Unisphere Broadcasting System In mid-1965, radio businessman
Vincent C. Piano proposed UBS. The service would have operated 2.5 hours each night. However, Piano had difficulty signing affiliates; a year later, no launch date had been set, and the network still lacked a "respectable number of affiliates in major markets."
Mizlou Television Network By 1968, the business changed to Mizlou Television Network. After the name change, Mizlou began syndicating college football bowls in 1968. Mizlou broadcast the first three
Fiesta Bowl starting in 1971 and lost money on the first broadcast. In 1979, the Network broadcast the
Miss Black Universe USA and International beauty pageants. The network carried the 1975
Blue-Gray Football Classic, angering the all-star game's committee by convincing the
game clock operator to cut three minutes off the clock in the first quarter. Mizlou was hired by U.S. Tobacco to broadcast the College National Final Rodeo in 1981. In 1985, Mizlou decided not to renew the
Holiday Bowl broadcast contract. In 1986, the network signed a three-year deal with the
Freedom Bowl adding them to their bowl line up of
Bluebonnet,
Cherry,
Independence and
Hall of Fame Bowls for that year. SNN went dark on December 17, 1990 as Mizlou Communications filed for bankruptcy. Mizlou was in talks with
Landmark Communications and
Telecable Corporation as a potential buyer of the channel and other assets. In January 1991, Landmark dropped plans for a sport news channel and its discussions with Mizlou for the purchases of Sports News Network due to
Tele-Communications Inc.'s planned launch of
Prime Sports News, an all-sports news cable channel. ==See also==