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Cable Programming's Top 50

Thirty years ago, a TV revolution began when HBO went up on satellite. To commemorate this event, CableWORLD selected what it feels are the top 50 satellite-delivered shows, televised events and moments of the past 30 years.

By Craig Leddy and the CableWORLD editorial staff

When Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier touched gloves on Sept. 30, 1975, to begin the heavyweight fight known as The Thrilla in Manila, a communications revolution was being touched off halfway around the world.

In Vero Beach, Fla., cable executives and technology leaders gathered to watch the fight (won by Ali) on HBO, the first cable network to be distributed commercially by satellite. For many, this is the most important event in the history of cable.

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HBO's delivery on the Westar 1 satellite marked the beginning of the modern era of cable television. No longer constrained by its Earthbound coaxial wires, microwave antennas and archaic distribution systems, cable could leap over mountains, oceans and vast distances to become a truly national-and international-communications medium.

The significance wasn't lost on some clever entrepreneurs, media mavens and nascent TV programmers. Within five years, USA Network, Showtime, ESPN, MTV, BET, C-SPAN, CBN, Bravo and Nickelodeon went airborne. Ted Turner took a small UHF TV station and turned it into the first satellite-delivered "superstation," today's TBS, and then launched the first 24-hour news network, CNN.

The next five years would further expand cable programming choices with launches that included Disney, Lifetime, Playboy, The Weather Channel, Discovery Channel, HSN, Nashville Network (now Spike TV), A&E, AMC and pay-per-view. The number of cable franchises multiplied as cable companies raced to wire America.

Satellite-delivered cable was first demonstrated at the 1973 NCTA convention, The Cable Center says. Among the cable pioneers responsible for the advance were Gerald Levin of HBO, Sidney Topol of Scientific-Atlanta, Robert Rosencrans, who carried the 1975 fight on two Florida systems, and Monte Rifkin, whose ATC carried it in Jackson, Miss.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of HBO's satellite launch and the dawn of cable's modern age, veteran cable writer and analyst Craig Leddy and CableWORLD editors assembled this list of the top cable programs, events and moments made possible by cable and satellite communications.

These 50 have made cable the all-pervasive medium that it is today. We'd like to hear your choices and comments on our selections. Please e-mail us at: cableworld@accessintel.com.

Selection Criteria

Theatrical movie releases, although a leading part of cable, were not included on our list. Local and regional programs, while also important, were not included since their development was not primarily dependent upon satellite communications. To narrow the field, selections were made based upon all or some of the following criteria:

Historical significance-a milestone or breakthrough in TV programming.

Industry implications-significance for the cable industry as a whole.

Originality-a new concept, innovation or leader in its genre.

Popularity-high ratings, critical acclaim, longevity or cultural notoriety.

Memorable-it's easily recognizable.

1. Live From Baghdad: First Night of Gulf War Coverage (CNN)

This was our toughest call on a list of tough calls: Bernie Shaw, John Holliman and Peter Arnett or Tony Soprano? Some argue the importance of CNN's Gulf reports far surpasses New Jersey's most famous family. Yet even The New York Times dubbed The Sopranos a cultural icon and politically correct NCTA features the HBO series prominently in a recent ad campaign about cable's gifts to the country-but the ad mentions cable news first. As the opening salvos of the 1991 Gulf War fell around them, Shaw, Holliman, Arnett and other CNN staffers provided vivid descriptions in cable's defining moment as a global communicator.

2. The Sopranos (HBO)

A vocal contingent in our editorial offices argued that CNN's coverage can't be No. 1 since the influence of cable news, while impressive, doesn't even dent broadcast news numbers. The pro-CNN camp retorts that The Sopranos' influence is limited a bit by being on premium cable. Still, the success of The Sopranos totally changed the game for broadcast networks (remember Bob Wright's memo to NBC's minions to develop shows like it?). It's also had a halo effect on cable nets, raising their game (FX, most notably) and redefining why HBO (and, by extension, cable) isn't "just television." As Tony would say, ya gotta problem wid dat?

3. ESPN Sunday Night Football

In 1987, cable moved into the big leagues of televised sports when ESPN paid $153 million for a National Football League prime-time rights package, a precursor of dozens of sports to come cable's way.

4. Nicktoons (Nickelodeon)

Nicktoons was the name originally given to an animated block in 1991 that included Doug, Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy, which sparked a wave of animated staples of American youth and consistent cable ratings.

Technology Industry

Cable Programming's Top 50

Cable World, Sept 26, 2005

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