Z Channel
Encyclopedia
The Z Channel was one of the first pay cable stations in the United States
. Launched in 1974 from Los Angeles, California
, this station was known for its devotion to the art of cinema due to the eclectic choice of films by the programming chief, Jerry Harvey
. It also popularized the use of letterbox
ing on television, as well as showing 'director's cut
' versions of films (which is a term popularized after Z Channel's showing of Heaven's Gate
). Z Channel's devotion to cinema and choice of rare and important films had an important influence on such directors as Robert Altman
, Quentin Tarantino
, and Jim Jarmusch
. Z Channel was owned by Theta Cable (a division of TelePrompTer Corporation
) which was acquired by Group W (Westinghouse) in 1981. Operations were located at Stanford and Nebraska in Santa Monica, California. In 1989, Z Channel faded to black and was replaced by SportsChannel Los Angeles
.
The channel was the subject of the 2004 documentary Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
, which was directed by Alexandra Cassavetes
, daughter of John Cassavetes
.
's live events from the Los Angeles Sports Arena, but nowhere near as many as Madison Square Garden
(MSG Network
), Boston Garden
(New England Sports Network
) or the Philadelphia Spectrum
(PRISM).
channel 52 to broadcast scrambled programming to reach households without cable. Prime Ticket was actually a later name for the Z Channel's successor, SportsChannel Los Angeles, which was a result of later owners gradually replacing the movie programming with local sports.
, parent company of KTTV
, which had lost Los Angeles Dodgers
rights after the 1992
baseball
season. An affiliate of the Prime Sports network, Prime Ticket became "Fox Sports West" when Prime Sports became Fox Sports Net
in 1997. The Prime Ticket name was revived on April 3, 2006, when the network's additional outlet, then known as FSN West 2, changed its name to FSN Prime Ticket, and in a 2008 re-branding, back to simply PrimeTicket.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Launched in 1974 from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, this station was known for its devotion to the art of cinema due to the eclectic choice of films by the programming chief, Jerry Harvey
Jerry Harvey
Jerry Harvey was an American screenwriter and film programmer, best known for his work on Z Channel, a pioneering cable station in Los Angeles from 1974 to 1989.-Background:...
. It also popularized the use of letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
ing on television, as well as showing 'director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
' versions of films (which is a term popularized after Z Channel's showing of Heaven's Gate
Heaven's Gate (film)
Heaven's Gate is a 1980 American epic Western film based on the Johnson County War, a dispute between land barons and European immigrants in Wyoming in the 1890s...
). Z Channel's devotion to cinema and choice of rare and important films had an important influence on such directors as Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
, Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
, and Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
. Z Channel was owned by Theta Cable (a division of TelePrompTer Corporation
TelePrompTer Corporation
TelePrompTer Corporation was a cable corporation started by Irving B. Kahn, Fred Barton, Jr and Hubert Schlafly. During the course of the corporation, in the 50's TelePrompTer invented the idea of actors in soap operas reading their lines by prompters, not scripts as they had been...
) which was acquired by Group W (Westinghouse) in 1981. Operations were located at Stanford and Nebraska in Santa Monica, California. In 1989, Z Channel faded to black and was replaced by SportsChannel Los Angeles
SportsChannel Los Angeles
SportsChannel Los Angeles aired from 1989 to 1993 in the southern California area; it was a regional sports network.-Programming:SCLA featured live play-by-play of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the California Angels, and the Los Angeles Clippers...
.
The channel was the subject of the 2004 documentary Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession is a documentary about Los Angeles pay cable channel Z Channel that accompanied the DVD release of uncut version of Heaven's Gate...
, which was directed by Alexandra Cassavetes
Alexandra Cassavetes
Alexandra Cassavetes , nicknamed "Xan", is an American actress and director. She is the daughter of Greek actor-director John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands. She is the granddaughter of actress Katherine Cassavetes...
, daughter of John Cassavetes
John Cassavetes
John Nicholas Cassavetes was an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. He acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen...
.
Live wrestling events
In the late 1980s, Z Channel broadcast a number of the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's live events from the Los Angeles Sports Arena, but nowhere near as many as Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
(MSG Network
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
), Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
(New England Sports Network
New England Sports Network
The New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
) or the Philadelphia Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
(PRISM).
Connections with other subscription services and channels
Although it is widely believed that, in the late 1970s, Z Channel created two subscription services (SelecTV & ON TV) and a sports channel (Prime Ticket), the reality is that SelecTV and ON TV were separate entities, using the facilities of local television stations KWHY channel 22 and KBSCKVEA
KVEA is a Spanish-language television station in the Los Angeles area owned and operated by NBC Universal and the West Coast flagship station of the Telemundo network. It was the first mainland U.S. station owned by Telemundo at the network's launch in the late 1980's...
channel 52 to broadcast scrambled programming to reach households without cable. Prime Ticket was actually a later name for the Z Channel's successor, SportsChannel Los Angeles, which was a result of later owners gradually replacing the movie programming with local sports.
Prime Ticket
Prime Ticket eventually was sold to the Fox Television Stations GroupFox Television Stations Group
Fox Television Stations, Inc. is a group of television stations located within the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of News Corporation...
, parent company of KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
, which had lost Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
rights after the 1992
1992 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Atlanta Braves ; Pat Borders, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Roberto Alomar*National League Championship Series MVP: John Smoltz...
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...
season. An affiliate of the Prime Sports network, Prime Ticket became "Fox Sports West" when Prime Sports became Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
in 1997. The Prime Ticket name was revived on April 3, 2006, when the network's additional outlet, then known as FSN West 2, changed its name to FSN Prime Ticket, and in a 2008 re-branding, back to simply PrimeTicket.
External links
- Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession at the IMDB