The Nashville Network
| The Nashville Network | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Launched | March 7, 1983 |
| Closed | August 11, 2003 |
| Owned by | Gaylord (1983-1997) Westinghouse-CBS (1997-2000) Viacom (2000-2003) |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Replaced by | The National Network (2000-2003) Spike (2003-present) |
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows. On September 25, 2000, after an attempt to attract younger viewers failed, TNN's country music format was changed and the network was renamed The National Network, eventually becoming Spike in 2003.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
The Nashville Network (TNN) was launched on March 7, 1983 from the now-defunct Opryland USA theme park near Nashville, Tennessee. Country Music Television (CMT), founded by Glenn D. Daniels, beat TNN's launch by two days, robbing TNN of the claim of "first country music cable television network".
TNN was originally owned by WSM, Inc., a subsidiary of National Life and Accident Insurance Company, and initially focused on country music-related original programming. TNN's flagship shows included Nashville Now and Grand Ole Opry Live, both of which were broadcast live from Opryland USA.[1][2] During TNN's first year of broadcasting, American General Corporation, parent company of NL&AIC, decided to divest itself of some of its non-core companies and put the fledgling network up for sale.
[edit] Gaylord: 1983–1998
The Gaylord Entertainment Company purchased TNN and the Opryland properties in the latter half of 1983. Much of TNN's programming during the Gaylord era was originally produced by Opryland Productions, also owned by Gaylord Entertainment.[3] Programming included variety shows, talk shows, game shows (such as Fandango and Top Card), outdoors shows, and lifestyle shows, all centered in some way around country music.[4] Some of TNN's popular on-air talent included local Nashville media personalities Ralph Emery,[5] Dan Miller, Charlie Chase, and Lorianne Crook, as well as established stars such as country music singer Bill Anderson and actresses Florence Henderson and Dinah Shore. TNN even created stars, such as wily fisherman Bill Dance.[6] Grand Ole Opry singer Bobby Lord, known for his skills as a sportsman, hosted the program "Country Sportsman," featuring hunting and fishing excursions with various country stars. Inspired by ABC's "The American Sportsman," the TNN show was later renamed "Celebrity Sportsman" after ABC objected to the similarity to their program. One of the most popular shows that aired on the network during this time was a variety show hosted by the country music quartet The Statler Brothers.
TNN had two self-operating and self-promoting sub-divisions, TNN Outdoors and TNN Motor Sports.[7] TNN Outdoors was responsible for the programming of hunting and fishing shows, while TNN Motor Sports was responsible for production of all of the network's auto racing and motorsports coverage. Regarding the latter, NASCAR races (including those of the then-Winston Cup Series, Busch Grand National Series, and Craftsman Truck Series) were the most prominently featured. However, races of other series such as the International Motor Sports Association sports car series, ASA stock car series, World of Outlaws sprint car series, and the NHRA Winston Drag Racing series were also showcased, as were motorcycle and monster truck racing. TNN Outdoors and TNN Motor Sports also marketed themselves, selling a variety of merchandise and branding themselves onto video games such as TNN Bass Tournament of Champions and TNN Outdoors Bass Tournament '96.
In 1995, the network's motorsports operations were moved into the industrial park located at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, where TNN had purchased controlling interest in World Sports Enterprises, a motorsports production company. Notable TNN racing personalities included Mike Joy, Steve Evans, Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, Neil Bonnett, Randy Pemberton, Ralph Sheheen, Dick Berggren, Matt Yocum, Brock Yates, Paul Page, Don Garlits, Gary Gerould, Army Armstrong, and Rick Benjamin.
The outdoors and motorsports programs were so successful that, by the early 1990s, only those shows were seen on Sundays, with no musical programming.
[edit] Westinghouse-CBS: 1998–2000
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, who at the time owned the CBS networks and had an existing relationship with TNN through its Group W division, purchased TNN and its sister network CMT outright in 1997 to form CBS Cable, along with a short-lived start up network entitled Eye On People.
Most of the original entertainment-oriented programming ceased production during this period, and the network began to rely more on TNN Outdoors and TNN Motor Sports for programming. The network's ties to CBS allowed it to pick up country-themed CBS dramas from the 1980s such as The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas, and also allowed it to carry CBS Sports' run overs, which happened during a NASCAR Busch Series race at Texas Motor Speedway and also a PGA Tour event at Firestone Country Club.[1]
During this time, Ralph Emery began a short-lived retirement from broadcasting, and left Nashville Now in the process. Upon Emery's exit, the show was overhauled and renamed Music City Tonight (hosted by Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase).[8] After a very short run, Crook and Chase left the show to launch a syndicated daytime show, Crook & Chase, which would eventually return to TNN after two years in the syndication market.[9] Music City Tonight was again overhauled to resemble its original Nashville Now format, but was re-branded as Prime Time Country. This version was originally hosted by actor Tom Wopat. He was later replaced with Christian singer/songwriter Gary Chapman, who enjoyed relative success with the show until its cancellation in 1999 as part of the MTV overhaul of the network.
The late 1990s also saw the network's first attempts to distance itself from its country music/country lifestyle image and court a younger demographic. In 1998, the network dropped its "The Nashville Network" moniker and shortened its official name to TNN, and ownership shifted to Viacom in the late 1990s after their acquisition of CBS Corporation, Westinghouse's successor.[10] TNN subsequently moved from its original Nashville base to New York City and folded into Viacom's MTV Networks division; sister network CMT, however, remained in Nashville. 1998 witnessed the premiere of RollerJam, which brought roller derby back to television for the first time in almost a decade. The next year, TNN began its relationship with professional wrestling, signing a three-year deal with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). ECW on TNN was the highest-rated show on TNN through 2000, despite limited advertising. ECW on TNN and RollerJam formed the core of the network's "Friday Night Thrill Zone" program block, which was responsible for an increase in the network's young male viewership on Friday nights.
[edit] Format change and relaunch as Spike: 2000-present
In 2000, Viacom sensed redundancy among its TNN and CMT properties and, catalyzed by its acquisition of the rights to World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE) programming, decided to refocus TNN. The network was renamed The National Network and reformatted to compete with TNT, TBS, and the USA Network and attract viewers in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic.[11] Prior to 2000, over half of TNN's viewers were 55 years old and over. Only one third of them were 18 to 49, according to Nielsen Media Research.[11]
Some of TNN's programming included off-network sitcoms such as Diff'rent Strokes, The Wonder Years, and Taxi and the failed relaunch of Ren and Stimpy, Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon. Eventually, male-oriented shows, such as Baywatch, Monster Jam, Bull Riding, Robot Wars and Star Trek: The Next Generation were added to the network's lineup and the demographic was changed to target "young adult males". This change in the target demographic led TNN to be renamed Spike TV in 2003, and then to simply Spike in 2006.
Today, Spike is available in 96.1 million American homes, and the average age of its viewers is 42.[12] The network features re-runs of popular shows such as CSI, CSI: NY, Unsolved Mysteries, Married With Children, UFC, and various original programs and movies. It is also the home of the professional wrestling organization Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's flagship show Impact!, MadTV, and Miami Vice.
[edit] Programming
[edit] See also
- Great American Country, former competitor and current home to some former TNN programs
- RFD-TV (Rural Free Delivery TV) a network launched in 2000 with similar programming to TNN.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Good bye Nashville Network, Country Standard Time, November 2000
- ^ Stengel, Richard (1983-03-21). "Country Comes to Cable". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923376,00.html?iid=chix-sphere.
- ^ The Nashville Network Begins With Optimism, New York Times, March 11, 1983
- ^ Banks, Jack (1996). Monopoly Television: MTV's Quest to Control the Music. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. pp. 59. ISBN 0813318211. http://books.google.com/?id=cbYcUkfUbTkC&dq=%22the+nashville+network%22.
- ^ 41st Annual CMA Awards | 2007 Hall of Fame Inductees
- ^ Line from Bill
- ^ TNN Tribute
- ^ "Music City Tonight" (1993)
- ^ Crook & Chase - Lorianne and Charlie
- ^ Goodbye Nashville Network, Country Standard Time, November 2000
- ^ a b New TNN embraces populist culture, hopes to dethrone cable rating kings
- ^ 'Unsolved Mysteries' Gets a New Look on Spike TV, Spike TV Press Release, April 7, 2008
