35 years ago today, the Madison Square Garden Network relaunches as USA Network

[Vahan]

It was 35 years ago today, on Wednesday January 3, 1979, that the Madison Square Garden Network relaunched as USA Network. It was the result of a joint operating agreement by cable provider UA-Columbia Cablevision and the then-MCA Inc./Universal City Studios.

At first, it was more or less the same as its predecessor by running a mix of college and less well-known professional sports similar to ESPN. The channel began its broadcast day after 5 p.m. ET on weekdays and 12 p.m. ET on weekends. That fall, USA began signing on at 12 p.m. ET on weekdays and began to run some talk shows and a children's program called Calliope. In the fall of 1981, USA began its daily programming at 6 a.m. ET, with talk shows and children's programs until 12 p.m., sports from 12 p.m. onward during weekends and until 3 p.m. weekdays, talk shows from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays, and sports again after 6 p.m. ET.

Then in 1982, Time Inc. and Gulf+Western's Paramount Pictures unit bought 50% of the network, with MCA maintaining the other 50%. As a result of the buyout, USA began running everything from talk shows, to children's programs, to low-budget movies. Weekday evenings featured classic cartoons that were part of USA Cartoon Express, with sports programming after 7 p.m. Weekends had a mix of movies, some older drama series and talk shows during the morning hours, and sports in the afternoons and evenings. Overnights consisted of old low-budget films and film shorts, and music as part of a show called Night Flight.

From 1984 to 1986, USA began slowly moving away from sports programming to showcase programs not shown anywhere else. One of these was the beginning of game shows, starting in October 1984 with The Gong Show and Make me Laugh. In September 1985, the network began airing a revival of the mid-1970s game show Jackpot, and another original show was added in September 1986: Love Me, Love Me Not. More shows were progressively added soon after such as The Joker's Wild, Tic-Tac-Dough, Press Your Luck, High Rollers, and Hollywood Squares with John Davidson, along with Wipeout, Face the Music and Name That Tune. Another original game show was added in June 1987, called Bumper Stumpers. When it began, the game show block ran for an hour, but expanded significantly the following year. By 1989, the network ran game shows from 12 to 5 p.m. five days a week.

The tradition of game show reruns continued into the 1990s with the $25,000 and $100,000 Pyramids, the early 1990s revivals of The Joker's Wild and Tic-Tac-Dough plus other well-known shows such as Scrabble, Sale of the Century, Talk About and Caesars Challenge. Additionally, two more original shows were added in June 1994: Free 4 All and Quicksilver. The block was decreased in September 1991 to only three hours, from 2 to 5 p.m. However, another hour was added in March 1993. In November 1994, it was cut back to only two hours, from 2 to 4 p.m. On September 24, 1992, USA launched a sister network, the Sci Fi Channel, which in July 2009 was renamed Syfy.

In October of 1995, USA did away with the afternoon game shows, and replaced it with USA Live, which featured reruns of The People's Court and Love Connection. That block ended in 1997.

In 1997, three years after the Paramount/Viacom merger, that company sold its stake in the networks to Universal. Seagrams/Universal subsequently sold the networks to Barry Diller. In exchange, Seagram acquired a 45% stake in Diller's HSN conglomerate, creating USA Networks, Inc.

In 2000, USA Networks bought Canadian media company North American Television, Inc. (a joint partnership between the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Power Corporation of Canada), owner of cable television channels Trio and Newsworld International (the CBC continued to program NWI until 2005, when eventual USA owner Vivendi sold the channel to a group led by Al Gore, who relaunched it as Current TV).

In 2001, USA Networks sold its non-shopping television and film assets (including the USA Network, the Sci Fi Channel, the Trio channel, USA Films (which was rechristened as Focus Features) and Studios USA) to Vivendi Universal. USA and the other channels were folded into Vivendi's Universal Television Group. The comedy-drama police procedural Monk made its debut in 2002 and became one of USA Network's first breakout hit series, it ran for eight seasons until it ended on December 4, 2009.

In 2003, General Electric's NBC agreed to acquire an 80% ownership interest in Vivendi Universal's North American-based filmed entertainment assets, including Universal Pictures and Universal Television Group in a multi-billion dollar purchase, renaming the merged company NBC Universal. NBC Universal officially took over as owner of USA and its sibling cable channels (except for Newsworld International, as stated above) in 2004. That year, USA premiered the sci-fi series The 4400.

In 2011, control and majority ownership of then-parent NBCUniversal passed from General Electric to Comcast. Comcast would purchase GE's stock in NBCU two years later.

And that's the history of USA Network.

Some of you may be asking what are my thoughts on USA Network's as a whole.

Well, let's just say that my fondest memories were watching the USA Cartoon Express, the afternoon game shows (my favorite being Press Your Luck), and a lot of the movies they would show. I think the channel slowly started going downhill when they got rid of the game shows. But the final nail in the coffin came when Barry Diller took over in 1998, predating the NBC-Universal buyout by five years. Unfortunately, much to my dismay, Barry Diller made the network more popular than ever.

And I leave you now with a history of USA Network logos, dating back to 1979.


1979-1996 logo. Slogans used:
1979-1989: It's a Great Place to Stay/America's All Entertainment Cable Network
1989-1993: America's Favorite Cable Network
1993-1996: The Remote Stops Here


1996-1999 logo. Slogan used:
The Cure for the Common Show


1999-2005 logo. Slogan used:
You are Here


Current logo. Slogan used:
Characters Welcome

[installLSC]

Isn't there a regional sports network called MSG Network still running in the New York area? Was it a different name before 1979, and are the current network and USA related in any way?

[visaman666]

Yes. Yes. No.

[UMFaninMD]

USA was great in the late 80's and early 90's. I really enjoyed Saturday Nightmares, Commander USA and Up All Night where they would air obscure horror/comedy/action movies. The programming was all over the place, like local cable access and it was a blast. And I loved the game show blocks too.

[tlc38tlc38]

I'm not sure of the exact year(s) but I used to love watching "Carol Burnett and Friends". I used to record all of "The Family" sketches!

[simmytbone]

I use to LOVE USA back in the 80's and 90's

Hey, USA was the place for Barry & Enright Game Shows The NEW Tic Tac Dough, The Joker's Wild, Hot Potato, Play the Percentages, Bumper Stumpers and BULLSEYE

However, USA only aired reruns of the Bill Cullen Version and not the Jack Barry Version

GSN however aired reruns of the Jack Barry Versions (CBS and syndication) something that USA never did, but USA aired the 1st Season of the Bill Cullen Era, something that GSN has never done and I'm still trying to figure out why and also, CBN nor USA has ever aired the Jim Caldwell Version, but GSN did

also, when Vince McMahon and his company Titan Sports got control of the World Wide Wrestling Federation from his father Vincent J. McMahon, he turned WWWF into the WWF-World Wrestling Federation and now World Wrestling Entertainment (since 2002) and he put wrestling on Cable TV (Ted Turner put Wrestling on SuperStation WTBS which later became SuperStation TBS) and in 1983, WWF/WWE began airing on USA Network and that's when Vinnie Mac Debut All American Wrestling and also USA aired Prime Time Wrestling w/the late Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan as well as The Bobby Heenan Show and in 1993, that's when Vinnie Mac decided to take it one step further and he created a program that would become the Flagship of the WWE and that show is Monday Night RAW which in 21 years old this year and w/the success of RAW, he Created Saturday Morning Livewire, Sunday Morning Superstars and Sunday Night Heat

WWE left USA in the year 2000 after 17 years and Vince signed with VIACOM for 5 years and put all WWE Programming on The NEW TNN and Heat on MTV and later on The NEW TNN in 2003 and the network would later become Spike TV and in 2005, Vince McMahon ended hi 5 year partnership with VIACOM and moved RAW BACK to the USA Network

USA Network even aired reruns of Saved by the Bell: The New Class and even aired Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills (which now airs on this TV Network) and even aired reruns of Classic TV Sitcoms like The Facts of Life, Webster, Perfect Strangers, Gimme a Break!, Wings, Get a Life, Doctor Doctor, The John Larroquette Show, America's Funniest Home Videos w/Bob Saget and many others

Plus, CBN, USA Network and Game Show Network aired reruns of The Original Chain Reaction w/the late Bill Cullen and sub-host Geoff Edwards (who also hosted the USA Original Version), CBN and GSN aired reruns of GO-The Spin-off of Chain Reaction, however, USA Network has never aired reruns of GO

USA Network was also the 1st Cable Network to air reruns of The Original American Gladiators but they aired the 1st 4 Seasons which has the original theme by Bull Conti and they aired reruns of the syndicated version of Win, Lose or Draw

Question:

How come USA has never aired reruns of GO nor the Jack Barry Version of The Joker's Wild?

[Vahan]

Originally Posted by tnawcwvictoriafa

Question:

How come USA has never aired reruns of GO nor the Jack Barry Version of The Joker's Wild?

I wish I knew the answer to that question, but sadly, I don't. Supposedly, the reason GSN skipped over the first season of the Bill Cullen era was because it had a phone contest. No clue as to why it didn't stop USA Network from showing it.

I have something I'd like to share here. This is from the 3/20/1980 edition of Thursday Night NBA Basketball, back when they were still largely a Sports Network. This is, of course, the earliest footage I have ever seen of anything USA Network.

[simmytbone]

Thanks for the clip

also, I was gonna add this:

CBN didn't air reruns of The Joker's Wild and I guess it has something to do with Pat Robertson not liking The Devil?

Who knows

But also, USA and GSN has aired reruns of the syndicated version of Win, Lose or Draw, but they never aired reruns of the Daytime Version w/Vicki Lawrence and sub-host Sally Struthers

I'm trying to find out why

Plus, USA Network had their Tuesday Night Fights and the Sci-Fri Movie

[mets82]

Vahan, you did a good job on this post. I rememeber USA Network in the mid-80s for professional wrestling. I believe it was the Joe Blanchard, Southwest Championship Wrestling and then the WWF with All-American Wrestling, PrimeTime Wrestling which morphed into Monday Night Raw and a bunch of other WWF shows that I remember. Action Zone, Sunday Night Heat, Live Wire etc.


I do also remember USA Network, more or less being all over the place with game shows, talk shows, movies, etc. USA is doing much better now even though they don't show game shows, talk shows and comedies, with the exception of Modern Family.

[simmytbone]

Originally Posted by mets82

Vahan, you did a good job on this post. I rememeber USA Network in the mid-80s for professional wrestling. I believe it was the Joe Blanchard, Southwest Championship Wrestling and then the WWF with All-American Wrestling, PrimeTime Wrestling which morphed into Monday Night Raw and a bunch of other WWF shows that I remember. Action Zone, Sunday Night Heat, Live Wire etc.


I do also remember USA Network, more or less being all over the place with game shows, talk shows, movies, etc. USA is doing much better now even though they don't show game shows, talk shows and comedies, with the exception of Modern Family.

I don't watch too much USA Network these days except for maybe RAW (even though it's not the same RAW as it was in the past and I like The NEW TNN/SPIKE TV Version BETTER than today's RAW), but USA Network and TNT are the TOP 2 Networks on Cable TV

also, USA Network and CBN (now abc family was the 2 places for Game Shows long before the Game Show Network and now GSN

and hey, let's not forget about USA airing Classic Sitcoms like Universal Television's Miami Vice, Murder, She Wrote, Problem Child: The Animated Series, The Equalizer, Airwolf, Magnum, P.I., Knight Rider, Quantum Leap, Coach and The NEW Alfred Hitchcock Presents

and also, Embassy Television's Double Trouble, It's Your Move and The Facts of Life

[Mace Dolex]

I would've liked to have had cable TV in the 80's just to see how they were since I started getting cable in the 90's but when USA in the 90's was really magical.

Saturday nights they had a block called USA Up All Night hosted first by Gilbert Gottfried and later by Rhonda Shear they would show all sorts of weird obscure low budget movies like Toxic Avenger, Surf Nazis Must Die.

The Cartoon Express block was in the morning and afternoon, they would later aquire G.I.Joe, The Real Ghostbusters and TMNT.

[Vahan]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

Saturday nights they had a block called USA Up All Night hosted first by Gilbert Gottfried and later by Rhonda Shear they would show all sorts of weird obscure low budget movies like Toxic Avenger, Surf Nazis Must Die.

Slight correction: It was Gilbert on Saturdays and Rhonda on Fridays.

Also, it was USA Up All Night that replaced Night Flight in January of 1989. For more on its history, refer to this article.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Up_All_Night

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by Vahan

Also, it was USA Up All Night that replaced Night Flight in January of 1989.

And that's when I quit watching USA.

[Vahan]

Charles, you watched Night Flight?

The show returned in Syndication in 1990 with Tom Juarez. After three seasons, it became "best of" episodes from the USA era until 1996.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by Vahan

Charles, you watched Night Flight?

Yes, I had a bunch of episodes on beta Hi-Fi but I have no idea what happened to them.