved with CNN's launch.

In 1966, Ed Turner started the 10 p.m. news format on a non-Big Three television station in the United States through WNEW-TV's sister station WTTG.

Prior to his work at WTTG, Ed Turner worked at KWTV, where he grew up with the 10 p.m. newscast time slot he later brought to a non-Big Three television station.

For both Ed Turner and Ted Kavanau, they put the 10 p.m. news model on the map of a non-Big Three station through WNEW-TV and WTTG, which Metromedia owned.

Preparing itself for its 1980 debut, CNN recruited some news veterans from the independent television landscape rather than the Big Three networks.

Reese Schonfeld, Ed Turner and Ted Kavanau are some of the notable individuals from non-Big Three television stations who were involved in CNN's launch.

Sam Zelman, who revolutionized local news in both North America and the world with a newscast that would last 60 minutes/one hour through KNXT, was also involved with CNN's launch.

Turner Broadcasting System sold WRET-TV, which used NBC, to Group W/Westinghouse to raise the capital needed for its new venture CNN; under Group W, it was renamed WPCQ-TV.

Daniel Schorr, who was one of the later recruits of the legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow at CBS News, was CNN's first on-air employee and its Senior Washington Correspondent.

Bernard Shaw, who worked at both CBS News and ABC News, was CNN's first official news anchor.

Like Daniel Schorr, Bernard Shaw honed his craft at CBS News.

ITNA, which was a early template for CNN, both of which Reese Schonfeld co-founded, was also the company for which Daniel Schorr was hired as White House correspondent in 1977.

While at CBS News, Bernard Shaw developed his "cool under pressure" demeanor.

Having both Bernard Shaw and Daniel Schorr come from CBS, CNN bridged the gap between the high journalistic standards they honed at broadcast television and early low-budget cable.

The husband-and-wife anchor team, coming from KOVR and KCRA, both based in Sacramento: Dave Walker and Lois Hart, delivered the first actual newscast from CNN upon its launch.

Lou Dobbs, who previously worked at KING-TV in Seattle and KTVK in Phoenix, was the last of the original anchors to leave the CNN launch team.

Mary Alice Williams, who was born in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where she began her career at KSTP, and who also came from WPIX and WNBC-TV, was also a CNN trailblazer.

Having been one of the original CNN personnel, Mary Alice Williams oversaw the building of its New York hub at the World Trade Centre.

Don Farmer and his wife Chris Curle also came to CNN from ABC, the earlier being its Washington reporter on a national basis, the latter working at WJLA-TV.

Nick Charles and Fred Hickman, both of whom started their television careers at WICS, were CNN's iconic sports anchors.

Besides both TBS and CNN, Ted Turner also took the Hanna-Barbera studio, plus the pre-1986 MGM library, including the pre-1948 Warner Bros. cartoon library, to launch Cartoon Network.

Robert Pittman entered media in the late-1960's as a radio announcer and later made his reputation as a programmer of the struggling radio stations in major markets.

Under his stewardship, Robert Pittman turned these once-ailing radio stations around.

WNBC (AM) is one of the radio stations that Robert Pittman joined in 1977.

In 1978, while a programmer at WNBC (AM), Robert Pittman produced and co-hosted Album Tracks, which was aired for fifteen minutes on NBC-owned television stations.

Due to his successful turnaround of the failing radio stations, including WNBC (AM), plus his work on television through Album Tracks, Robert Pittman joined Warner-Amex.

Like Turner, Warner-Amex is a pioneer of the basic cable TV scene. 

At Warner-Amex, Robert Pittman initially worked at The Movie Channel, but left to make up his own concept: a 24-hour radio music station, combined with the visuals of television.

MTV was Robert Pittman's own concept, launched on August 1, 1981.

Upon its debut on August 1, 1981, MTV was limited to specific northern New Jersey portions, despite being based in New York City.

The "I Want My MTV!" marketing campaign encouraged viewers not having MTV to call their local cable systems and get this channel, fueling its own national expansion.

Besides, Michael Jackson's Billie Jean was a turning point for MTV, but helped it make a profit.

With the "I Want My MTV!" campaign, as well as Michael Jackson's Billie Jean music video in heavy rotation, MTV became one of the first cable TV services to earn a full-year profit in 1984.

Premium television services, such as HBO, have established different business models earlier.

However, the successful profit of MTV proved that a 24-hour, ad-supported basic cable channel can be lucrative.

On August 12, 1981, ABC joined Group W/Westinghouse to form their own news venture.

In response, Turner launched its response to the ABC/Group W news service with its similar format.

CNN's faster-paced service CNN2, later known as CNN Headline News, started operations 19 months after its original launch.

Driving the vision for CNN2/CNN Headline News was Ted Kavanau.

The Satellite News Channel (SNC) was a joint venture between ABC Video Enterprises and Group W Satellite Communications, doubling as the first rival to CNN.

Just over one year after its launch, SNC, together with its transponders, was bought and shut down by Turner Broadcasting System.

With Turner's purchase of SNC, many cable providers carrying SNC would carry either CNN or, more frequently, CNN Headline News.

CNN produced an hour-long weeknight newscast for WTBS called the TBS Evening News.

At 10 p.m. Eastern Time, the TBS Evening News delivered national and international news stories, plus national weather and sports, due to the national superstation status being held by WTBS.

In July 1984, the TBS Evening News made the move to CNN and was relaunched as the CNN Evening News.

Meanwhile, CNN Headline News assumed production responsibilities for TBS NewsWatch.

At first, TBS NewsWatch was produced in-studio with an on-screen anchor format by WTBS, but with CNN Headline News, changed to video content with voice narration.

The CNN Headline News simulcasts were also aired on SuperStation WTBS.

By loosening the public affairs programming requirements held by the FCC, both the TBS NewsWatch segments and the CNN Headline News simulcasts were phased out in 1996.

The first two CNN presidents, like Reese Schonfeld, came from UPITN, a joint venture between United Press International and ITN.

Georgia-born Tom Johnson was the third CNN president, hailing from the Los Angeles Times.

During its first decade, CNN lagged behind the established evening newscasts being aired on network television in the United States.

However, CNN's coverage of the first Gulf War made it a major force in 24-hour television news.

Whilst other broadcasters lost communication links, CNN used a working four-wire telephone line that allowed them to broadcast live from Baghdad during the first Gulf War.

Robert Wiener and Eason Jordan installed a link from Baghdad to CNN during the first Gulf War.

The trio that comprised Bernard Shaw, Peter Arnett and John Holliman brought CNN to unprecedented success and popularity during Operation Desert Storm, due to Robert Wiener's telephone link.

Peter Arnett was the sole CNN voice from Al-Rashid after Bernard Shaw and John Holliman left.

Beyond North America, CNN International distributed the American counterpart's coverage of the first Gulf War to many other countries around the world.

Global broadcasters aired CNN's coverage of the first Gulf War, some in the Arab world, where, before this conflict, television news was state-controlled and state-run.

The success of the first Gulf War, as covered by CNN, spurred Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, a Saudi businessman educated in the United States, to begin MBC as part of his ARAvision group.

London, England was chosen as the base for the first headquarters of Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim's MBC service.

Having been MBC's first site, London had freedom of press and a neutral and independent territory.

Except Lebanon, television stations around the Arab world were state-controlled and used prerecorded news coverage, often focusing on government announcements and.ceremonial events.

Backed by Saleh Kamel and the Saudi royals, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim's MBC had professional Western-made broadcast production standards previously unused in the Arab world.

The 1986 Space Shuttle tragedy and the Jessica McClure rescue also contributed to CNN shedding its initially-derided perception, besides the first Gulf War.

Fionnuala Sweeney, who was a journalist at RTÉ since the late-1980's after a stint at pirate radio, also served as the host of the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest.

Incidentally, hosting the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, presented by RTÉ, was Fionnuala Sweeney's worldwide breakthrough, making her known to a wider audience outside Ireland.

Besides, Fionnuala Sweeney worked at CNN for 21 years from the mid-1990's to the mid-2010's.

Hired by CNN, a year after her Eurovision breakthrough, Fionnuala Sweeney bridged the gap between Eurovision's glitzy and glamorous entertainment and CNN's serious global news and information.

WPIX was the originating station for Independent Network News (INN), which was the national news extension of the television service of the New York Daily News.

Just before INN's launch, WPIX reunited Bill Jorgensen with John Corporon, both of whom came from WNEW-TV, where they launched New York's first primetime newscast in the late-1960's.

Having been a national news alternative for non-Big Three television stations in the United States, INN started on June 9, 1980, 8 days after CNN's launch on June 1.

Incidentally, Ted Kavanau, who also came from WNEW-TV, developed the tabloid and fast-paced news style that other non-Big Three outlets and CNN used in the late-1960's.

Besides Bill Jorgensen, Steve Bosh and Pat Harper also co-anchored INN.

Responding to competitive pressure from CNN and INN, both of which provided more comprehensive national news alternatives for independent stations, ITNA closed its doors.

Distributed by Tribune Entertainment, INN was seen over non-Big Three stations that lacked in-house production capabilities for a news program.

SSS launched the Satellite Program Network (SPN), which became Tempo Television.

Tempo Television's transponder space was sold by SSS to NBC in the late-1980's, and NBC used it to launch the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) in 1989.

Roger Ailes was hired by NBC in August 1993 to be the President of CNBC, tasked by NBC CEO Bob Wright to turn around this then-ailing channel.

Despite Roger Ailes' short reign as its president, CNBC made its turnaround; its spin-off channel called America's Talking, which Roger Ailes created, had low-budget discussion programs.

In January 1996, NBC announced plans to partner with Microsoft to begin MSNBC, both on cable and online, with the satellite transponder that America's Talking used, ending the latter network's life.

Having disagreed over NBC's decision to partner with Microsoft to start MSNBC, Roger Ailes left and moved from NBC to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation empire to launch Fox News Channel.

Both MSNBC and Fox News Channel were the first rivals to CNN since SNC folded.

Incidentally, Reese Schonfeld and Roger Ailes, both involved with the former TVN news film service, played roles in guiding CNN, CNBC, MSNBC (using the AT transponder) and Fox News.

During its initial years, from 1996 to 2002, Fox News lagged behind CNN, but still made its first steps towards surpassing the latter.

Since January 2002, Fox News has officially been the top-rated news channel in the United States.

9/11 and its aftermath were the catalysts for Fox News officially earning the ratings crown in January 2002.

Although he left (and died), Roger Ailes' own influence on Fox News (the "Fox look" and pacing) still remains; it shifts towards personality-driven digital content, however.

For HBO, TBS and CNN, they are pioneers in satellite-delivered cable television.

Charles Dolan was to cable infrastructure in urban areas and non-commercial premium television what Ted Turner was to superstations and 24-hour news channels.

In October 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner, which ran 20% of the earlier's stake in the past.

HBO, Cinemax, TBS, CNN, CNN Headline News and TNT became sister channels with the 1996 Time Warner/Turner merger.

Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam is a documentary that won two Primetime Emmys.

HBO's Emmy Award-winning documentary special Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam proved that cable TV could compete with and beat traditional network TV for top industry honours.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble is an iconic and famous catchphrase being used by ring announcer Michael Buffer.

The World Wrestling Federation (WWF) is the former name for an iconic and world-famous wrestling promotion.

Hulk Hogan is the former main superstar of the WWF, especially since the 1980's.

World Championship Wrestling (WCW) is the WWF's former rival.

Ric Flair had been the former main superstar of the former NWA, in particular WCW, since he won his first world championship in September 1981.

Monday Night Raw is the WWF's flagship television program since January 1993.

Championship Wrestling and Superstars of Wrestling are some of the WWF's former flagship television programs before Monday Night Raw.

Saturday Night's Main Event and Primetime Wrestling are also the WWF's former television programs.

For Championship Wrestling, it was the first WWF television program.

Due to the national superstation status being held by WTCG/WTBS, Georgia Championship Wrestling became the first NWA territory to earn a national reach via cable television.

All-American Wrestling was the WWF's first weekly television program on a national basis.

In the early-1980's or after 1981, GCW's television program became World Championship Wrestling, a name being used by Jim Barnett in Australia.

July 14, 1984 was called Black Saturday, when Vince McMahon, in an effort to expand his promotion's national reach, took over both the time slot and the television program name held by GCW.

Black Saturday (July 14, 1984) was a ratings failure for GCW (run by the WWF), and subsequently led Vince McMahon to sell its time slot to Jim Crockett Promotions.

In addition, JCP also assumed the World Championship Wrestling name from Vince McMahon.

Conversely, Vince McMahon's purchase and subsequent sale of GCW gave him capital, helping finance WrestleMania, the first flagship event for the WWF.

JCP was acquired by Ted Turner in the late-1980's or before 1989; under Ted Turner, the promotion was renamed after JCP's flagship television program.

For Black Saturday (July 14, 1984), GCW's ownership by the WWF was a major catalyst of the intense personal and professional rivalry between Vince McMahon and Ted Turner.

This rivalry between Vince McMahon and Ted Turner culminated in the Monday Night Wars.

Eric Bischoff was WCW executive in the mid-to-late-1990's.

Under Eric Bischoff, WCW had endured changes, among which were the replacement of the traditional Southern style in favour of a modern, entertainment-focused, reality-based and edgy one.

Due to the New World Order, a rebellious stable consisting of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, WCW Monday Nitro had dominated the ratings from June 1996 to April 1998.

On its April 13, 1998 edition from the CoreStates Centre in Philadelphia, WWF Raw had an advertised match between Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

This Austin-McMahon contest, whch ended in a no contest, due to interference from Dude Love, led to WWF Raw finally breaking the ratings dominance held by WCW Monday Nitro after 84 weeks.

Dave Garroway, who used to be a radio disc jockey on WMAQ-AM in Chicago, moved to the nascent television industry with his eponymous program called Garroway at Large in 1949.

Garroway at Large notably revolutionized television presentation under Dave Garroway.

Saturday is the usual day on which Garroway at Large, which Dave Garroway hosted, was seen on the NBC television network (and later, on Sundays and Fridays).

When regular commercial television operations began in New York, many programs have incorporated theatrical proscenium concepts, separating the stage from the audience area.

After WWII, some programs came from Chicago, where Dave Garroway was a DJ on WMAQ-AM.

For his own Garroway at Large television program, Dave Garroway defied television's early theatrical conventions for a more casual approach in which the reality of the studio was acknowledged.

Using one camera, Dave Garroway walked around large studios and simple abstract sets as he directly talked to guests and television viewers for Garroway at Large.

Having originated from Chicago, Dave Garroway's eponymous Garroway at Large television program pioneered an informal presentation style, which was at odds with New York-centric programs.

The Chicago Style (used in Dave Garroway's eponymous Garroway at Large program) was developed further through his other innovative program called Today (NBC).

During its initial years, Today (NBC) emanated from the RCA Exhibition Hall.

In the first studio used for Today (NBC) from the RCA Exhibition Hall was an ultra-modern open-plan working area with teletypes, wall clocks and workstations all visible (and audible) on the air.

The official name of this working area included in this first studio ever used for Today (NBC) from the RCA Exhibition Hall was the World Communications Centre.

Many people all around the United States described this open-plan working area in the first studio ever utilized for Today (NBC) from the RCA Exhibition Hall as television's command centre.

Plus, this open-plan working area in the first studio ever used for NBC's Today program from the RCA Exhibition Hall was described by Dave Garroway as "the nerve centre of the world."

Incidentally, this open working area in the first ever studio for Today (NBC) from the RCA Exhibition Hall served as a window on the world or a fishbowl.

For the open newsroom included in the first ever studio being utilized for Today (NBC) from the RCA Exhibition Hall, it bridged the gap between backstage and on-stage.

Based at Rockefeller Plaza and West 49th Street in New York's Midtown Manhattan portion, the RCA Exhibition Hall was down the block from the current studio used for Today (NBC).

Over the years, this working area in the first studio for NBC's Today program emanating from the RCA Exhibition Hall has become working newsrooms, though not as immersive as its original space.

Instead, working television newsrooms are usually placed directly behind the news anchor desk, with a physical or a imaginary divider between the studio and newsroom area.

Layouts for working television newsrooms include glass separating them from the broadcast area.

However, designs placing news anchors in the middle of the newsroom have been used by numerous programs over the years - in varying degrees.

In addition, numerous other news studios include smaller, scaled down work areas seen on camera.

TV stations also feature camera positions placed inside newsrooms named flash cams; they are used for live reports/updates, as well as prerecorded teases and promos.

Newsrooms are used by television stations as temporary news sets, because enclosed and isolated news studios are being renovated or updated with a new set or equipment.

A similar idea is also often used for working weather centres in modern television studio sets.

When NBC's Today program started in the 1950's, weather centres did not utilize chroma key, since it requires, by definition, colour cameras.

Upon its debut in early-1950's, NBC's Today program utilized panels, with printed maps, handwritten notations and movable cutout pieces to symbolize weather conditions.

On many local news studio sets, the weather team works in the studio from built-in workstations and video panels, while usually starting/ending their weather reports from in front of a working area.

Many weather centres use a desk or pod allowing weather forecasters to appear on screen (facing the camera) while also viewing computer monitors and manipulating graphics/maps in real-time.

Street-level and windowed studios, meanwhile, are still used from now on.

Technically, all Big Three networks have their morning newscasts from street-level studio sets.

Local US television stations also have street-level and windowed studios, though they often serve as secondary sets or double as a satellite operation for the station's main newsroom.

In many ways, however, street-side studios are public showcases for local television stations.

Many street-side and windowed studios feature sets, built inside of a traditional windowless studio and having looked much indifferent for all intents and purposes.

Besides, modern and efficient news tickers seen on television were not launched until 1993, nor fully popularized until September 2001.

The news ticker being used when Today (NBC) began was an actual piece of paper with typewritten headlines superimposed on the lower third of the screen.

For Dave Garroway, his tenure as the first Today (NBC) host meant that the New York-based national network television scene embraced the innovations from Chicago.

Dave Garroway's relaxed style, which had its roots in radio, was adapted for television.

Plus, the first studio for Today (NBC) from the RCA Exhibition Hall served as an influence on modern broadcast design, like the newsroom and the windowed concept in downtown cores.

Just before its expansion to a half-hour in the mid-1960's, both Douglas Edwards and Walter Cronkite delivered the main quarter-hour news on CBS Television in an isolated and enclosed studio.

Grand Central, a historic rail terminal, served as a testing ground for CBS Television's main newscast.

With its expansion to 30 minutes, the CBS Evening News started using a set, which comprised a desk created in the form of a fishbowl, the newsroom and a world map.

Studio 33 at the CBS Broadcast Centre served as a testing ground for the Walter Cronkite-era studio set being used for the CBS Evening News until 1986, when it moved 14 studio numbers up.

The Graybar Building, adjoining Grand Central, was the testing ground for the CBS Evening News, the first half-hour evening newscast on network television.

Initially, at the Graybar newsroom, the Walter Cronkite-era studio set being used for the CBS Evening News featured a chalkboard.

But its relocation to the CBS Broadcast Centre meant that the chalkboard being included in the Walter Cronkite-era set for the CBS Evening News was replaced by a wall with teletypes.

The CBS Broadcast Centre was formerly a milk depot and distribution centre for Sheffield Farms.

With the 1972 Summer Olympics

Plus, Grand Central housed Edward R. Murrow's See It Now program.

For Edward R. Murrow's innovative See It Now program, Studio 41 broke from tradition by using the control room, which he and its director Don Hewitt devised.

WBBM-TV, which began regularly as WBKB from Balaban & Katz/Paramount, revolutionized local television with a studio set, featuring the newsroom as a regular backdrop, in March 1973.

McClurg Court, a rink, became a television studio in the mid-1950's, but also a testing ground for the regular newsroom-as-set trend that WBBM-TV had pioneered in 1973 until the early-1990's.

Prior to March 1973, WBBM-TV's McClurg Court location had Studios 3 and 4 divided by walls.

During the first of the 1960 presidential debates, a total of 380 reporters were inside Studios 3 and 4 at WBBM-TV.

In March 1973, the walls between Studios 3 and 4 at WBBM-TV's McClurg Court location were being torn down to introduce the regular newsroom-as-set trend.

Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson first teamed up at WBBM-TV as its main news anchors in 1973.

Robert Wussler and Van Gordon Sauter, both involved with WBBM-TV, were the geniuses behind the creation of its regular newsroom-as-set trend.

For the regular newsroom-as-set trend that WBBM-TV had made, under both Robert Wussler and Van Gordon Sauter, it forever changed/revolutionized television news set design.

Introduced in March 1973, WBBM-TV's regular newsroom-as-set trend marked a shift away from the standard and isolated "ticket-office" environments and rigid desk stages.

Some elements of the regular newsroom-as-set trend, which was conceived for WBBM-TV by Robert Wussler and Van Gordon Sauter, are used in the US, but also around the world.

On April 29, 1974, WNBC-TV launched its own 2-hour newscast called NewsCentre.

Just prior to the launch of WNBC-TV's NewsCentre on April 29, 1974, Chuck Scarborough arrived in New York from WNAC-TV in Boston, where he did his final newscast there on March 8, 1974.

Fred Harpman designed the Probe Control Centre, which acted as a NASA-like nerve centre, for NBC's science fiction series Search, which is based on the 1972 television film Probe.

The Probe Control Centre design for both Probe and Search (which Fred Harpman had created) was the direct inspiration for his own NewsCentre studio set design for NBC.

Having been inspired by his own Probe Control Centre design for Search, Fred Harpman's NewsCentre design had a futurist, high-tech and cinematic look.

Plus, Fred Harpman's NewsCentre design was made to have a working newsroom feel.

Monitors based behind the anchors for Fred Harpman's NewsCentre design, which was inspired by his Probe Control design, create a sense of being in the middle of a working hub.

Lee Hanna, the former WNBC-TV news director, was the genius behind the creation of its NewsCentre format.

The inspiration for Lee Hanna to conceive this NewsCentre studio set was an episode of Search that he watched, featuring Fred Harpman's Probe Control Centre design.

Studio 6B at 30 Rockefeller Plaza was a testing ground for Fred Harpman's NewsCentre for NBC.

In 1974, Studio 6B at 30 Rock was used for WNBC-TV's NewsCentre 4, but also for the national NBC News broadcasts when the Watergate scandal reached its climax.

Just like WBBM-TV innovated the concept of a studio set with the regular newsroom backdrop, Fred Harpman's futurist WNBC-TV NewsCentre changed television news set design.

The elements of this futurist, dynamic, high-tech and cinematic NewsCentre design (which both Fred Harpman and Lee Hanna conceived) are used in the US and around the world.

For Fred Harpman, his NewsCentre design paralleled his Probe Control for Search.

Plus, Fred Harpman's NewsCentre design paralleled the open working area in the first ever studio for Today (NBC) under Dave Garroway.

Dave Garroway pioneered the Chicago Style concept for his eponymous Garroway at Large television program, being brought to New York through Today (NBC).

Also in Chicago, WBBM-TV pioneered the regular newsroom-as-set trend, based on the working area being used in the first studio for Today (NBC) under Dave Garroway.

Global, which began its operations in January 1974 as a regional network, with CIII-TV as its flagship station, broke from tradition by using the newsroom-as-set trend, the first of its kind in Canada.

Upon its January 1974 debut, Global borrowed elements of the Walter Cronkite-era Studio 33 set of the CBS Evening News, like a U-shaped desk a world map backdrop.

81 Barber Greene Road, a factory located in Don Mills, became a television studio in 1974, but also the testing ground for the CBS-style newsroom-as-set trend for Global.

Lasting until 1998, this newsroom-as-set trend for Global was rebuilt many times to modernize.

Also in Canada, BCTV (CHAN-TV) used the newsroom-as-set trend being synonymous with the Tony Parsons era from 1975 to October 4, 2010.

Enterprise Street, which is located in the Lake City Industrial Park, housed a purpose-built building for BCTV, and was a testing ground for its own innovative newsroom-as-set trend.

Some of the local television stations based in North America often converted existing studio spaces into testing grounds for newsroom-as-set trends, but BCTV built one from scratch.

BCTV's Enterprise Street studios, built from scratch in 1961 and officially opened in 1962, also built its newsroom-as-set trend from scratch in 1975, 13 years after its official 1962 move.

Whereas stations with converted studios as testing grounds for newsroom-as-set trends represented the past, like WBBM-TV and Global (CIII-TV), BCTV's purpose-built one represented the future.

Early adopters of this newsroom-as-set trend, like WBBM-TV and Global (CIII-TV), usually retrofitted older studio spaces.

Those conversions by WBBM-TV and Global (CIII-TV) required squeezing newsrooms into spaces not designed originally for cameras, leading to cramped, noisy or compromise-filled enviroments.

CBS was the model for the newsroom-as-set trend by both WBBM-TV and Global (CIII-TV), the latter using a set derived from the Walter Cronkite-era Graybar/Studio 33 set of the CBS Evening News.

Purpose-built adopters of the newsroom-as-set trend, such as BCTV, allowed designers to integrate the studio and newsroom from the ground up.

BCTV's specially-made newsroom-as-set trend offered better and more open-concept visuals, improved lighting, superior acoustics and a smoother flow between on-air personnel and journalists.

The newsroom-as-set trend, specially-designed for BCTV (CHAN-TV), made the news studio look less conventional and more like a high-functioning, authentic and professional newsroom.

Having been a purpose-built concept, this BCTV newsroom-as-set trend being synonymous with Tony Parsons was unique, as it mixed the newsroom backdrop with multi-monitor control rooms.

For BCTV's purpose-built newsroom set, it felt like a room with desks, but also the nerve centre of the entire British Columbia, indeed BC's command centre.

NBC was the model for Fred Harpman's futurist WNBC-TV NewsCentre, the elements of which were being adapted from his own Probe Control Centre design for its sci-fi series Search.

BCTV also used the WBBM-TV newsroom-as-set trend (modelled by CBS) in its purpose-built one.

Juxtaposing the news studio elements being created by both NBC and CBS with autonomy, the BCTV newsroom-as-set trend popularized this trend on a purpose-built basis.

The CBS element in BCTV's newsroom-as-set trend is the studio, featuring the newsroom as a regular backdrop, conceived for WBBM-TV by Robert Wussler and Van Gordon Sauter.

Plus, the NBC element in BCTV's newsroom-as-set trend is the NewsCentre (made for WNBC-TV by Fred Harpman, which, in turn, is inspired by his Probe Control design in Search).

Lee Hanna, who watched Search, co-conceived Fred Harpman's NewsCentre set, the elements of which were adapted from this series and for BCTV's newsroom-as-set trend.

On the autonomous side of its newsroom-as-set trend, BCTV was a locally-owned station.

Cameron Bell, who was formerly the news director for BCTV, was the genius behind the creation of its purpose-built newsroom-as-set trend being synonymous with the Tony Parsons era.

Ray Peters led BCTV through Cameron Bell's creation of its newsroom-as-set trend being synonymous with the Tony Parsons era.

During the Expo 86 world's fair, BCTV operated a broadcast pavilion.

As the fishbowl version of its own newsroom set, the BCTV pavilion at Expo 86 allowed the public to watch a live newsroom and control room in action through glass.

BCTV's pavilion at Expo 86 further emphasized this newsroom-as-set trend.

In the early-1990's period, this BCTV newsroom set, conceived by Ray Peters and Cameron Bell, was rebuilt by moving the desk out of the studio, but kept the newsroom as its main backdrop.

Since WIC was purchased by Canwest Global, BCTV (CHAN-TV) rebuilt this newsroom-as-set trend twice, firstly in September 2001.

While WBBM-TV and Global (CIII-TV) pioneered newsroom-as-set trends in both the US and Canada from converted spaces, BCTV (CHAN-TV) perfected it with its purpose-built one.

Before Roone Arledge turned around the ailing ABC News, both NBC and CBS have maintained more traditional formats in their news presentation, while not entirely plain.

Under Roone Arledge, ABC News put newsroom-as-set trends on the network news map.

During its first 30 years/3 decades, Cable News Network (CNN) had used the newsroom as its primary studio backdrop from its two primary headquarters in Atlanta.

Just before CNN's June 1980 debut, co-founders Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld were trying to find a model for the newsroom-as-set trend.

BCTV (CHAN-TV), which used its newsroom-as-set trend at its purpose-built studios during the Tony Parsons era, was the closest model to the vision of CNN's Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld.

Using this BCTV newsroom studio (conceived by Ray Peters and Cameron Bell) as CNN's model, Ted Turner took over an Atlanta country club at Techwood Drive called the Progressive Club.

Established in 1913, the Progressive Club is a red brick structure with white columns; its ballroom was renovated into CNN's first studio, inspired by the Tony Parsons-era BCTV newsroom-as-set trend.

Incidentially, CNN's first newsroom-as-set trend, based on the BCTV newsroom set (conceived by Ray Peters and Cameron Bell under Tony Parsons), was television's first 24-hour newsroom set.

Carl "Bunky" Helfrich, who was one of the friends of Ted Turner, adapted many of the elements of the BCTV newsroom set (conceived by Ray Peters and Cameron Bell under Tony Parsons) for CNN.

For the Three Musketeers at WTBS, Gene Wright, Jack Ormand and Jack Verner served as their noted members; they built the technical infrastructure for CNN's first newsroom-as-set trend.

Playfully referred to as Kosher Kolumns or the "news kibbutz," the Progressive Club was CNN's first headquarters.

The first newsroom-as-set trend for CNN is based on BCTV, which juxtaposed the regular WBBM-TV news studio with the newsroom backdrop with Fred Harpman's futurist NewsCentre in turn.

By 1985, years after its June 1, 1980 launch, CNN had outgrown its original Techwood Drive hub, and Ted Turner acquired the Omni International complex in downtown Atlanta from Tom Cousins.

With Ted Turner acquiring this Omni complex, CNN incorporated its BCTV-inspired newsroom-as-set aesthetic on a larger scale.

Seven years after its June 1, 1980 launch, CNN officially completed its relocation to the former Omni complex, which became known as CNN Centre.

Mirroring his earlier feat of turning the Atlanta country club into the BCTV-inspired newsroom-as-set trend for CNN, Carl "Bunky" Helfrich turned the former Omni complex into CNN Centre.

By turning the Omni complex into CNN Centre, Ted Turner revived Atlanta's ailing downtown core.

In 1993, the colours of some of the elements being used in CNN's newsroom set based on BCTV were changed from red to blue.

Just 11 years after its official move to the former Omni complex, CNN renovated its own set in October 1998, still incorporating its BCTV-inspired newsroom-as-set trend.

Rene Lagler supervised the scenic design for this renovated CNN newsroom-as-set trend, whilst Robert Dickinson did its lighting construction.

This October 1998 renovation of CNN's BCTV-inspired newsroom set design was the final pre-digital revolution of its aesthetic before LED-heavy studios came along in May 2010.

For Linden Soles, he bridged the gap between the two channels that shared the same newsroom-as-set trends: BCTV (under Tony Parsons) and CNN (under Tom Johnson).

Studio 7, introduced in May 2010, marked the end of CNN's long-standing signature newsroom-as-set aesthetic.

This setup for CNN's Studio 7 in Atlanta influenced its Washington studio in the early-2010's.

Clickspring Design designed Studio 7 for CNN.

By 2014, as production shifted to New York and Washington, CNN's real Studio 7 was dormant, and it utilized virtual backdrops before abandoning the use for daytime programs.

Jeff Zucker masterminded the brief reinstatement of the newsroom-as-set trends for CNN before Chris Licht removed them permanently.

During the early-to-mid-2020's, both CNN and HLN moved away from CNN Centre and went back to their origins at Techwood Drive.

In June 2025, The Source with Kaitlan Collins moved to Washington D.C. with the newsroom-as-set trend, reinstating CNN's iconic aesthetic.

From its launch in the early-1980's (which came 19 months after the original CNN started), to February 2005, CNN Headline News used a multi-monitor control room-like set.

In 1993, CNN Headline News introduced its constant SportsTicker, and 6 years later, in the late-1990's, CNN Headline News introduced a newsroom-as-set trend to facilitate four watches.

On August 6, 2001, a revamp for CNN Headline News came with an internet-inspired presentation.

Similarly, both BCTV (CHAN-TV) and CNN made obsolete their iconic and famous newsroom-as-set trends in 2010 after the late-2009 departures of both Tony Parsons and Lou Dobbs.

Lou Dobbs left CNN in November 2009, and Tony Parsons later left BCTV (CHAN-TV) in December 2009.

For CNN, its newsroom-as-set trend during its first 30 years on air, based on BCTV (conceived by Ray Peters and Cameron Bell under Tony Parsons), is the DNA for 24-hour television news.

Roone Arledge and Reese Schonfeld served as masterminds in bringing newsroom-as-set trends to the world through ABC News and CNN.

In 1981, after Dan Rather took over the anchor position, the studio set used by Walter Cronkite for the CBS Evening News at Studio 33 was revamped with a world map backdrop.

After moving 14 studios up from 33 in August 1986, the CBS Evening News set was revamped with a world map backdrop recoloured and a deeper blue background.

For the 1990 midterm elections, the CBS Evening News introduced the newsroom-as-set trend, which became permanent during the Gulf War and was revamped in 1996 by BDI.

Plus, the BDI-designed newsroom-as-set trend for the CBS Evening News was similar to CNN.

Upon its relocation to 299, CityPulse changed its format to a desk-less open working newsroom.

This desk-less CityPulse newsroom was based on the open-plan area for Today (NBC) from the RCA Exhibition Hall, in turn, the basis for CHUM-City's entire 299 Queen Street West headquarters.

Moses Znaimer developed the desk-less stand-up CityPulse newsroom-as-set formula for CityTV.

In 1993, to commemorate its own news crew, a retired Live Eye truck for CityPulse was added to 299's east wall, appearing as if it were going through the brick.

So successful was Moses Znaimer's informal CityPulse format for CityTV that it was utilized by many others all around the world, as well as its elements.

By late-March 1993, when the new Canadian Broadcasting Centre became fully operational, the CBC started using a newsroom-as-set trend for its English-language television assets.

Radio-Canada used the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend from 2002 to the mid-2010's.

However, this newsroom-as-set trend was not new for Radio-Canada, as it was already being used from the mid-1980's to 1989, and in the mid-1990's until 1997.

Still in Quebec, TVA used the newsroom-as-set trend based on one for CNN (and in turn, BCTV) from the late-1980's to the early-2010's.

Ville-Marie, a borough in Montreal, was a testing ground for TVA's newsroom-as-set trend: Studio N.

In the early-2010's, TVA introduced a news studio set designed by AKA Creative.

CFCF used the newsroom-as-set trend from 1986 to the mid-1990's.

In South Florida, WSVN has two news studio sets, both built a few months before its 1989 switch: one with a control room backdrop, the other featuring the newsroom.

Not long after, WSVN began building the Newsplex project, bringing two of its 1989 sets together.

Using the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend, based on BCTV, the WSVN Newsplex is one of the most influential news sets in the world.

Sister station WHDH began using the WSVN format in 1993.

For BCTV, its newsroom-as-set trend became so successful that other television stations across British Columbia began using this format.

CHEK-TV, a sister station to BCTV (CHAN-TV), used the newsroom-as-set trend from 1984 to 1997.

780 Kings Road was a testing ground for CHEK-TV's newsroom-as-set trend from 1984 to 1997.

However, the CHEK-TV newsroom-as-set trend from 1984 to 1997 never reached the similar theatrical scale to BCTV's at Enterprise Street, which is located in the Lake City Industrial Park.

Plus, CIVT and CKVU are Vancouver's independent stations that formerly used the CityTV format.

During its first years, VTV (CIVT) used the CityPulse formula that Moses Zniamer developed.

Baton's president and CEO Ivan Fecan was mentored by CityTV's Moses Znaimer, whose format was a new inspiration for the new Vancouver station in VTV (CIVT).

Monika Deol, who hosted music-themed programs on CityTV/MuchMusic, was also a news anchor for both CIVT and CKVU, bridging the two BC stations that shared the same CityPulse trend.

Initially, the New VI (CIVI) used the CityPulse formula until Hudson Mack from CHEK-TV came.

Under Hudson Mack, the New VI (CIVI) abandoned the informal CityPulse style and made changes to attract a broader audience, like adding a news anchor desk and a more traditional approach.

Since his arrival, Hudson Mack has revived the credibility and reputation of the New VI (CIVI).

CBUT has also used the newsroom-as-set trend since 2009.

Michaela Pereira also bridged the gap between the two television services that formerly shared the same newsroom-as-set trends: CHEK-TV and CNN.

The newsroom-as-set trend being used by BCTV (CHAN-TV) from 1975 to 2010, however, is the gold standard for television news in British Columbia.

With its purpose-built newsroom-as-set trend, BCTV was like Canada's CNN before CNN came.

Still in the Pacific Northwest, but in the US portion, KING-TV, KIRO-TV and KOIN-TV all used the newsroom-as-set trends.

During its final years as the KING Newservice prior to its 1978 rebrand as KING 5 News, KING-TV utilized the newsroom-as-set trend.

In Calgary, CICT used the newsroom-as-set trend from the mid-1990's to the mid-noughties.

Meanwhile, in Atlantic Canada, stations such as Atlantic Television (ATV) and Maritimes Independent Television (MITV) used the newsroom-as-set trends.

For Live at 5, ATV revolutionzed television news in Atlantic Canada.

In the mid-1990's era or after 1993, Today (NBC) revived the Dave Garroway-era window on the world concept, but with a difference; it was built for the modern era as Studio 1A.

Jeremy Conway designed the set for Studio 1A in Today (NBC), spearheaded by Steve Friedman.

Meanwhile, by completing of the March 2013 move of its news operations from Television Centre to Broadcasting House, the BBC began using a newsroom-as-set trend.

However, the newsroom-as-set trend was not new for the BBC's news operation, since it was already utilized from the late-1980's until 1993 physically for the Nine O'Clock News.

Some of the complaints for the BBC's late-1980s attempt to do the newsroom-as-set trend for the Nine O'Clock News include flashing computer screens, walking news staff and ringing telephones.

Virtually, the newsroom backdrop was used for the domestic BBC News programs for four years since 1972, and again from the late-1990's to 2013.

During its initial years, ITN was based at Television House at Kingsway in London, which also housed Associated-Rediffusion's administrative headquarters and transmission facilities.

In 1969, ITN relocated to its new headquarters at 48 Wells Street in London's West End.

As for Associated-Rediffusion's successor Thames, it moved to its purpose-built studios and offices at Euston Road.

Upon its move to its new hub at 200 Grays Inn Road designed by Norman Foster, ITN used a working newsroom for its newscasts on ITV until the mid-1990's.

Whereas some news programs from ITN emanated from 200 Grays Inn Road, others like News at Ten (ITV) still emanated from ITN House, based at 48 Wells Street, for a period after its move.

Sky News had used the newsroom-as-set trend from its February 1989 debut to the late-2010's.

John O'Loan masterminded this newsroom-as-set trend for Sky News upon its 1989 launch.

In contrast to the complaints that the BBC had in using the newsroom-as-set trend for the Nine O'Clock News, John O'Loan's Sky News set was slicker, more professional and more polished.

Plus, Sky News used the American-style happy talk format.

October 24, 2005 was when the Sky News Centre, a newsroom-as-set trend that was designed by Jack Morton Worldwide and built by the Janson Design Group and PDG, was introduced.

The newsroom-as-trend for Sky News upon its 1989 launch was influenced by global broadcasters like CNN.

For Australia's three commercial television services, their news operations have enclosed and isolated studio sets comprising of a world map backdrop with a blue hue until the late-1990's.

In late-1985, National Nine News in Melbourne/Victoria broke from tradition with the newsroom-as-set trend, the first of its kind in Australia.

Similar to the newsroom-as-set trend that ABC World News Tonight used during its initial years in New York as its main hub, this trend for National Nine News in Melbourne/Victoria lasted until 1993.

National Nine News in Brisbane also began using the newsroom-as-set trend in the late-1980's.

In 1996, a revamped newsroom-as-set trend for National Nine News in Brisbane/Queensland was first utilized in celebration of its fortieth anniversary of the Nine Network.

The revamped 1996-era newsroom-as-set trend for National Nine News in Brisbane was based on the newsroom-as-set trend for the CBS Evening News that BDI designed, also since 1996.

With its move to Pyrmont, Ten News in Sydney began to use the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend.

However, the newsroom-as-set trend was not new for Ten News in Sydney/New South Wales, as it was already being used in the late-1980's as the last one from North Ryde.

During Brisbane's World Expo, TVO/Brisbane Ten Eyewitness News used the newsroom-as-set trend, similar to the BCTV pavilion at Expo 86.

From the mid-noughties to the mid-2020's, Seven News in Sydney/New South Wales used a street-side studio at Martin Place, based on Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza used by Today (NBC).

Televisa began using the newsroom-as-set trend designed by BDI in the mid-noughties.

Based on CNN (and in turn, BCTV), Televisa's own newsroom-as-set trend was part of the newly-built expansion of its Chapultepec headquarters.

However, this newsroom-as-set trend was not new for Televisa, as it was already used, shortly after the April 1997 death of Emilio Azcarraga Milmo until 1998, for 24 Horas with Jacobo Zabludovsky.

Plus, Televisa's local stations, like XEWT and XHBC, use the newsroom-as-set trend.

Rival TV Azteca used the newsroom-as-set trend for some Hechos editions from the late-1990's to the noughties.

ECO, which is television's first all-news service in both Latin America and the Hispanic world, used a multi-monitor control room set similar to CNN Headline News.

Canal De Noticias NBC used a newsroom-as-set trend.

The WCNC-TV studios, which also housed the NBC News Channel, was a testing ground for Canal De Noticias NBC.

During the Carlos Menem presidency, newsroom-as-set trends were introduced to Argentina in a more modern and professional manner.

For example, Telenoche (Artear) used a studio set, which featured a multi-monitor control room as its primary backdrop, designed to have a working newsroom feel.

In Chile, from 1990 to 2002, 24 Horas (TVN) utilized a small-sized newsroom-as-set trend.

Also in Chile, Teletrece (UCTV) used the newsroom-as-set trend from the 1990's to the noughties.

However, the newsroom-as-set trend was not new for Teletrece (UCTV), as it was already used for its secondary editions (afternoons/late-nights) during the 1980's.

QAP broke from tradition by using a newsroom-as-set trend, the first of its kind in Colombia.

Based on one for CNN (and in turn, BCTV), the newsroom-as-set trend for QAP conveyed urgency and transparency that other newscasts in Colombia have not.

Since QAP, this newsroom-as-set trend has been used by Colombia's private television services, such as RCN, Caracol and CityTV, the latter being based on the original Toronto version.

Meanwhile, in Peru, Red Global used the Canal De Noticias NBC set, but through chroma key, and in 1997, a physical newsroom-as-set trend was used.

From the early-1990's to 2017, Uruguay's Canal 4 used the newsroom-as-set trend called the Centro Monte Carlo de Noticias, translated into English as the Monte Carlo News Centre.

The Centro Monte Carlo De Noticias was based on one for CNN, and in turn, BCTV.

Also in Uruguay, Teledoce utilized newsroom-as-set trends, including the one being based upon CNN International from the late-1990's to the mid-2010's.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese-language answer to Mexico's Televisa, run by Silvio Santos, pioneered the working newsroom-as-set trend in the late-1980's.

For the newsroom studio set used by the Portuguese-language answer to Televisa, which Silvio Santos owned, it was based on ABC News' Washington hub, with the Walter Cronkite-era news desk.

Boris Casoy, who used to work at a newspaper in Latin America's largest nation, established the news concept that was inspired by the North American television news model.

As the main news anchor on Silvio Santos' network, Boris Casoy not only did the news, but also used commentary in a direct and often sharp manner.

Earlier on, a national television channel, owned by Jewish businessman Adolpho Bloch, pioneered the physical news studio set featuring a multi-monitor control room as its main backdrop.

The multi-monitor control room set used for Adolpho Bloch's television network was the first in Latin America's largest nation to have a working newsroom feel, made à la CNN.

Oscar Niemayer's modern structure served as the testing ground for this working newsroom feel, which Adolpho Bloch's own television network had pioneered.

Vila Guilherme was the testing ground for the newsroom-as-set trend that Silvio Santos' own television network had pioneered.

Incidentally, the two national television networks arose from the first television network in both South America and the Potuguese-speaking world.

Silvio Santos' other former television channel, which is known as Record, utilized the newsroom-as-set trend from the mid-noughties to the late-2010's.

The Record Theatre served as the testing ground for Record's own newsroom-as-set trend, which began under Boris Casoy (who also used this trend based on ABC), but was also based on CNN.

However, this newsroom-as-set trend was not new for Record (which Silvio Santos once ran), as it was already used in its first years as a national service during the first half of the 1990's.

Band also used this newsroom-as-set trend at the turn of the 21st century until 2005, and again from the late-noughties to the mid-2020's.

Roberto Marinho's television service also used the newsroom-as-set trend, initially for its afternoon and late-night newscasts since the late-1990's, and then its flagshup one at the turn of the 21st century.

TROS Aktua (formerly Aktua-TV) used a newsroom-as-set trend, which was one of the first to do so in Europe, upon its debut in 1974 until 1985.

VTM used newsroom-as-set trends, including one designed by BDI from 1996 to the mid-noughties. 

Until 1984, both Tagesschau (ARD) and Heute (ZDF) held a national duopoly on the German television news landscape.

Sat.1 and RTL, both being the first national private television channels in Germany, countered this news formula of both ARD and ZDF with their dynamic, American-style news aesthetics.

For Sat.1, its own launch on January 1, 1984 (New Year's Day 1984) resulted in the introeduction of the newsroom-as-set trend to the DACH region.

ORF and SF DRS followed in the Sat.1 footsteps by adopting this trend, first in 1984 and then in 1985.

ProSieben used the physical newsroom-as-set trend, which was based on WSVN (and in turn, CNN and BCTV), for three years since 1996.

N24 (now Welt) has used the physical newsroom-as-set trend since the mid-noughties

In August 1986, Aktuellt (SVT) began to use the newsroom as a backdrop, but on a temporary basis.

The newsroom-as-set trend for Aktuellt (SVT) became a permanent one with the launch of ABC, which served as a regional newscast covering Stockholm and Uppsala.

For Aktuellt (SVT), the permanent newsroom-as-set trend setup lasted until September 2001.

Nyhetshuset was a testing ground for the newsroom-as-set trend for Aktuellt (SVT).

During its first 17 years, TV4 (Sweden) had used the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend.

Storangsbotten, located in Stockholm, housed a television studio, which doubled as a testing ground for the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend for TV4 from September 1990 to May 1996.

On the other hand, MTV3 (Finland) used the physical CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend, which lasted from 1990 to the late-2010's.

The use of this newsroom-as-set trend for MTV3 (which was similar to one for CNN) started with the imminent launch of its 7 p.m. newscast in 1990.

Pollolaakso, located in Ilmala in Helsinki, near its railway station, served as the testing ground for the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend for MTV3.

MTV3's newsroom-as-set trend was modernized in 2001 for its 20th year since its 1981 launch.

Rediffusion (Hong Kong) was a pioneering broadcaster, and used a newsroom-as-set trend, styled after American networks (specifically ABC), the first in East Asia.

In the mid-1980's era, NHK General TV began using the newsroom-as-set trend for News Centre 9, the first of its kind in Japan, which lasted until its demise in the late-1980's.

This newsroom-as-set trend for NHK's NC9 program was styled after American networks.

During this period, Taro Kimura, born in the United States, and Midori Miyazaki, who formerly did the weather forecasts for this program, anchored NC9 from the newsroom.

Meanwhile, in 1985, All-Nippon News Network (ANN) began using the newsroom-as-set trend, which was based on one for CNN (and in turn, BCTV).

The Ark Broadcasting Centre, to which ANN moved in 1985, was the testing ground for this innovative newsroom-as-set trend within Japan's commercial television sector.

Even with its move to Roppongi Hills, ANN still used the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend.

Whereas NHK was a pioneer in using the newsroom-as-set trend for News Centre 9, TV Asahi's News Station did the same, but within the commercial television sector.

News Station's launch stemmed from Japan Cable Television, which TV Asahi partly owned, striking a deal with CNN, back in the early-1980's.

JCTV's deal with CNN led to the latter's official introduction to Japan in 1984.

In 1998, a year after its relocation to Odaiba in March 1997, Fuji News Network (FNN) started to use a CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend, lasting until 2013.

Kenzo Tange's ultra-modern building was the testing ground for the FNN newsroom-as-set trend.

Meanwhile, Nippon News Network (NNN) used the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend, not simply for Plus 1 in its last years, but also for its Real Time program in its first years.

NHK Japan-World opened its headquarters in New York in spring 2021, utilizing the newsroom-as-set trend that Provost Design had created.

December 1, 1980 was when colour television was introduced to South Korea, with full-time national colour services launching on January 1, 1981.

Using NTSC colour, South Korea's television industry had made many improvements.

In the early-to-mid-1980's era, KBS' television services pioneered Western-like aesthetics, including the newsroom-as-set trend and the working newsroom feel, the first of any kind in South Korea.

July 1984 was when KBS adopted its CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend for its flagship 9 p.m. newscast that lasted until the turn of the 21st century.

The brief interruption of the KBS newsroom-as-set trend was from January 1997 to May 1998.

Meanwhile, MBC adopted the newsroom-as-set rend, based on one for the CBS Evening News, which BDI designed in 1996; it lasted during the first half of the noughties.

SBS also used the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend (with a rotating news desk) for its main newscast from the mid-noughties to the early-2010's.

However, this newsroom-as-set trend was not new for SBS, as it was already used for its main 8 p.m. newscast upon its debut in the early-1990's, like KBS.

With Taiwan's martial law being lifted, TTV began using the newsroom-as-set trend in 1989.

Just as Rediffusion (Hong Kong) was the first television channel in East Asia and the Chinese world to utilize the newsroom-as-set trend, TTV was the first in Taiwan to do so.

Li Ka-shing and his company Hutchison Whampoa, in partnership with his son Richard Li, co-founded Star TV in the early-1990's era.

While Li Ka-shing backed Star TV, Richard Li was the driving force behind this venture

Using AsiaSat 1, partly-owned by Hutchison Whampoa, Star TV provided programming in the English language to Asia.

Hong Kong, a former British territory, served as a testing ground for Star TV.

Rupert Murdoch acquired Star TV from Li Ka-shing, Hutchison Whampoa and Richard Li, in 1993.

Star TV used Western-made broadcast technology, infrastructure and expertise not previously used in a media landscape in some Asian regions dominated by state-run media.

Before Star TV, television assets in some Asian regions used isolated and enclosed news sets.

Spurred by Star TV, television assets in some Asian regions have started to use newsroom-as-set trends based upon CNN.

Phoenix, in which Star TV (under Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation empire) owned a stake from its 1996 inception to 2013, introduced the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend to mainland China.

iTV, which was the first television service to be operated independently on the UHF band in Thailand, broke from tradition by adopting the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend upon its 1996 launch.

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.

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, an American-educated Saudi businessman, ran MBC as the television service of his ARAvision group.

London, known for its liberal and independent media environment, was MBC's first base.

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.

During the Cold War, television in Eastern Europe was staid.

With the television channels held by CME, television in Eastern Europe was modernized by adopting newsroom-as-set trends based on CNN.

Just before CNN's innovative coverage of the first Gulf War, television channels across the Arab world have used isolated and enclosed news studio sets.

Spurred by CNN's Gulf War coverage, private Arabic TV channels use CNN-like newsroom studios.

London, which served as the primary base for MBC until 2002, was a testing ground for Western-made broadcast technology, infrastructure and expertise previously unused in the Arab world.

Dubai Media City was MBC's second base from 2002 to 2022, with Saudi Arabia as its third base.

For most of its run at Dubai Media City, MBC used the CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend.

Al-Arabiya, which is MBC's sister channel, also used the similar CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend as MBC from its launch around the Iraqi War until 2020.

Clickspring Design renovated MBC's CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend at Dubai Media City in 2017, which blended Islamic-inspired design elements with modern technology.

Meanwhile, Clickspring Design made Al-Arabiya's studio in 2020.

This newsroom-as-set trend was not new for MBC, however, as it was already being used, while at its London studios, starting in the mid-1990's.

Besides, Al-Jazeera, in its original Arabic iteration, used newsroom-as-set trends for news updates; its main studio was isolated.

During the mid-2010's, Al-Jazeera's original version began using the newsroom as its main backdrop at Studio 5; Veech x Veech designed this one for Al-Jazeera's original version.

For its 25th anniversary, in 2021, Al-Jazeera's Studio 5 was renovated by Clickspring Design.

In its English-language version, Al-Jazeera has consistently used the newsroom-as-set trend from its primary Doha headquarters since its launch.

BBC Arabic Television used the newsroom-as-set trend physically from 2008 to 2013.

Sky News Arabia, like its original British version, has used the newsroom-as-set trend for most of the 2010's decade, which BDA designed.

The Abu Dhabi Media Centre, based at twofour54, was a testing ground for Sky News Arabia.

Dubai Media Inc. had its own Dubai News Centre at Dubai Media City, which BDI designed.

For the Dubai News Centre at Dubai Media City, it is one of the most sophisticated newsrooms in the Middle East, based on one for CNN.

Abu Dhabi TV used a newsroom-as-set trend being designed by British-based Shaun Moore Design during the mid-noughties.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Future News and Murr Television (MTV) used CNN-style newsroom-as-set trends, both starting in the late-noughties.

During its initial years, Vesti on RTR/Russia-1 came from the Ostankino Technical Centre, featuring an enclosed and isolated studio set with a world map backdrop.

However, Ostankino suffered damage, which meant that Vesti (Russia-1) came from a makeshift studio with a plain backdrop, during the 1993 events.

Even after the 1993 events, and even with a new look, featuring its high-end opening sequence and its different backdrop, Vesti on RTR/Russia-1 still came from Ostankino.

Some months after the 1993 events, Vesti (Russia-1) moved from Ostankino to a different location.

At Yamskoye Pole, Vesti (Russia-1) had a newsroom-as-set trend, the first of its kind in Russia.

In joint cooperation with the Dutch, this newsroom-as-set trend for Vesti (Russia-1) demonstrated a worldwide influence on its design.

Based on one for CNN, and in turn, BCTV, this newsroom-as-set trend for Vesti (Russia-1) conveyed urgency and transparency that other newscasts in post-Soviet Russia have not.

Tele-Scena remodeled the Vesti newsroom-as-set trend a year after its 2002 rebrand.

Khreshchatyk Street, based in central Kyiv, once housed a radio and television studio during the Soviet period from the early-1950's to the early-1990's, when public television moved to the Pencil.

During its post-Soviet era, the Pencil housed public television in the Ukraine (with Khreshchatyk as its secondary hub).

March 9, 1996, which was the birthday of Taras Shevenchenko and the day after International Women's Day, was when a fire broke out at a radio and television studio at Khreshchatyk.

In late-2021, even before the break-out of the Russo-Ukrainian war in February 2022, Suspilne revived and modernized Khreshchatyk by introducing a modern newsroom-as-set trend.

This newsroom-as-set trend being developed for Suspilne at Khreshchatyk Street (influenced by global broadcasters like CNN) is called NewsHouse 2.0.

Housing the main television studio for NewsHouse 2.0 for Suspilne at Khreshchatyk is a glass cube.

Designing NewsHouse 2.0 for Suspilne at Khreshchatyk was a design team led by Slava Balbek.

With NewsHouse 2.0, Suspilne became the Ukraine's main source for accurate and unbiased news and information during the Russo-Ukrainian war.

NewsHouse 2.0, developed for Suspilne, serves as a collaboration between partners, like BBC Media Action and DW Akademie with funding from the European Union.

Having started at the dawn of the nation's post-communist and democratic era, Panorama (TVP2) had utilized the newsroom-as-set trend, the first of its kind in Poland, but via chroma key.

Not long after, Wiadomosci (TVP1) used the newsroom-as-set trend on a physical level.

Earlier on, Teleexpress used a multi-monitor control room set, emphasizing its fast-paced approach.

Fakty (TVN) has used a newsroom-as-set trend from its 1997 inception to the early-2010's.

RCTI, as Indonesia's first private television channel, countered TVRI's state-run news formula with its dynamic, American-style news aesthetic.

Some elements shaping RCTI's American-influenced news style included a news set, which featured a multi-monitor control room backdrop, plus live reports, dynamic graphics and modern music.

Having lasted from late-August 1993 to around 2005, the RCTI news set, with a multi-monitor control room backdrop, was the first in Indonesia to have a working newsroom feel, made à la CNN.

Kebon Jeruk was a testing ground for this working newsroom feel, which RCTI had pioneered.

Initially, Seputar Indonesia used a studio set with a blue backdrop and the name, whilst Buletin Malam used a skyline backdrop via chroma key.

The late-August 1993 revamp led to the launch of the multi-monitor control room news set for RCTI.

What shaped RCTI's American-influenced approach as a counterweight to TVRI was the strategy being honed by Pete Langlois, who, for 11 years, was the news director at KCRA-TV.

SCTV, with its 2008 move to the SCTV Tower, located in the Senayan City complex, started using the newsroom-as-set trend on a larger physical level.

For NET. (Indonesia), its newsroom-as-set trend was consistent during the mid-to-late-2010's.

This CNN-style newsroom-as-set trend for NET. (Indonesia) was designed by BDI.

Before RCTI and other private channels, TVRI had used enclosed and isolated news studio sets, with a world map backdrop as a authoritative symbol, either via chroma key or physically.

Not until the post-1998 reform period did Indonesian television, including TVRI, undertake significant restructuring towards true editorial independence.

On December 14, 2017, VTC broke from tradition by introducing a real and physical newsroom-as-set trend, which was the first of its kind in Vietnam.

Many Vietnamese television services, like VTV, have utilized traditional and enclosed news sets, either physical or virtual, for years.

This physical VTC newsroom set, inspired by global news broadcasters, like CNN and the BBC, lasted from December 2017 until the January 2025 shutdown of its digital television services.

Whether on ABC Sports, ABC News, CNN, ESPN or many other TV channels all over the world, the innovations by Roone Arledge take news and sports to a cinematic level.