Television network
A
television network is a distribution
network for
television content whereby a central operation provides
programming for many
television stations. Until the mid-
1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small number of
broadcast networks. Many early television networks (e.g.
NBC or
CBS) evolved from earlier
radio networks. It may be confused with a
television channel.
In the
United Kingdom the
ITV network was
not originally a centralised organisation but a consortium of independently-owned regional companies which produced and exchanged programming in order to provide a national service. In
2004 most of these companies became part of a single company,
ITV plc, although many ITV programmes are still produced at the various regional studios.
Within the industry, a tiering is sometimes created among groups of networks based on whether their programming is simultaneously originated from a central point, and whether the network master control has the technical and administrative capability to take over the programming of their affiliates in real-time when it deems this necessary—the most common example being breaking national news events.
In countries where most networks broadcast identical, centrally originated content from all their stations and where most individual stations are therefore nothing more than large "repeater stations", the terms
television network,
television channel and
television station have become interchangeable in everyday language, with only professionals in TV-related occupations continuing to make a difference between them, if one was ever made. This applies to most countries outside
North America and
Japan.
With the advent of
cable television,
satellite television and more recently
digital television, the cost of creating a nationwide
television channel has been reduced and there has been a huge increase in the number of such channels, with most catering to a small group (e.g.
CNN,
CNBC,
Fox News etc.). However, at least in the eyes of many broadcasting professionals, these are not television networks as such. This is because the term "network" assumes some sort of interconnection between distinct, geographically-dispersed distribution outlets; in contrast, virtually all of the programming aired by these channels is fed, unaltered, from the channel's national distribution center directly to viewers, with only the cable or satellite company as an intermediary.
In the United States, television networks are simply identified as "networks" (such as
ABC,
CBS or
NBC), while the local stations are identified by the station's call sign and city of license. In Europe and much of Asia, Africa and South America, television networks are often more or less numbered (such as Britain's
BBC One,
BBC Two,
Channel 4 and
five, or the
Netherlands'
Nederland 1,
Nederland 2,
Nederland 3,
RTL 4,
RTL 5,
SBS6 and
RTL 7). In Australia, television networks are identified by the channel number in the capital cities (such as
Seven,
Nine or
Ten).
*
List of television networks by country*
Gooya (UK): Directory of World TV Channels*
Television system
