Prime Time Entertainment Network

The Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN) was an American television network that was operated by the Prime Time Consortium, a joint venture between the Warner Bros. Domestic Television subsidiary of Time Warner and Chris-Craft Industries. First launched on January 20, 1993, and operating until 1997, the network mainly aired drama programs aimed at adults between the ages of 18 and 54. At its peak, PTEN's programming was carried on 177 television stations, covering 93% of the country.[1]

Prime Time Entertainment Network
TypeDefunct broadcast television network
CountryUnited States
AffiliatesList of affiliates
Programming
Picture format480i (NTSC)
Ownership
OwnerWarner Bros. Domestic Television
Chris-Craft Industries
ParentPrime Time Consortium
History
LaunchedJanuary 20, 1993 (1993-01-20)
ClosedOctober 27, 1997 (1997-10-27)
(4 years, 280 days)
Replaced byThe WB
UPN

History

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Origins

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At the time of PTEN's founding, co-owner Chris-Craft Industries owned independent television stations in several large and mid-sized U.S. cities (among them its two largest stations, WWOR-TV in New York City and KCOP-TV in Los Angeles) through its BHC Communications and United Television divisions, which formed the nuclei of the network.[2]

PTEN was launched in 1993 as a potential fifth television network (the second since the demise of Star Television Network, launched in 1990, but shutdown the year after, in 1991), and was created in reaction to the launch of the Fox network (which debuted in October 1986, seven years before PTEN launched) as well as the successes of first-run syndicated programming during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It offered packaged nights of programming to participating television stations, beginning with a two-hour block on Wednesday evenings, with a second block (originally airing on Saturday, before moving to Monday for the 1994-95 season) being added in September 1993.[3] Originally, the station groups involved in the Prime Time Consortium helped finance PTEN's programs; however, that deal was restructured at the beginning of the network's second year.

The service sought affiliations with various television stations not affiliated with the Big Three television networks. However, close to half of PTEN's initial affiliates were stations that were already affiliated with Fox; as a result, these stations usually scheduled PTEN programming around Fox's then five-night prime time schedule (although Fox would expand its schedule to seven nights with the addition of programming on Tuesdays and Wednesdays on January 19, 1993, the day before PTEN launched). PTEN launched on January 20, 1993, with two series: the science fiction series Time Trax and the action drama Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.[2]

Demise

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PTEN faced two obstacles created by its parent companies which would affect the network. On November 2, 1993, the Warner Bros. Entertainment division of Time Warner announced that it would form its own fifth network, The WB, as a joint venture with the Tribune Company,[4] Six days earlier, on October 27, Chris-Craft Industries announced the launch of the United Paramount Network (UPN), in a programming partnership with Paramount Television division of Viacom (which would become part-owner of the network in 1996). As a result, the core Chris-Craft independent stations (as well as those owned by Paramount) would serve as charter stations of the new network; Chris-Craft also chose to pull out of the partnership to focus on operating UPN.

The network also faced issues from some PTEN-affiliated stations that took issue with the network's barter split, which gave nine minutes of advertising time per hour to the syndicator, leaving only five minutes for the stations to sell and program locally. PTEN also ran into difficulty when the studio was forced to let stations out of their back-end commitments for several series. PTEN adopted a variable schedule for the 1995-1996 season, for affiliates to schedule around The WB and UPN's programming on the night of their choosing. With Chris-Craft pulling out of the venture, PTEN essentially became a syndication service for its remaining shows, before ceasing operations altogether in 1997. One of the two series that aired during the service's final year of operation, the science fiction drama Babylon 5, would later be revived by TNT, where it aired for a fifth and final season beginning in 1998.

Programming

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Former programming

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Series

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Films and mini-series

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Affiliates

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City of license / Market Station[6] Channel
Albany, NY WXXA-TV 23
Alexandria, LA K47DW 47
Amarillo, TX KCIT 14
Anchorage, AK KYES 5
Atlanta, GA WATL 36
Augusta, GA WFXG 54
Augusta, GA WJBF 6
Bainbridge, GA WTLH 49
Bakersfield, CA KUZZ-TV 45
Baltimore, MD WNUV 54
Baton Rouge, LA WGMB 44
Billings, MT KSVI 6
Birmingham, AL WABM 68
Bloomington, IL WYZZ-TV 43
BloomingtonIndianapolis, IN WTTV 4
Boise, ID KTRV-TV 12
Boston, MA WSBK-TV 38
Bryan, TX KYLE[A] 28
Buffalo, NY WUTV 29
Cadillac, MI WGKI 33
Cape Coral, FL WFTX 36
Cape Girardeau, MO KBSI 23
Cedar Rapids, IA KOCR 28
Charleston, WV WVAH-TV 11
Charlotte, NC WJZY 46
Charlottesville, VA WVIR-TV 29
Chico, CA KCVU 30
Cincinnati, OH WSTR-TV 64
ClevelandCantonAkron, OH WUAB 43
Colorado Springs, CO KXRM-TV 21
Columbia, SC WACH 57
Columbus, GA WLTZ 38
Columbus, OH WBNS-TV 10
Corpus Christi, TX K47DF 47
Danville, KY WDKY-TV 56
Davenport, IA KLJB-TV 18
Dayton WKEF 22
Denver KDVR 31
Derry WNDS 50
Des Moines KDSM-TV 17
Detroit WXON 20
Dothan WDHN 18
El Centro KECY-TV 9
El Paso KCIK-TV 14
Elmira WETM-TV 18
Eureka KBVU-TV 29
Evansville WFIE 14
Fairbanks K07UU 7
Fargo KVRR 15
Flint WSMH 66
Fort Collins KFCT[B] 22
Fort Pierce WTVX 34
Fort Smith KPBI-LP 46
Fort WorthDallas, TX KTXA 21
Gary, INChicago, IL WPWR-TV 50
Grand Rapids WXMI 17
Great Falls KFBB-TV 5
Green BayAppleton, WI WGBA 26
Green BayAppleton, WI WACY 32
GreensboroHigh PointWinston-Salem, NC WGGT[C] 48
Greenville WYDO[D] 14
HartfordNew Haven WTIC-TV 61
Helena K21DU[E] 21
HendersonLas Vegas KVVU-TV 5
Hilo KHBC-TV[F] 2
Honolulu KHNL 13
Houston KTXH 20
Huntsville WZDX 54
Jackson, MS WAPT 16
Jackson, TN WMTU 16
Jacksonville WNFT 47
Jamestown KJRR 7
Johnstown WWCP-TV 8
Kansas City KSMO-TV 62
Kingsport, TN WKPT-TV 19
Kingsport, TN W30AP 30
Kirksville, MOOttumwa, IA KTVO 3
Knoxville WKCH-TV/WTNZ 43
Kokomo WTTK[G] 29
Lafayette, LA KLAF-LD 46
Lansing WSYM-TV 47
Little Rock KLRT-TV 16
Louisville WDRB 41
Los Angeles KCOP-TV 13
Lubbock KJTV-TV 34
Lynchburg WJPR[H] 21
Madison WMSN-TV 47
Memphis WLMT 30
Miami WDZL 39
Midland, Texas KPEJ 24
Milwaukee WVTV 18
Minneapolis KMSP-TV 9
Mobile WPMI-TV 15
Monroe KARD-TV 14
Montgomery WCOV-TV 20
Morehead City WFXI 8
Nashville WZTV 17
New Orleans WNOL-TV 38
Ocala WOGX 51
Oklahoma City KOCB 34
Omaha KPTM 42
Orlando WOFL 35
Panama City WPGX 28
Pembina KNRR[I] 12
Philadelphia WPHL-TV 17
Phoenix KUTP 45
Pittsburgh WPTT-TV 22
Plattsburgh W27BI/WWBI-LP 27
Portland, ME WPXT 51
Portland, OR KPTV 12
PortsmouthNorfolk, VA WGNT 27
Providence, RINew Bedford, MA WNAC-TV 64
RaleighDurhamFayetteville, NC WLFL 22
Reno KAME-TV 21
Richmond WRLH-TV 35
Roanoke WFXR-TV 27
Rochester, NY WUHF-TV 31
Sacramento KRBK-TV/KPWB-TV 31
Salina KAAS-TV[J] 18
Salinas KCBA 35
Salt Lake City KJZZ-TV 14
San Angelo K55AA[K] 55
San Antonio, TX KRRT 35
San FranciscoOaklandSan Jose, CA KBHK-TV 44
Santa Fe, NM KASA-TV 2
Santa Maria, CA KCOY-TV 12
Savannah, GA WJCL 22
Secaucus, NJNew York, NY WWOR-TV 9
Shreveport, LA KMSS-TV 33
Spokane, WA KHQ-TV 6
Springfield, IL WRSP-TV 55
Springfield, MO KDEB-TV 27
St. Louis, MO KPLR-TV 11
St. PetersburgTampa, FL WTOG 44
Sweetwater, TX KTXS-TV 12
Syracuse, NY WSYT 68
TacomaSeattle, WA KSTW 11
Thief River Falls, MN KBRR[L] 10
TijuanaSan Diego, CA XETV 6
Toledo WUPW 36
Tucson KTTU-TV 18
Urbana WCCU[M] 27
Visalia, CA KMPH-TV 26
Waco, TX KWKT-TV 44
Wailuku, HI KOGG[N] 15
Washington, DC WDCA 20
Waterbury, CT WTXX 20
Wichita, KS KSAS-TV 24
Wichita Falls, TX KJTL 18
Winston-Salem, NC WNRW 45
Vanderbilt, MI WGKU[O] 45
Yakima, WA K53CY 53
York, PA WPMT 43
  1. ^ Satellite of KWKT.
  2. ^ Satellite of KDVR.
  3. ^ Satellite of WNRW.
  4. ^ Satellite of WFXI.
  5. ^ Satellite of KFBB-TV.
  6. ^ Satellite of KHNL.
  7. ^ Satellite of WTTV.
  8. ^ Satellite of WFXR-TV.
  9. ^ Satellite of KVRR.
  10. ^ Satellite of KSAS-TV.
  11. ^ Satellite of KTXS-TV.
  12. ^ Satellite of KVRR.
  13. ^ Satellite of WRSP-TV.
  14. ^ Satellite of KHNL.
  15. ^ Satellite of WGKI.

References

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  1. ^ Susan King (January 23, 1994). "Space, 2258, in the Year 1994". Los Angeles Times. p. 4. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Jim Benson (May 28, 1993). "Warner weblet to 2-night sked". Variety. Cahners Business Information.
  3. ^ Mike Freeman (May 31, 1993). "PTEN goes to two evenings, sort of". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. p. 16.
  4. ^ Time Warner TV Network to Cover 40% of Nation, The Buffalo News, November 2, 1993.
  5. ^ B, M (March 6, 1995). "Rock 'n' roll finds home on Internet" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. p. 34. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Lee Whiteside (April 6, 1995). "B5: Babylon 5 TV Station List/Times updated!". rec.arts.sf.tv. Google Groups. Retrieved November 27, 2006.
  • Mike Freeman (January 17, 1994). "Lots of action in action-adventure genre". Broadcasting & Cable.
  • Mike Freeman (August 29, 1994). "Action escalates For Syndicators". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information.
  • David Tobenkin (April 24, 1995). "Fate of WB's 'Pointman' undecided". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information.
  • Lee Whiteside (April 6, 1995). "B5: Babylon 5 TV Station List/Times updated!". rec.arts.sf.tv. Google Groups. Retrieved November 27, 2006.