Pop (American TV channel)

TV Guide Network

Headquarters	Los Angeles, California, USA
Ownership
Owner	Lionsgate
History
Founder	Prevue Networks Inc.

TV Guide Network (formerly known as TV Guide Channel, Prevue Channel, Prevue Guide, and Electronic Program Guide) is an American cable network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation.

At the bottom of the screen, TV Guide Network provides a scrolling grid listing all channels available to the viewer coupled with the titles of the television programs and films those channels are currently showing. Appearing in the top half of the screen are programs featuring movie previews and celebrity news, repeats of select popular television shows, and commercials. The majority of the network's audience consists of channel surfers looking to see what's on, and what's coming on next, on their respective cable and satellite systems' channel lineups.

Although its bottom-screen program listings grid continues to be the major feature of the channel, TV Guide Network has repositioned itself as a destination channel for television news and information through its original series and specials. This is because internet-based TV listings sites and the on-screen interactive program guides (IPGs) built directly into most of today's cable and satellite set top terminals, as well as into digital video recorders like TiVo, have mostly obviated the need for a dedicated TV listings channel by providing the same information in a speedier manner, and often in much more detail. TV Guide offers its own IPG software for digital cable boxes, called TV Guide Interactive. It is visually similar in its presentation to the TV Guide Network's bottom-screen program listings grid.

TV Guide Network is only available from within the digital tiers of certain cable providers in some markets. As its programming is considered non-critical, many cable providers also use the TV Guide Network's channel space as a default Emergency Alert System conduit for transmitting warning information applicable to their local service areas.

A gridless version of the channel, featuring all of its programming full-screen, is offered to cable and satellite operators providing only digital television service and whose digital set top receivers already include integrated IPGs.

On January 5, 2009, Lionsgate announced its intent to purchase TV Guide Network and TV Guide Online for $255 million. Lionsgate closed the transaction on March 2, 2009, paying cash. The following April, Lionsgate announced plans to revamp the network into a more entertainment-oriented channel, including plans to discontinue the bottom-screen scrolling program listings grid that has been a part of the channel since its inception in 1985. Following the announcement, Mediacom announced that it would be dropping the network. Time Warner Cable has also dropped the network in Texas.

History

1980s

Electronic Program Guide

Electronic Program Guide

Launched in 1985 by the Trakker, Inc. unit of United Video Holdings, the TV Guide Network began its life as a simple electronic program guide software application sold to cable system operators throughout the United States and Canada. Known simply as the Electronic Program Guide, or the EPG for short, the software was designed to be run within the head end facility of each participating cable system on a single, custom-modified consumer-grade computer supplied by United Video. Its scrolling program listings grid, which cable system operators broadcast to subscribers on a dedicated channel, covered the entire screen and provided listings for each system's entire channel line-up one half-hour period at a time. Because of this, listings for programs currently airing would often be several minutes away. Additionally, because the EPG software generated only video, cable operators often resorted to filling the EPG channel's audio with music from a local FM station, or with programming from a cable TV-oriented audio service provider such as Cable Radio Network.

Two versions of the EPG were offered: EPG Jr., a 16KB EPROM version which ran on various Atari models including the Atari 130XE and Atari 1040ST, and EPG Sr., a 3½ bootable diskette version for the Amiga 1000. Raw program listings data for national cable networks, as well as for regional and local terrestrial stations, was fed en masse from a Tulsa, Oklahoma mainframe to each EPG installation via a 2400 baud data stream encoded into the vertical blanking interval of WGN by United Video. (United Video was WGN's nationwide satellite uplink distributor.) By cherry-picking data from this master feed for only the networks its cable system actually carried, each EPG installation was able to generate a continuous visual display of program listings locally customized to its cable system's unique channel line-up. (Configuration information for the unique channel line-up each EPG was to display also arrived via this master data feed.)

Both the EPG Jr. and EPG Sr. allowed cable operators to locally customize certain aspects of their operation, such as inserting local text-based advertisements into their listings grids and changing the scrolling speed of the grids themselves. The Amiga-based EPG Sr. version offered additional customization features, such as on-screen title banners (e.g., "JONES INTERCABLE PROGRAM GUIDE") and the ability to configure local text advertisements as either "scroll ads" (appearing within the vertically-scrolling listings grid between half-hour cycles) or as "crawl ads" (appearing within a horizontally-scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen).

Because the EPG software was incapable of silent remote administration for its locally-customizable features, cable company employees were required to visit their head end facilities in order to make all necessary adjustments to the software. Consequently, EPG channel viewers would often see its otherwise continuous listings interrupted without warning each time a cable company technician brought up its administrative menus to adjust settings, view diagnostics information, or hunt-and-peck new local text advertisements into the menus' built-in text editor.

The Atari-based EPG Jr. units were encased in blue rack enclosures containing custom-made outboard electronics, such as the Zephyrus Electronics Ltd. UV-D-2 demodulator board, which delivered data decoded from the WGN data stream to the Atari's 13 pin Serial Input/Output (SIO) handler port. (The EPG Jr. software's EPROM was interfaced to the Atari's ROM cartridge port.) Conversely, the Amiga-based EPG Sr. units were shipped as plain Amiga 1000 desktops with all custom hardware existing internally as ISA expansion cards. These cards were the Great Valley Products A2000 HC+8 Series II (used only for 2 MB of Fast RAM with SCSI disabled), and the Zephyrus Electronics Ltd model 101C demodulator card for the WGN data stream.

Split-Screen Electronic Program Guide

By the late 1980s, a software upgrade "option" was offered by United Video for the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. This updated version featured a program listings grid identical in appearance to that of the original EPG Sr. version, but confined it to the lower half of the screen. In this new split-screen configuration, which was the forerunner to Prevue Guide (below), the upper half of the screen displayed static or animated graphical advertisements and logos created locally by each cable system operator. Up to 64 such ads were supported. Locally-created text-based advertisements also began showing in the top half of the screen, their appearance within the listings grid itself as scrolling ads, or beneath the grid as crawling (ticker) ads, no longer being supported.

Although many cable systems kept the original, full-screen EPG version of the software in operation well into the early 1990s, some systems with large numbers of subscribers opted for this upgraded version of EPG Sr. in order to exploit the revenue potential of its graphical local advertising capabilities.

The Atari-based EPG Jr. was never afforded this split-screen upgrade and fell out of favor during the late 1980s as cable systems migrated to the full- or split-screen Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr., and later to the Amiga 2000-based Prevue Guide (below). However, the EPG Jr. remained in service as late as 2005 on a few small cable systems, as well as on a number of private cable systems operated by various hotel chains and certain housing and apartment complexes.

Prevue Guide

File:PrevueGuide.png

Prevue Guide

In 1988, the Trakker, Inc. unit of United Video Holdings was renamed Prevue Networks, Inc. and the split-screen version of the EPG Sr.'s software was further updated and renamed Prevue Guide. Now running on the Amiga 2000, it displayed a split-screen listings grid visually identical to the upgraded EPG Sr.'s, but also supported – along with up to 128 locally-inserted top-screen graphical advertisements – the display of video with accompanying sound in the top half of the screen. Primarily promos for upcoming TV shows, films, and special events, these videos appeared in either the left or right halves of the top portion of the screen, coupled with supplimentary information concerning them in the opposing halves (program title, channel, air date and time).

Making the video integration possible was the Amiga 2000's native video compositing capabilities. All video (and associated audio) content was provided live by Prevue Networks, Inc. via a special analog C-band satellite backhaul feed from Tulsa, Oklahoma. This feed contained a national satellite listings grid in the bottom half of its picture (strictly as a courtesy for the era's C-band dish owners), with the top half of its picture itself divided horizontally into two halves, both showing unrelated promos for upcoming telecasts on different networks. (Sound for each half was fed in mono on the satellite feed's left and right audio channels.) Within each cable system's head end facility, meanwhile, the Amiga 2000-powered Prevue Guide software overlaid the bottom half of the satellite feed's video frame with its own, locally-generated listings grid. It also continuously chose which of the two simultaneously-available promos in the top half of the satellite feed's picture to let local cable subscribers see, visually blocking out the other. (Audio for the promo chosen was patched through to subscribers in full mono.) During periods where both of the satellite feed's simultaneous promos were for cable networks not carried by a local cable system, the local Prevue Guide software blocked out both, filling the entire top half of the screen with a locally-inserted graphical logo or advertisement instead.

The satellite feed's national scheduling grid was never meant to be seen by cable subscribers. However, on occasion, when a cable system's local Prevue Guide software crashed into Amiga Guru Meditation mode, subscribers would be exposed to the satellite feed's full video frame, letting them see not only the two promos running simultaneously in its upper half, but perhaps more confusingly, the satellite transponder-oriented national listings grid in its lower half.

The live Prevue Networks, Inc. satellite feed also carried commercials and program segments produced by Prevue Networks itself, such as Prevue Tonight. For these segments, the top half of the satellite feed's video frame would be completely filled out, with all local cable system Prevue Guide installations letting the entire top half show through in full.

Another feature of Prevue Guide not seen in the earlier full-screen and split-screen EPG Sr. versions was colored (rather than black) backgrounds for certain listings. Between its already-colored grid lines (alternating blue, green, yellow, and red with each half-hour listings cycle), listings for premium movie networks were given red background colors, while listings for pay-per-view networks were given light grey background colors. Optional channel-specific programming summaries could also be included within the grid, whereby the name of a channel (rather than a time) would scroll up and slide into the grid's header bar followed by up to 4 hours worth of program-by-program listings for that channel alone. Later, support for optional "Prevue Weather" graphical logos within the scrolling grid (shown between its half-hour listing cycles) was added, accompanied by local weather conditions.

By the early 1990s, United Video began encouraging cable systems still using either the full-screen or split-screen versions of the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. to upgrade to the Amiga 2000-based Prevue Guide. Active support for the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr. installations was discontinued in 1993.

Like the Amiga 1000-based EPG Sr., Prevue Guide also ran from bootable 3½ diskettes, and its locally-customizable features remained configurable only from the local keyboard, subjecting viewers to the same on-screen maintenance-related interruptions by local cable company employees as before. (Silent remote administration of locally-customizable features would not be added until the "yellow grid" appeared shortly after the beginning of the TV Guide Channel era, when the Amiga platform was fully abandoned.) Also, to support Prevue Guide's new, satellite-delivered video and audio, the Amiga 2000s featured additional ISA expansion cards. In addition to the data demodulator and Fast RAM cards present in the Amiga 1000 EPG Sr. models, each Amiga 2000 featured a UV Corp. UVGEN video genlock card and a Zephyrus Electronics Ltd model 100C audio demodulator/switcher card.

1990s

Prevue Channel

Prevue Channel

Beginning in late March of 1993, Prevue Networks, Inc. overhauled the Prevue Guide software once again, this time to modernize the visual presentation of its on-screen listings. Still operating on Amiga 2000 hardware, the old design's black background and white text separated by colored grid lines gave way to a new, embossed-looking blue grid featuring 90 minutes worth of scheduling information per channel. For viewer convenience, the new grid could optionally be configured by local cable operators to momentarily pause its scrolling action after each screenful of listings. A large graphical Prevue Guide logo also began appearing between each listings cycle, replacing the local weather conditions graphic which appeared in the same location previously. By late 1993, Previe Guide was re-branded Prevue Channel, and an updated channel logo was unveiled to match. In 1996, the Prevue Channel logo was updated with a ringed planet-like design, and in 1998, the word "prevue" in that new logo lost its classic, upper case Dodger-like font face in favor of a more generic, all-lower case italicized one.

In 1996, Prevue Networks, Inc. expanded beyond its Prevue Channel operation by introducing their first set top terminal-integrated digital IPG, Prevue Interactie, designed for the General Instruments DCT 1000. It was launched as part of TCI's first digital cable service offerings.

In 1997, Prevue Networks, Inc. and United Video Satellite Group launched Prevue Online, an internet web site providing local TV listings, audio/video interviews, and weather forecasts. Another web site, PrevueNet, was also launched to provide more history and useful information for the Prevue Channel, as well as for Sneak Prevue, UVTV, WGN Chicago, and WPIX New York.

Also in 1997, Prevue Channel became the first electronic program guide to show TV Ratings. They were shown alongside program titles in both the blue grid itself, and in the supplimentary scheduling information adjacent videos presented in the top half of the screen.

The new blue grid version of the Prevue Channel software was as crash-prone as previous ones. Flashing red Amiga guru meditation errors (with the raw satellite feed's dual promo windows and national satellite listings grid showing through from behind them) remained a frequent sight on many cable systems throughout the United States and Canada. While Prevue Networks' software engineers released regular patches to correct bugs, it simultaneously became clear that an entirely new hardware platform would soon be needed. New Amiga 2000 hardware was no longer being manufactured by Commodore, which filed for bankruptcy in 1994, and Prevue Networks along with many cable system operators had begun resorting to cannibalizing parts from second-hand dealers of used Amiga hardware in order to continue supplying and maintaining operational units.

TV Guide Channel

File:GoldTVGuide.png

First edition of TV Guide Channel, featuring its new yellow grid.

In February of 1999, United Video Satellite Group, the parent company of Prevue Networks, Inc., bought TV Guide for $2 billion in stock and cash. By midyear, new graphics were in place, officially renaming Prevue Channel TV Guide Channel. In early October, Gemstar International Group Ltd. purchased United Video Satellite Group. Finally, in December, a new yellow grid replaced the blue grid that had presented channel listings to viewers for the past six years.

With the debut of TV Guide Channel's yellow grid, all remaining vestiges of Prevue Channel had been eliminated: the Amiga-based hardware infrastructure was decommissioned, and purpose-built, Windows NT/2000 PCs employing custom-designed video/audio expansion cards were installed. With this new infrastructure additionally came the ability for local cable companies to perform silent remote administration of all their installations' locally-customizable features, making live, on-screen guide maintenance interruptions by cable system technicians a thing of the past.

Some cable companies continued using the older, Amiga-based blue grid version of the software until it was completely phased out in January of 2000.

2000s

TV Guide Channel from 2003-2004, picturing one of its shows, and its return to a blue colored grid.

File:Guide04-06.png

TV Guide Channel from 2004-2006, with graphics similar to TV Guide Interactive

Once Prevue Channel completed its transition to TV Guide Channel, the programming it featured changed drastically. Frequent 'shows' were added, lasting anywhere from minutes to a couple of hours. Starting in 2005, Joan Rivers and her daughter Melissa Rivers began providing coverage for televised awards ceremonies such as The Emmy Awards and The Academy Awards. In 2007, the mother-daughter duo were unceremoniously dropped by TV Guide in favor of Lisa Rinna. Later, in 2007, Rinna was joined by fellow Dancing with the Stars alumni Joey Fatone. On July 29, 2009, TV Guide announced that Rinna and Fatone had been replaced by Hollywood 411, presented by The Bachelor host Chris Harrison and Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

Also with the transition from Prevue Channel to TV Guide Channel, the nature of the service's scrolling listings grid began to change. During broadcasts of the channel's original primetime series as well as during red carpet awards ceremony coverage, programming started appearing almost entirely full-screen, with a transparent, non-scrolling, two-line version of the channel's regular listings grid occupying only the extreme bottom of the frame. Semi-regular stylistic re-designs of the scrolling grid also began occurring. Support for graphical ads and promotions by local cable providers within the scrolling grid was additionally added, and providers' logos appeared at the ends and beginnings of each grid listings cycle. This provider branding was often accompanied by local weather conditions.

Because of Gemstar-TV Guide's dominant position within the television listings market, listings for TV Guide Channel's own original programming began to appear on the topmost lines of most TV listings web sites to which the company provided listings data, regardless of which channel number any given cable system carried it on. This also became the case with the print version of TV Guide.

Rather than purchasing TV Guide Channel carriage rights, some services such as IO Digital Cable and Bright House Networks created their own scrolling listings grids, with IO's occasionally interrupted by full-screen commercials, and otherwise featuring banner ads accompanied by music. Bright House Networks' version featured a video inlay of a local news station instead of banner ads, with its overall on-screen presentation otherwise matching that of IO's.

DirecTV did not begin carrying the TV Guide Channel until 2004, and began carrying it in an entirely full-screen format (without the bottom listings grid) in 2005. This was also the case with DISH Network, which aired the network in full-screen format to avoid duplication of its set top receiver-integrated IPG, also provided by Gemstar-TV Guide.

TV Guide Network

File:TVGuide.png

Current version of TV Guide Network

On April 30, 2007, Gemstar-TV Guide announced that beginning June 4, 2007, TV Guide Channel would be re-branded TV Guide Network. According to its press release, the move was intended to reflect "the continued evolution of the Channel from primarily a utility service to a more fully-developed television guidance and entertainment network with a continued commitment to high quality programming."

On May 2, 2008, Gemstar-TV Guide was acquired by Macrovision. Macrovision, which purchased Gemstar-TV Guide mostly to boost the value of its lucrative VCR+ and electronic program guide patents, later stated that they were possibly looking to sell both TV Guide Network and the TV Guide print edition's namesake to other parties. On December 18 of that year, Macrovision announced that it had found a willing party for TV Guide Network in One Equity Partners. The transaction included tvguide.com, with Macrovision retaining the IPG service.

At the beginning of January 2009, the print edition of TV Guide quietly removed its listings for TV Guide Network (along with its listings for several other networks) over what the magazine's management described as "space concerns". In actuality, the two entities had been forced apart by their new, individual owners, with promotions for the network ending in the magazine, and vice versa. TV Guide magazine journalists also no longer appeared on TV Guide Network. The top-line "plug" for the Network did, however, remain intact on the web sites of internet-based listings providers using TV Guide's EPG listings.

The TV Guide Network has purchased the rights to air reruns of Ugly Betty on cable television.

Color Schemes

Current Genre Color Coding

TV Guide Network's truncated listings grid style as seen during full-screen programming. (Seen in the screen capture, taken while the network still identified as "TV Guide Channel," are Joan and Melissa Rivers.) Note that program titles still show with the same genre coloring as when the grid is presented in its non-compacted state.)

File:TV Guide Interactive.jpg

The similar visual styling of TV Guide's set top box-integrated IPG service, TV Guide Interactive. Program genre coloring roughly matches that used on TV Guide Network.

On both TV Guide Network and in Gemstar-TV Guide's set top box-integrated IPG service (TV Guide Interactive), program genres are indicated on-screen by color:

• Normal Programming: Gray (in IPG, dark blue)
• Children's Shows: Light blue
• Sports Programming: Green
• Movies: Red on regular channels, purple on pay-per-view channels (in IPG, purple on all channels)

On TV Guide Network itself, during the weeks prior to the Emmys, shows that have been nominated are also highlighted in gold. The same gold highlighting can be seen during the lead-up to the Oscars, except only for movies that have won in the past. Titles for other special shows, like those that are a part of Discovery Channel's Shark Week, have a bubbly-water graphical scheme. During the lead-up to Halloween, horror movie titles feature spiderwebs in their schemes, and Holiday movie titles listed during December are blue and snow-covered. Similar important shows and/or premieres have other special graphical schemes added to their grid cells.

Grid Color History

For the EPG/Prevue Guide/Prevue Channel/TV Guide Channel/TV Guide Network channel, the following colors have been used for the listings grid:

• Black (during the Amiga-based EPG and Prevue Guide years prior to mid-1993)
• Navy blue (during the Amiga-based Prevue Channel years of 1993-1999)
• Yellow (during the TV Guide Channel years of 1999-2002)
• Blue (during the TV Guide Channel years of 2003-2004)
• Teal green (during the TV Guide Channel years of 2004-2005)
• Grey (during the TV Guide Channel/TV Guide Network years of 2005-present)

Between the late 1980s and 1993, during the black grid period, the normally black background color of listings would appear red for premium movie networks, and light grey for pay-per-view networks and program-by-program channel summaries. From 1993 to 1996, during the navy blue grid period, the same was true except that pay-per-view networks appeared with light blue backgrounds. Pay-per-view still appeared with light grey backgrounds when shown in program-by-program channel summaries, however.

Grid color variations based upon programming genre did not appear until 1996, when between then and 1999, listings for pay-per-view networks were switched from light blue to red backgrounds (as with premium movie channels), with light blue then being used for movies and various special events on all channels.

Beginning in 1999 with the debut of the yellow grid, genre-based color variations were expanded and standardized. Sporting events appeared with green backgrounds, and movies on all networks were given red backgrounds (with the exception of those on pay-per-view networks, which had purple backgrounds). Special events no longer shared the same background color as movies. Starting in 2004, children's programming began appearing with light blue backgrounds.

Programming

Main article: List of programs broadcast by TV Guide Network

In addition to paid programming that airs from late morning-early afternoon, along with reruns of programs such as Punk'd and American Idol Rewind, the TV Guide Network has many original series that air during primetime.

• The Fashion Team (2007-present)

-Hosted by Daphne Brogdon and Lawrence Tevrizian

• TV Watercooler (2006-2009) - A weekly recap of TV's noteworthy shows and moments.

-Hosted by John Fugelsang and Teresa Strasser (Debra Wilson was a former co-host)

• America's Next Producer (2007) - TV and video producers compete to see who possesses the skills to create a hit show. Contestants take a concept through the development process, while attempting to avoid elimination. The winner receives $100,000 and a TV Guide Network deal.

• Hollywood 411 (2008-present) - Daily entertainment news magazine show covering TV, film and music, as well as Hollywood news. Lasts an hour.

-Hosted by: Madison Michele and Chris Harrison; Entertainment reporters include Megan Tevrizian and Marc Istook

• InFANity (2007-present) - A comprehensive look at a particular TV series, featuring cast interviews; set visits; stars' off-screen activities; fans' questions; and plot previews.

-Hosted by Lisa Joyner

• Look-a-Like (2005-present) - Everyday people get Hollywood-style makeovers to look like their favorite celebrities.

• TV Guide Close Up (2004-present) - Informative and fun one hour biographies on your favorite TV and film stars.

• Hollywood 411 on Set (2009-present) - Set visits and behind-the-scenes info on the latest movies, profiling three each show.

• Reality Chat (2006-present) - Weekly talk show dedicated to the reality TV phenomenon.

-Hosted by Rosanna Tavarez and Sadie Murray (Kimberly Caldwell was a former co-host from 2006-2008)

• Idol Chat & Idol Tonight- Discusses each week's American Idol, and highlights (and lowlights) of the previous show, featuring analysis of the judging and fashions as well as the performers and performances. Also: interviews with defeated contestants.

-Hosted by Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini (Rosanna Tavarez was a former co-host from 2006-2008)

• Hollywood Showdown (2006-2008) - Repeats of episodes originally seen in 2000 on PAX (now ION Television) and Game Show Network; contestants field questions on film, TV, and music for cash prizes. Hosted by Todd Newton.

• Celebrity Says! (2008) - A game show in which contestants try to predict what various celebrities said during various red carpet interviews, vying for a chance at $5,000 in cash. Hosted by Dave Holmes.

• What's on DVD (2006-present) - A preview of upcoming releases on DVD.

• Making News: Texas Style (:27 and :57 past the hour) (2007-2008) - Follows news anchors at TV stations in the state of Texas. During the first season, the anchors of Odessa, Texas CBS affiliate KOSA were featured (some episodes also featured an anchor at the market's NBC affiliate, KWES). The second season followed anchors at the duopoly of WJCL and WTGS, the ABC and Fox affiliates (respectively) in Savannah, Georgia, as well as long-dominant CBS affiliate WTOC and NBC affiliate WSAV, from time to time). The second season was called Making News: Savannah Style. With the sale of the network to Lionsgate, the series' fate is currently unknown.

• Michael Jackson Documentaries - Various hour-long and half-hour documentaries discussing the life of the late pop and R&B singer. Reruns of these documentaries have made up the bulk of TV Guide Network's summer 2009 programming following his death.

Slogans

Prevue Guide and Prevue Channel

• Just what you're looking for. (1988-1992)
• We are what's on (1992-1995)
• Prevue... See what's on (1995-1997; secondary)
• Prevue First! (1998-1999 secondary)
• Before you view, Prevue! (1993 to 1995; alternate, 1995-1999; primary)

TV Guide Channel/Network

• Change the way you channel (1999-2001)
• Don't miss a thing (2001-2004)
• Original shows, original channel, TV Guide Channel. (2004-2007)
• America's Television Headquarters (2007-present)
• Original shows, original network, TV Guide Network (2007-present; secondary)

Sneak Prevue

The Prevue Channel spun-off another network, exclusively for pay-per-view programming, Sneak Prevue in 1991. TV Guide ceased operations of Sneak Prevue in 2002.

External links

• Official Site
• PrevueNet in the Internet Archive