PRISM (TV channel)

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PRISM
CountryUnited States
Broadcast area
Headquarters
The Washington Post Company (1983–1985)
  • Rainbow Media, The Washington Post Company, CBS, Inc. (1985–1987)
  • Rainbow Media (1987–1997)
    • Sister channelsSportsChannel Philadelphia (1989–1997)
    History
    LaunchedSeptember 1, 1976; 47 years ago (1976-09-01)
    ClosedOctober 1, 1997; 26 years ago (1997-10-01)
    Replaced byNBC Sports Philadelphia

    PRISM (Philadelphia Regional In-home Sports and Movies) was an American regional premium cable television channel in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Launched in September 1976, PRISM was primarily distributed through area cable systems, although it was also available through a scrambled over-the-air signal on WWSG-TV (channel 57, now WPSG) from 1983 to 1985.

    The channel's programming consisted primarily of theatrically released motion pictures, although it was better known for its telecasts of sporting events, particularly those featuring Philadelphia's Major League Baseball, NHL and NBA sports franchises.[1] Due to broadcasting restrictions imposed by the three major sports leagues, as a cable channel, the network limited its distribution to within 125 miles (201 km) of Philadelphia proper (covering an area extending from west of Harrisburg to as far north as Scranton).[2]

    History

    Launch and early years

    PRISM launched at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on September 1, 1976; it debuted with a message by announcer Hugh Gannon: "Good evening, everyone. PRISM, the pay-television network, is on the air."[1] Following this was the first movie to be broadcast on PRISM, the 1975 film The Wind and the Lion. Ten days later on September 10, the channel aired its first sports telecast: a Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs. At its launch, PRISM only had six subscribers, all located in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania.[1]

    The network was founded by

    20th Century Fox initially held a 50% ownership interest in the channel. PRISM's administrative offices were located on City Avenue in the Philadelphia suburb of Bala Cynwyd, while its studios, production and master control facilities were all situated at the event level of The Spectrum at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia
    .

    Snider convinced the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Phillies to allow the channel to televise their home games, after the two teams expressed concern that broadcasting games would hurt attendance; the teams' concerns subsided when they discovered PRISM broadcasts had no effect on the number of spectators who attended their respective games at The Spectrum and Veterans Stadium and helped them earn additional revenue from carrying the home game telecasts.[2]

    What differentiated PRISM from other subscription television services – some of which included

    gastrointestinal hemorrhage at age 50 in December 1991.[1][3] 76ers telecasts on PRISM during the run of the channel featured several professional basketball coaches as analysts including Chuck Daly, Gene Shue, Hubie Brown, Matt Guokas and Jack Ramsay.[1]

    PRISM also broadcast a selection of other programs outside of sports, the most prominent being theatrical feature film releases from

    Saban Entertainment
    ).

    The network acted as a loss leader in its early years of existence, consistently losing money throughout its first five years in operation, before finally turning its first profits in 1981.[1] On November 6, 1981, Spectacor launched PRISM New England (now NBC Sports Boston), a Boston-based cable channel which maintained a similar programming format as PRISM, and carried games from the Hartford Whalers, Boston Celtics, Boston Breakers and various New England college sports teams. In 1982, Snider bought out Fox's 50% stake in PRISM and PRISM New England.[1]

    Rainbow Media ownership

    In 1983, PRISM and PRISM New England were sold to a

    independent station
    as WGBS-TV.

    Although it operated as a premium service, beginning in the mid-1980s, PRISM took on the unconventional model of operating as a part advertiser-supported/part commercial-free service. Occurring during a tough year for the

    behind-the-scenes featurettes.[1]

    In 1985, CBS – which had already owned WCAU (channel 10, now an NBC owned-and-operated station) at the time – acquired a minority stake in PRISM. The network also owned shares in Rainbow’s other cable channels, Bravo (then focused on arts programming and foreign, independent and arthouse films) and American Movie Classics (then focusing on classic films from the 1930s through the 1970s), both of which operated as niche premium services at the time. Both CBS and The Washington Post Company sold their interests in PRISM to Rainbow Media in 1987, giving the latter company full control of the channel.[1] By the late 1980s, the channel fully deemphasized the full "Philadelphia Regional In-Home Sports and Movies" moniker in favor of branding solely by the "PRISM" acronym. In 1989, Rainbow's parent company Cablevision announced a partnership with NBC in which the latter would acquire a 50% stake in PRISM, as part of a later aborted deal that was part of their then-joint ownership of upstart business news channel CNBC (which NBC would ultimately launch on its own). PRISM was priced at $12 a month on average, 70¢ of the revenue it accrued from each subscriber of the channel was used to acquire film and sports programming rights; the rest of the revenue was divided as compensation between film distributors and local sports teams.[1]

    By 1986, PRISM had about 370,000 subscribers, most of whom received the network through a cable provider (Philadelphia proper had not been fully wired for cable television service at the time). By that time, Cablevision began to sell PRISM to cable providers as part of a package with American Movie Classics.[6]

    On January 1, 1990, Rainbow Media launched a companion basic cable channel to PRISM: SportsChannel Philadelphia, which also served as an affiliate of the company's SportsChannel network.[1] Both channels maintained separate graphics, music packages and announcing teams until 1995, when all sports presentations on PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia adopted a uniform on-air appearance and began using the same announcers.

    Later years

    The second and last logo for PRISM, used from the channel's rebrand in 1993 until the channel shut down in October 1997.

    The original three-stripe rainbow-colored logo that PRISM had used since its 1976 launch was retired in the Summer of 1993, in favor of a modernized logo and on-air identity as part of a rebranding effort that attempted to increase focus on the channel's programming outside of its sports coverage, particularly its feature film content (the new look utilized the Univers typeface for its entire revamped appearance, that was used for all aspects of its on-air look from the logo to the text featured in graphics shown during its sports coverage). Around this time, PRISM began offering part-time simulcasts of Rainbow's national sports news channel NewSport as filler between sports programming and film telecasts. Rainbow Media launched websites for all of its television channels, including PRISM, in 1996.[7]

    On March 19, 1996,

    chairman) also immediately purchased a 66% interest in the 76ers.[8][9] Immediately after the purchase was announced, speculation arose as to whether Comcast would let at least some of Spectacor's broadcasting contracts with Rainbow Media lapse, and create a sports network of its own to house at least some of the displaced professional franchises and college teams, thereby displacing both PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia from area systems (Comcast, however, had struck a ten-year carriage agreement with Rainbow for the networks in the fall of 1995); buy the existing networks; or strike a complex deal with Rainbow to have both networks retain the sports broadcast rights.[10][11] Comcast indicated that a new sports network was the route it would take, as it approached the Phillies about entering into a broadcast deal.[8] PRISM/SportsChannel's contractual rights to the Flyers were set to end that Fall, while the Phillies' contract ended after the 1997 season
    , leaving them both open to enter negotiations.

    On April 25, 1996, Comcast Spectacor formally announced plans to create a new all-sports network centered around the Flyers, and announced that the Phillies would also move their games to the new network upon its launch.[12] With uncertainty looming over the future of the two networks, relations between PRISM/SportsChannel and Comcast Spectacor became somewhat strained. Negotiations to keep the Flyers television rights on the network nearly broke down, as Rainbow had offered a lower bid for the rights than what the Flyers asked for. By late September, the team announced plans to produce its home game broadcasts themselves and sell the local rights to individual cable providers should a deal not come to fruition.[13]

    In September 1996, PRISM and SportsChannel lost the regional cable rights to Big 5 City Series basketball games, as there was no assurance that either network would be able to carry the full slate of games, and because of issues that arose during contract negotiations regarding whether Rainbow or the Big 5 would pay for the broadcast rights; this left the association to sell the local television contract to the City Series telecasts for the 1996–97 season (with some of the games ending up on

    The Comcast Network).[14][15] Then on October 4, 1996, the day before its season home opener, the Flyers reached a one-year contract extension with PRISM and SportsChannel, which would pay $5 million for the rights to televise the hockey team's matches.[16]

    Decline

    On June 30, 1997, Fox/Liberty Networks (a joint venture between News Corporation and Liberty Media) purchased a 40% interest in Cablevision's sports properties for $850 million, with the primary intent of integrating the eight SportsChannel networks into its recently created Fox Sports Net group of regional sports networks.[17][18][19] While the creation of the new Comcast sports network seemingly effectively drove a stake through the heart of PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia, the Fox/Liberty deal with Cablevision created the possibility of PRISM and/or SportsChannel becoming affiliates of Fox Sports Net.[20]

    Even though Comcast had already snagged the Phillies' television rights, Fox announced that SportsChannel and PRISM would "continue to receive a heavy slate of Phillies and Sixers games". It then announced plans for the renamed SportsChannel Philadelphia to add national programs from Fox Sports Net, while PRISM would remain a premium service focused on movies and regional sports; although, there was some speculation that Fox and Comcast would possibly partner to aggregate their respective team broadcast rights onto a single channel.[21]

    On July 21, 1997, Comcast acquired the local television rights to the 76ers from PRISM and SportsChannel, opting out of its joint contract with the two networks that was set to run until the

    Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia (renamed NBC Sports Philadelphia in October 2017, and which would eventually become the flagship property of its own group of regional sports networks) also replaced SportsChannel Philadelphia on local cable systems within the Philadelphia metropolitan area.[24][25][26]
    The shutdowns of PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia resulted in the layoffs of 38 full-time employees.

    Legacy

    PRISM's legacy is noteworthy because NBC Sports Philadelphia continues to distribute its signal to cable television providers through terrestrial infrastructure using only

    fiber optic relays, and is not uplinked to satellite. A controversial guideline imposed by the Federal Communications Commission
    (known as the "terrestrial exception"), that was implemented in 1992 to encourage investments in local programming, stated that a television channel does not have to make its programming available to satellite providers if it does not use satellites for their transmission.

    This guideline has allowed Comcast to block

    FiOS service in eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey in December 2006.[29] The "terrestrial exception" loophole was closed by the FCC in a 4-1 vote on January 20, 2010; however, NBC Sports Philadelphia remains unavailable on direct broadcast satellite providers within the Philadelphia market or nationwide.[30]

    See also

    References

    1. ^
      Philadelphia Inquirer
      .
    2. ^ a b Bill Fleischman (August 29, 1986). "Prism: Decade Of Success". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    3. ^ Michael B. Coakley (December 31, 1991). "Jim Barniak, Prism Sports Host, Announcer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    4. ^ Lee Winfrey (February 10, 1994). "An Original By Prism: 'Live From Rafters'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    5. ^ Wolf, Ron (September 13, 1983). "76ers and Flyers home games to be available on pay-TV". p. 7-C. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
    6. ^ Neill Borowski (July 28, 1986). "Prism Looks To Expand Its Horizons". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Knight Ridder. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    7. ^ "Rainbow Programming heats up the waters for Internet surfers". BNET. February 22, 1996 – via FindArticles.com.
    8. ^ a b Michael Sokolove; Jayson Stark and Michael L. Rozansky (March 20, 1996). "Comcast Buying 76ers And Flyers Phils Also May Get Involved With Firm". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    9. ^ Edward Moran (December 4, 1996). "Picture Starts To Clear Sports Deal Gets Comcast's Foot In Door For New Channel". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    10. ^ Sam Donnellon (March 20, 1996). "Prism, Sportschannel On Way Out?". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    11. ^ Michael L. Rozansky; Michael Sokolove (March 24, 1996). "Comcast Deal Isn't The End Of Prism It Could Benefit Both Firms To Leave The TV Rights As They Are". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    12. ^ Edward Moran; Bill Fleischman (April 26, 1996). "Comcast Puts Prism On Ropes Phils Agree To Join Flyers, Sixers In Fledgling All-sports Cable Channel". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    13. ^ Bill Fleischman (September 30, 1996). "Flyers Reach New Cable Deals". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    14. ^ Dick Jerardi (September 26, 1996). "More Big 5 Erosion: There's No TV Deal". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    15. ^ Bill Fleischman (December 13, 1996). "For Now, Comcast Plans Put Dent In Big 5 TV". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    16. ^ Bill Fleischman (October 5, 1996). "Flyers And Prism Ink Last-minute TV Deal". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    17. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original
      on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    18. ^ "SPORTS LANDSCAPE ALTERED WITH FOX/LIBERTY-CABLEVISION DEAL". Sports Business Journal. June 23, 1997. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
    19. ^ John M. Higgins (June 23, 1997). "TCI/News Corp. $850M SportsChannel deal close". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    20. ^ Bill Fleischman (June 24, 1997). "Fox/Liberty Deal Impacts Local Cable Sportschannel Philadelphia Likely To Benefit". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    21. ^ Michael L. Rozansky (June 24, 1997). "Fox Will Gobble Up Sportschannel Phila. A Nationwide Network Is Being Forged To Challenge ESPN. Locally, A Comcast Rivalry Could Emerge". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    22. ^ a b Bill Fleischman (July 22, 1997). "New Sportsnet Reels In Sixers". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    23. ^ "Comcast Commits to Launch STARZ! in Philadelphia; More Than 300,000 Comcast Customers Will See STARZ! by October 1" (Press release). July 21, 1997 – via The Free Library.
    24. ^ Mike Bruton (July 22, 1997). "Comcast Scores Big With Sports Network The 24-hour Comcast Sportsnet Will Debut Oct. 1 And Carry Phillies, Sixers And Flyers Games". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    25. ^ "Local TV Sports Fans To See A Change, In Cost Sportschannel And Prism Are Going, Going. . . . A New Basic Cable Channel Takes Over". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 27, 1997. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
    26. ^ Rose DeWolf (August 25, 1997). "Starz On The Horizon Goodbye Prism & Sports Channel; What's Next Depends On Where You Hang The Clicker". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    27. ^ Edward Moran (September 25, 1997). "Comcast Target Of Directv Complaint Accused Of Monopolizing Sports Coverage". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
    28. ^ Bob Fernandez (January 21, 2010). "FCC: Comcast must share Phila. sports coverage". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
    29. ^ "Verizon Signs Agreements with Comcast for Comcast SportsNet-Philadelphia, PBS KIDS Sprout and Versus". Thomasnet (Press release). Thomas Publishing Company. December 4, 2006.
    30. ^ "FCC Votes To Close Terrestrial RSN Exemption – Count Is 4–1; McDowell Expects To See Court Challenge". Multichannel News. March 15, 2010. Archived from the original on February 12, 2010.