"There used to be only three channels"

Anonus

Did independent stations not exist?

Yarrun XIX

There were three channels in the same way that the only two companies who make OSes are Microsoft and Apple

Princess Alice

I feel like most of the people who say these things probably aren't even old enough to actually remember that

Anonus

I guess Linux is just syndicated reruns

Odradek

You know you'd think Guy Gilchrist would remember PBS

I mean he worked with Henson

Imipolex G

the WB

Tre

U P N

vtk

Imipolex G said:

the WB

Tre said:

U P N

Yeah, I remember when the CW was two different networks.

They were the same channel in Columbus, though. It made it really annoying when Seven Days and/or Voyager got moved to like 2am to make room for WB shows.

Sredni Vashtar

There was an early period in TV broadcasting where there were very few accessible channels, most of which were local, and in many places you would only get three or four. My mom remembers that time well because her local station used to broadcast monster movies and subtitled episodes of Ultraman on Saturday nights when she was little.

Seriously, dude, don't presume.

Imipolex G

When I was a lil calf we had six channels:
ABC
NBC
CBS
PBS
FOX
and channel 4 which was for playing Nintendo

Sredni Vashtar

I remember when basic cable was, like, twelve.

thenamelesssamurai

Sredni Vashtar said:

 My mom remembers that time well because her local station used to broadcast monster movies and subtitled episodes of Ultraman on Saturday nights when she was little.

Man, that is wild.

Sredni Vashtar

Yeah, their Saturday night host/programmer was quite a dude.

Fossilmaiden

Here, analogue terrestrial had 5 channels all the way up until the digital switchover (which started in 2009 and was completed in 2012.)

glennmagusharvey

Imipolex G said:

When I was a lil calf we had six channels:
ABC
NBC
CBS
PBS
FOX
and channel 4 which was for playing Nintendo

channel 2 pbs
channel 3 vcr and nintendo and super nintendo
channel 4 originally nbc later cbs
channel 5 fuzzy
channel 6 originally cbs later nbc
channel 7 wsvn seven fox
channel 10 abc
channel 12 fuzzy
channel 17 fuzzy but watchable pbs
channel 23 spanish channel (univision?)
channel 29 fox kids (fuzzy)
channel 31? ???
channel 33 upn
channel 39 wb
channel 45 ? (pax?) (fuzzy)
channel 51 another spanish channel (telemundo?)

Anonus

nah, channel 4 was originally cbs, then nbc, then cbs again

6 was indie, then fox, then cbs, then nbc

7 was originally nbc, then fox

Anonus

also the West Palm Beach stations all seem to have been fuzzy for you

Sredni Vashtar

PBS where we lived in Florida played Gargoyles without commercials because I was spoiled by the gods early in life in some respects.

Anonus

oh my god they did?