Hughes Television Network
Encyclopedia
Hughes Television Network (HTN) was an American
television network created by businessman Howard Hughes
.
It never lived up to its dream of being the nation's fourth television network
, following the demise of the DuMont Television Network
. HTN limited itself to broadcasting sports events, including the Stanley Cup Finals
, PBA Bowling
and special programming, including the Muppets special The Frog Prince, and provided facilities links to a loose network of stations, who were usually independent
s or affiliates of ABC
, CBS
, or NBC
.
. Dick Bailey created Sports Network Incorporated to fill the voids in sports coverage by the Big Three networks
. Originally working traffic at ABC, Bailey conceived a cost effective means of broadcasting away Major League Baseball
games to their home cities. After executives at ABC rejected this idea, Bailey formed Sports Network, proved his idea a success and pioneered many innovations now commonplace in televised sports.
Sports Network Incorporated produced programs for the St. Louis Cardinals
, the Big Eight Conference
, the PGA Tour
, St. Louis University, among others. From 1963
-1968
, Sports Network Incorporated did a syndicated broadcast of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
. They also held broadcast rights to the Cleveland Browns
from 1955
to 1961
; the Browns were the last NFL team to hold out and not sign with the NFL on CBS
, but SNI was forced to give up Browns rights when the entire league signed a collective television contract with CBS in 1962
. After 12 years, the network was sold to Howard Hughes and became the Hughes Television Network, with Dick Bailey as president.
was poised to give HTN prime time
broadcast rights for Monday Night Football
because negotiations with ABC
were failing. However, ABC eventually struck a deal with the NFL.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television network created by businessman Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
.
It never lived up to its dream of being the nation's fourth television network
Fourth television network
In American television terminology, a fourth network is a reference to a fourth broadcast television network, as opposed to the Big Three television networks that dominated US TV from the 1950s to the 1990s: ABC, CBS, and NBC....
, following the demise of the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
. HTN limited itself to broadcasting sports events, including the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
, PBA Bowling
Professional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
and special programming, including the Muppets special The Frog Prince, and provided facilities links to a loose network of stations, who were usually independent
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
s or affiliates of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, or NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Sports Network Incorporated
The Hughes Television network had its origins as Sports Network Incorporated in 19561956 in television
The year 1956 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1956.-Events:*January 28 – Elvis Presley makes his national television debut on CBS on Stage Show, the first of six appearances on the series....
. Dick Bailey created Sports Network Incorporated to fill the voids in sports coverage by the Big Three networks
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
. Originally working traffic at ABC, Bailey conceived a cost effective means of broadcasting away Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games to their home cities. After executives at ABC rejected this idea, Bailey formed Sports Network, proved his idea a success and pioneered many innovations now commonplace in televised sports.
Sports Network Incorporated produced programs for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
, the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, St. Louis University, among others. From 1963
1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Louisville,...
-1968
1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1968, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Los Angeles, California...
, Sports Network Incorporated did a syndicated broadcast of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. They also held broadcast rights to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1955
1955 Cleveland Browns season
The 1955 Cleveland Browns season was the team's sixth season with the National Football League. The Browns' defense became the first defense in the history of the NFL to lead the league in fewest points allowed and fewest total yards allowed for two consecutive seasons.-Exhibition Schedule:-Regular...
to 1961
1961 Cleveland Browns season
The 1961 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 12th season with the National Football League.-Offseason:On March 22, Dave R. Jones sold the Browns to a group headed by Arthur B...
; the Browns were the last NFL team to hold out and not sign with the NFL on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
, but SNI was forced to give up Browns rights when the entire league signed a collective television contract with CBS in 1962
1962 Cleveland Browns season
The 1962 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 13th season with the National Football League.-Exhibition schedule:-Regular season schedule:-Standings:-References:...
. After 12 years, the network was sold to Howard Hughes and became the Hughes Television Network, with Dick Bailey as president.
Monday Night Football
According to various reports, the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
was poised to give HTN prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
broadcast rights for Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
because negotiations with ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
were failing. However, ABC eventually struck a deal with the NFL.
Cleveland Browns broadcasters
- 1956 Browns1956 Cleveland Browns seasonThe 1956 Cleveland Browns season was the team's seventh season with the National Football League. This is the first time they have had a losing season or did not make the playoffs.-Exhibition Schedule:-Regular Season Schedule:-Standings:...
- Ken ColemanKen ColemanKenneth R. Coleman was an American radio and television sportscaster for 38 years . He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts....
/Otto GrahamOtto GrahamOtto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,... - 1957 Browns1957 Cleveland Browns seasonScoring*DET – FG Martin 31*DET – Rote 1 yard run *DET – Gedman 1 yard run *CLE – Brown 29 yard run *DET – Junker 26 yard pass from Rote *DET – Barr 19 yard interception...
- Ken ColemanKen ColemanKenneth R. Coleman was an American radio and television sportscaster for 38 years . He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts....
/Jimmy DudleyJimmy DudleyJames R. "Jimmy" Dudley was an American sportscaster, best known as the play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians for nearly two decades.... - 1958 Browns1958 Cleveland Browns seasonThe 1958 Cleveland Browns season was the team's ninth season with the National Football League.-Exhibition Schedule:-Regular Season Schedule:*Tommy O’Connell was the first MVP to be cut from a team before the start of the following season.-Playoffs:...
- Ken ColemanKen ColemanKenneth R. Coleman was an American radio and television sportscaster for 38 years . He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts....
/Jimmy DudleyJimmy DudleyJames R. "Jimmy" Dudley was an American sportscaster, best known as the play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians for nearly two decades.... - 1959 Browns1959 Cleveland Browns seasonThe 1959 Cleveland Browns season was the team's tenth season with the National Football League.-Exhibition Schedule:-Regular Season Schedule:-Standings:...
- Ken ColemanKen ColemanKenneth R. Coleman was an American radio and television sportscaster for 38 years . He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts....
/Jimmy DudleyJimmy DudleyJames R. "Jimmy" Dudley was an American sportscaster, best known as the play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians for nearly two decades.... - 1960 Browns1960 Cleveland Browns seasonThe 1960 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 11th season with the National Football League.-Exhibition schedule:-Regular season schedule:-Awards and records:*Jim Brown, NFL Rushing Leader, 1,257 yards*Milt Plum, NFL Leader, Passing Yards,...
- Ken ColemanKen ColemanKenneth R. Coleman was an American radio and television sportscaster for 38 years . He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts....
/Jimmy DudleyJimmy DudleyJames R. "Jimmy" Dudley was an American sportscaster, best known as the play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians for nearly two decades.... - 1961 Browns1961 Cleveland Browns seasonThe 1961 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 12th season with the National Football League.-Offseason:On March 22, Dave R. Jones sold the Browns to a group headed by Arthur B...
- Ken ColemanKen ColemanKenneth R. Coleman was an American radio and television sportscaster for 38 years . He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts....
/Cliff LewisCliff Lewis (American football)Clifford A. Lewis was a professional American football player for the Cleveland Browns of the All America Football Conference and National Football League . He was the team's first quarterback.He attended Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Ohio, and Staunton Military Academy in Virginia...