History Lifetime (TV network)

1 history

1.1 hearst/abc-viacom entertainment services
1.2 lifetime entertainment services
1.3 a&e ownership

history
hearst/abc-viacom entertainment services

lifetime established on february 1, 1984 result of merger of hearst/abc s daytime , viacom s lifetime medical television. board new network formed equal representation hearst, abc , viacom, , board elected thomas burchill new network s first ceo. not initial success, reportedly losing $36 million in first 2 years of operation, , did not become profitable until 1986. channel suffered low viewership, poll reportedly finding tv viewers erroneously believed carried religious content.

in 1985, lifetime started branding talk television nightly lineup of talk shows , call-in programs hosted people including regis philbin , dr. ruth westheimer. in process, creators dropped apple logo.

in 1988, lifetime hired patricia fili head of programming. in first 3 years of tenure, changed 60 percent of lifetime s programming, own estimate. in addition overhauling lifetime s signature talk show, attitudes, hiring new producer , refocusing on current women s issues, fili acquired rights syndicated network hits moonlighting , l.a. law. oversaw production of first lifetime movies ever made, along carrying final 3 seasons of blair brown–starring dramedy days , nights of molly dodd nbc after network canceled it. network showed movies portfolios of owners, hearst, abc, , viacom. in 1991, reporter joshua hammer stated, considered 1 of cable tv s backwaters, [...] lifetime network replete annoying gabfests housewives , recycled, long-forgotten network television series, such partners in crime , macgruder , loud. [...] under fili s direction, lifetime has gone long way toward shedding low-rent image.

lifetime began airing limited amount of women s sports coverage, including wnba , america s cup, in sponsored first women s crew team compete. mccormick strengthened network s ties women s organizations such national organization women, , began airing public service announcements women s issues, such breast cancer awareness. lifetime adopted new tagline. lifetime – television women.

meanwhile, channel s original programming aimed not @ women aged 24–44, these women s spouses, research showed watched network in evenings wives. done making male characters in lifetime s original programming – such film series spencer hire – more appealing men making them more masculine. these roles more stereotypical previous lifetime movies, featured women protagonists on own. helped lifetime take advantage of known bias in nielsen ranking system favored upscale couples shared television set. january 1995, lifetime sixth most-highly rated cable network nielsen.

lifetime entertainment services

in 1996, tci, 1 of united states largest cable providers, announced no longer carry lifetime in markets make room soon-to-be-launched fox news channel, in tci held financial stake. according lifetime executives, network stood lose 1 million subscribers due tci s move. however, lifetime published advertisements in of markets affected – including eugene, oregon , newport, rhode island – informing customers tci removing network made women. after tci customers called company complain, tci cut number of homes lose lifetime approximately 300,000. still, women s groups , politicians rallied behind lifetime. colorado representative patricia schroeder called tci s decision power play between tci chief executive john malone , fox executive rupert murdoch, , said, women kind of feel re being rolled on guys run these companies can make more money.

massachusetts congressman barney frank said decision showed fox might have agenda of own anti-woman. tci executives surprised , angry public s reaction. tci s vice president of programming quoted in new york times saying, resent implication women s network. other networks come in , lifetime not telling truth. lifetime women s channel in name , advertising. [...] programs ratings. tci senior vice president robert thomson stated reaction laughably out of scale, based on fact less 10 percent of lifetime s audience affected. tci executives chalked politicians reactions lobbying lifetime , being election year, , suggested times in retaliation, disney (one of lifetime s parent companies), may have trouble launching new network on tci. in 1997, reported lifetime had 67.7 million subscribers.

a&e ownership

on august 27, 2009, lifetime acquired a&e networks; company owned lifetime s shareholders hearst , disney, additional shares owned nbc universal (owner of lifetime competitor oxygen).

in may 2012, lifetime unveiled new logo , branding campaign. new slogan, life. time. , reflects how women value , experience time. logo 11th in twenty years. in july 2012, nbc universal, owned comcast, exercised option sell stake in a&e networks, putting lifetime under ownership of disney , hearst.

on february 2, 2017, lifetime unveiled new logo, being red circle wordmark lifetime in white in center.