The Star Television Network (commonly branded as Starcast
initially, then STN,
prior to launch, then Star
from its launch up to the network's shutdown), was an attempt, though unsuccessful, at a fifth television network based in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
. The network was notable as the first television network to have featured exclusively
direct response commercials and
infomercial
An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of di ...
s among standard programming.
Star featured classic, though cheaper and lesser-known, 1950s and 1960s programming,
movies and game shows under the ''TV Heaven'' slogan, with direct response infomercials rounding out the schedule.
The network expected to buy newer programs and originate its own once it became fully-established.
[
Star was facing competition from the ]Home Shopping Network
HSN, Inc. an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the QVC Group (formerly Qurate Retail Group), which also owns Catalog merchant, catalog company Cornerstone Brands. It is ...
and Fox, which went after the bigger markets.[ In light of this, the network explained that its key advantage is in terms of operating costs for the station, in which a station affiliating with the network could save about 90% on their programming costs, and a national advertiser advertising on the network could pay about 68% of the major network rates.][
]
History
The network was introduced under the Starcast[ branding in October 1987 as needing $15 million to launch and had just started contacting potential affiliates. The network expected to sign up 30 stations by the April 1989 launch date and have 18 hours of broadcasting a day.][ After the Black Monday stock market crash in October 1987, Starcast's investors pulled out.] By January 1988, the company had 70 stations willing to sign on to the network.
By April 1989 (the projected launch date), the network, now under the STN[ branding (having changed from Starcast), pushed back their launch to July due to programming negotiations and financing hold ups. 64 stations had provisionally signed on as affiliates in markets like ]Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
and Orlando to an estimated reach of 40 million households. The network was then in talks with an additional 33 stations. At this time, an affiliation fee ranging from $2,750 to $60,000 annually would be paid by the stations based on their market size instead of the standard network payments to affiliates. 36 minutes a day would be allocated for advertising sold by the network, with the remainder given to its affiliates. STN missed the July launch due to lack of additional funding and set a new September 1 deadline for enough affiliates to sign on for a possible November 1 launch. The network expected to be based at the then-new Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida, that opened on June 7, 1990. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal, it features numerous rides, attractions, and live shows that are primarily themed to movies, television, and ...
in Orlando. At this time, the network restructured its affiliate agreement in dropping the annual carriage fee for the addition of some infomercials and a refundable deposit of $1,500 to $175,000 based on the station's size. The number of affiliates at launch and infomercials was a requirement to bring on replacement investor Dale W. Lang, owner of Lang Communications, which then owned several magazines including ''Success
Success is the state or condition of meeting a defined range of expectations. It may be viewed as the opposite of failure. The criteria for success depend on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. One person mi ...
'' and '' Working Woman'' magazine. The infomercials would bring a steady source of income for the network and were mostly to be provided by Quantum Marketing International.[
Missing the September 1, 1989 affiliate total deadline, the network, under the Star][ branding (its second & final name change), pushed back its launch to September 1990. As of August 12, 1990, there were 21 signed stations reaching 13.7 million households. Also, Star moved operations to a rented studio in ]Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29,795 according to the 2020 census. It is part of the Greater Orlando, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Winter Park was foun ...
. Additionally, broadcasting hours were reduced to 8 hours a day, plus 4 hours of infomercials. The network expected to have revenue reach $100 million in its second year of operations.[ By July 1990, Star had been granted a federal permit for a station in ]Austin, Minnesota
Austin is a city in and the county seat of Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River and has ...
.[
Star launched on September 29, 1990][ with 10 affiliates reaching 9 million homes, as the additional stations were not ready or failed to receive FCC approval. With fewer stations, the network sold less through the infomercials, thus not meeting company goals. The infomercial companies were having their own problems, and thus unable to produce newer shows. Lang could not add more funding into the company due to difficulties at Lang Communications. Lang and the company sought out other investors, to no avail.]
Star ceased operations on Monday, January 14, 1991, at 4:00 a.m. EST. All 25 staffers working for the network were laid off.[
]
Aftermath
After Star's shutdown, another attempt at a viable fifth television network would be made in 1993, 2 years after, when the Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution subsidiary of Time Warner
Warner Media, LLC ( doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City.
It was established as Time Warne ...
would partner with the BHC Communications subsidiary of Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., formerly National Automotive Fibers, Inc., was a publicly held American corporation that was traded on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges. In 1962, the company adopted the name of one of its acquisitions, Chris ...
to launch the Prime Time Entertainment Network
The Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN) was an American television network that was operated by the Prime Time Consortium, a joint venture between the Warner Bros. Television Studios#Warner Bros. Domestic Television_Distribution, Warner Bros. ...
(PTEN). That network would eventually cease operations in 1995 when both of the network's parent companies went off on their own. It would also be in that year that a new viable fifth television network would be launch by one of PTEN's parent companies; Warner Bros. would partner with the Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting Company, LLC was an American media company which operated as a subsidiary of Tribune Media, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois. The group owned and operated television station, television and radio stations thro ...
subsidiary of the Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
to launch The WB
The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
Television Network. Meanwhile, PTEN's other parent company would launch a viable sixth television network: the United Television
BHC Communications, Inc. was the holding company for the broadcast property of Chris-Craft Industries. BHC stands for "broadcasting holding company".
History
The firm was originally incorporated in 1977 as BHC, Incorporated by Chris-Craft Indus ...
subsidiary of Chris-Craft would partner with the Paramount Television
The first incarnation of Paramount Television was operated as the television production division of the American film studio Paramount Pictures, until it changed its name to CBS Paramount Television on January 17, 2006.
History
Desilu Pro ...
subsidiary of Viacom to launch the United Paramount Network (UPN), though both The WB & UPN would jointly be recognized as the fifth major TV network, due to both having launched at around the same time in order to compete with Fox.
Both The WB & UPN would eventually be replaced in 2006 by The CW
The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
Network, another viable fifth major television network joint venture between CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation was an American multinational media company with interests primarily in commercial broadcasting, publishing and television production. It was split from Viacom on December 31, 2005, alongside an entirely new Viacom; both ...
(successor to the original Viacom & eventual full owner of UPN) & Warner Bros. Meanwhile, with the launch of The CW in 2006, News Corporation
The original incarnation of News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp. and also variously known as News Corporation Limited) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media corporation founded and controlled by media mogul Ru ...
, then the parent company of Fox, would take its stations formerly affiliated with UPN & use them to launch in 2006 what then was the newest sixth television network, MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...
. However, by 2009, amidst poor ratings & viewership, MyNetworkTV would be switched from a TV network to broadcast TV syndication service.
Programming
Star's schedule was of four hours of infomercials and eight hours of classic shows under the ''TV Heaven'' slogan.[ Some of the programs known to have aired on Star included:]
* '' The Invaders''
* ''The Life of Riley
''The Life of Riley'' is an American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, as well as two different television series, and a comic book.
Radio series
The radio program initially aired on the B ...
''
* '' My Little Margie''
* '' The Rebel''
'' Honey West'', '' Judge Roy Bean'', '' Mr. and Mrs. North'', and ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective
''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960.
Radio
Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...
'' were also announced as part of Star's line-up in August 1988,[ though it was unknown if these series had aired.
Infomercials are listed in schedules under various names, such as ''Star Showcase'', ''Star Opportunities'', ''Star Collections'', ''Star Sensations'', ''Star Innovations'', ''Market Place'', ''Morning Star'' and ''Direct to You''.][
As with other networks, affiliates fill the rest of the time with their own local and syndicated programming, as well as sports, which would preempt Star programming.
]
Known affiliates
* WAYK channel 56, Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne ( ) is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located southeast of Orlando, Florida, Orlando along Florida's Space Coast, named because of the region's proximity to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. The city ...
,[ Beach TV Partners]
** WAYQ channel 26, Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona� ...
[ Beach TV Partners; satellite of WAYK][
* W48AP channel 48, ]Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
* KXLI
KXLI (94.5 Hertz, MHz ''Exa FM'') is a commercial radio, commercial FM broadcasting, FM radio station serving the Moapa Valley, St. George, Utah, and Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas areas, but focused on Las Vegas as a Rimshot (broadcasting), rims ...
channel 41, St. Cloud, Minnesota, owned by Dale W. Lang/Star TV Network [
** KXLT-TV channel 47, ]Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a popul ...
, satellite of KXLI, owned by Dale W. Lang/Star TV Network[
* WPAN channel 53, ]Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach, often referred to by the initialism FWB, is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,922, up from 19,507 in 2010. It is a principa ...
, owned by John Franklin Ministries[WPAN "TV Heaven" ad, ''Pensacola News-Journal'', September 29, 1990]
/ref>
* W25AI channel 25, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, owned by Block Communications
* KDMD channel 33, Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
* KLXV channel 65, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
* KHFT channel 29, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
* KBLR channel 39, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
*KOOG
A ''koog'' (plural: ''köge'') or ''groden'' is a type of polder found on the North Sea coast of Germany that is established by the construction of dykes enclosing the land which is then drained to form marshland. This type of land reclamation i ...
channel 30, Ogden–Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...
* WYED channel 17, Goldsboro, North Carolina
* KBGE channel 33, Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...
* KKAK channel 61, Fresno, California
Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
* WOCD channel 55, Albany, New York
Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...
The following stations signed up as affiliates of the network, but did not commence broadcasting until after the network's closure in January 1991:
* WBSV, channel 62, Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
/ Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...
;[ signed on in May 1991
*]WTTA
WTTA (channel 38) is a television station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, serving as the Tampa Bay area's local outlet for The CW. It is owned and operated by The CW's majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, alongside Tampa-l ...
channel 38, St. Petersburg / Tampa, Florida
Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
;[ signed on in June 1991
* KSKN channel 22, ]Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
; station had gone dark in 1987 and did not return to air until 1994
* WNHT channel 21, Concord, New Hampshire, and WPHX Boston; the sale of both stations to Rogue Television Corp. fell through, along with the WPHX call letters for then-WHRC, and the stations did not return to air until 1995 and 1996
* KJLF channel 65, El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...
; signed on in June 1991
* WWLA channel 35, Portland, Maine
Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
; signed on in 1997
* KZAR channel 16, Provo, Utah
Provo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Utah County, Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front, and lies between the cities of Orem, Utah, Orem to the north and Springville, Utah, Springville to the south ...
; signed on in 1998
One announced affiliate never broadcast:
*KCVF channel 40, Portland, Oregon
References
{{American broadcast television (English) defunct
Defunct television networks in the United States
Television channels and stations established in 1990
Television channels and stations disestablished in 1991