 Original logo as Satellite Program Network | |
 Logo for network as Tempo Television designed byLandor (1986–1989) | |
| Type | Television network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | United States Puerto Rico |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | SDTV 4:3 |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Southern Satellite Systems (1979–1985) Satellite Syndicated Systems (1985–1986) Tempo Enterprises (1986–1988) NBC (1988–1989) |
| Parent | Satellite Syndicated Systems (1979–1985) |
| Sister channels | Tempol International (SPN International) (1986–1989) |
| History | |
| Launched | July 30, 1979 |
| Founder | Ed Taylor |
| Closed | April 1, 1989 |
| Replaced by | CNBC |
| Former names | Satellite Program Network (SPN) (1979–1986) Tempo Television (1986–1989) |
Satellite Program Network (SPN) was a satellite and cabletelevision network that broadcast in the United States from 1979 to 1989. Following a name change toTempo Television in 1986, it was bought byNBC and relaunched asCNBC in 1989.
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SPN was created by Ed Taylor, an associate ofTed Turner and the head of the Southern Satellite Systems company. The network, which began on July 30, 1979 (on the same time with the premiere ofEat Bulaga! in thePhilippines), was the second-oldest cable-only network.
Among the programs broadcast on SPN wereVideo Concert Hall, an earlymusic video show (before the launch ofMTV);News from Home, a program for Canadians in the US, hosted by earlyCNN news anchor Don Miller;The Shopping Game, a Nicholson-Muirgame show produced inNashville and hosted byArt James;The Susan Noon Show, featuring celebrity interviews;Nutrition Dialogue, hosted by Dr. Betty Kamen;Sewing with Nancy;ThePaul Ryan Show, another celebrity interview program with the actor/interviewer of the same name; andMoscow Meridian, acurrent-affairs program produced bySoviet authorities and hosted byVladimir Posner.Reruns of oldsituation comedies and movies, mostly fromlow-budget studios, rounded out the schedule.
In 1984, theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) paid SPN to broadcast somecollege football games of theDivision I-AA playoffs, including that season'schampionship game,[1] following aSupreme Court ruling (NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma) that halted the NCAA's practice of negotiating television contracts for its members.[2]
In 1985, SPN was acquired bySatellite Syndicated Systems.[3]
On March 8, 1986, Satellite Syndicated Systems changed its name to Tempo Enterprises, and SPN and SPN International were changed to Tempo Television and Tempol International, respectively.[4][5] Tempo Television was a 24-hour national cable network serving all contiguous states,Alaska,Hawaii andPuerto Rico.
Using a counter-programming philosophy, Tempo Television fulfilled viewer needs by dividing its program schedule into various dayparts including international programming, finance, sports, leisure and classic films. Market studies clearly indicated that this unique programming approach attracted and retained upscale audiences who were looking for entertainment that was informative and substantially different from the standard options.[citation needed]
A Canadian regulatory description of the channel in 1988 said that Tempo's "schedule consists of outdoors, travel, general information and entertainment programming and classic feature films that are in the public domain."[6] In May 1988, by which time Tempo had 12 million subscribers, the channel was purchased byNBC, mainly for its existing carriage and not its programming.[7][8] It was relaunched on April 17, 1989, in a new guise as thebusiness news channelCNBC.[9]