Star Television Network

The network was introduced under the Starcast 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 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 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 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. 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. 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==

A year before Star's launch in 1990, another fifth network attempt was made with the "Premier Program Service", a joint venture between MCA Inc. & Paramount Communications, with stations owned by Paramount's TVX Broadcast Group & MCA's WWOR-TV as charter outlets. The network was set to launch in 1991. It was in early 1990 that MCA & Paramount approached certain Fox stations with PPS affiliate deals. However, when Fox objected to the solicitations, PPS was scrapped. After Star's shutdown, yet another attempt at a viable fifth television network would be made in 1993, when the Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution subsidiary of Time Warner would partner with the BHC Communications subsidiary of Chris-Craft Industries to launch the Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN). However, both Warner Bros. & Chris-Craft would abandon PTEN in late 1993 to focus on launching their own respective joint venture TV networks. PTEN network would eventually cease operations in 1995. It would also be in that year that two new viable fifth television networks would be launch by both of PTEN's parent companies: Warner Bros. would partner with the Tribune Broadcasting subsidiary of the Tribune Company to launch The WB Television Network, and, the United Television subsidiary of Chris-Craft would partner with the Paramount Television subsidiary of Viacom to launch the United Paramount Network (UPN). After launch, both The WB and UPN would compete with Fox. Both The WB and UPN would eventually be replaced in 2006 by The CW, another viable fifth major television network joint venture between CBS Corporation (successor to the original Viacom & eventual full owner of UPN) & Warner Bros. Meanwhile, with the launch of The CW in 2006, News Corporation, 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. However, by 2009, amidst poor ratings and 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. • The Invaders • The Life of Riley • My Little Margie • The Rebel Honey West, Judge Roy Bean, Mr. and Mrs. North, and 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, • WAYQ channel 26, Daytona Beach, Florida • KXLI channel 41, St. Cloud, Minnesota, KXLI Acquisition Corp (owned by Dale W. Lang, Star Television Network owner via Lang Communications) • W25AI channel 25, Cincinnati, Ohio, owned by Block Communications • KDMD channel 33, Anchorage, Alaska • KLXV channel 65, San Francisco, California • KHFT channel 29, Albuquerque, New Mexico • KBLR channel 39, Las Vegas, Nevada • KOOG channel 30, Ogden–Salt Lake City, Utah • WYED channel 17, Goldsboro, North Carolina • KBGE channel 33, Seattle, Washington • KKAK channel 61, Fresno, California • WOCD channel 55, Albany, New York 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 / Sarasota, Florida; • WTTA channel 38, St. Petersburg / Tampa, Florida; • KSKN channel 22, Spokane, Washington; 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; signed on in June 1991 • WWLA channel 35, Portland, Maine; signed on in 1997 • KZAR channel 16, Provo, Utah; signed on in 1998 One announced affiliate never broadcast: • KCVF channel 40, Portland, Oregon ==References==