Channel America was the first United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 terrestrial broadcast

Broadcasting

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...

 television network

Television network

A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...

 to be intentionally assembled out of LPTV, or low-power television licensees. The network was founded by David Post in 1987 and launched in 1988. It offered a 24-hour feed of mostly inexpensive programming

Television program

A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

, delivered to its affiliate

Affiliate

An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...

 stations, many owned and originally established by the network, via satellite

Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

. In this, it was a model for the American Independent Network

American Independent Network

The American Independent Network was one of the first major attempts at building a television network, consisting of low-powered television stations. Started by Don Shelton, Randy Moseley, and Lynn Synder, it was similar to the older Channel America , and was the foundation for Urban America TV...

 (subsequently succeeded by the rather similar programming of Urban America Television

Urban America Television

Urban America Television was an over-the-air television broadcast network in the United States. According to the company's website, the network had 70 affiliate stations. UATV had a reach of 22 million households in the United States. It was a successor to the earlier American Independent...

) and the somewhat more visible ION Television (formerly PAX), both of which also were largely seen around the United States on LPTV signals and on cable system

Cable television

Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

s required to clear them.

History

Channel America was founded in 1987 by David Post, who had hopes of creating a network with one thousand low-power television stations. The network never reached its goal in terms of affiliates, but still launched in 1988. In late 1995, the network peaked with a reach of 44,000,000 households through 100 affiliates. On September 18, 1995, EVRO Entertainment of Kissimmee, Florida

Kissimmee, Florida

Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...

 acquired a 51% interest in the Channel America Network, with the option to buy the remaining 49%. The new owners had plans to create a sports-themed home shopping network. Many of the Channel America owned and operated stations were sold to PAX prior to the EVRO sale. Most of the affiliates eventually switched to America One

America One

America One is an over-the-air television network in the United States. The network serves over 170 LPTV, Class A, Full Power, Cable and Satellite affiliate stations...

.

Programs

Among the shows on Channel America was Hot Seat

Hot Seat (talk show)

Hot Seat is a syndicated, politically-oriented, though often satirical and comedic television talk-show that began in the early 1980s, hosted by conservative commentator Wally George...

, a talk show

Talk show

A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....

 hosted by Wally George

Wally George

Wally George, born George Walter Pearch , was an American conservative radio and television commentator...

 which was produced by KDOC

KDOC-TV

KDOC-TV is an independent television station based in Orange County, California . The station's transmitter is located on Mount Wilson, California...

 in Anaheim, California

Anaheim, California

Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...

. (Ironically, KDOC never joined the Channel America network). The network also aired several classic shows from Columbia Television. Those shows included Hazel

Hazel (TV series)

Hazel is a Screen Gems television series about a fictional live-in maid named Hazel Burke and her employers, the Baxters. The five-season, 154-episode series aired in primetime from September 1961 until April 1966...

, Gidget

Gidget (TV series)

Gidget is an American sitcom about a surfing, boy-crazy teenager called "Gidget" and her widowed father Russ Lawrence, a UCLA professor. Sally Field stars as Gidget with Don Porter as her father. The series was first broadcast on ABC from September 15, 1965 through April 21, 1966...

, The Flying Nun

The Flying Nun

The Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille...

, Family

Family (TV series)

Family is an American television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols...

, Ghost Story

Ghost Story

-Literature:* Ghost story, a story or tale involving ghosts* Ghost Story , a 1979 horror novel by Peter Straub* Ghost Story , a novel in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher...

, Bridget Loves Bernie

Bridget Loves Bernie

Bridget Loves Bernie is an American television comedy program created by Bernard Slade, the creator of the 1970–74 ABC sitcom, The Partridge Family, based loosely on the premise of the 1920s’ Broadway play and 1940s’ radio show Abie's Irish Rose...

, and The Fantastic Journey

The Fantastic Journey

The Fantastic Journey is an American science fiction television series that was originally aired on NBC from February 3 through June 17, 1977.-Premise:...

.