Spike (formerly called Spike TV ), a division of MTV Networks, is an American cable channel designed for an audience described demographically as "young adult males". The channel began life as The Nashville Network ( TNN ), founded by WSM, Inc. (a subsidiary of National Life and Accident Insurance Company) in a joint venture with Group W Satellite Communications on March 7, 1983 and acquired a few months later by Gaylord Entertainment Company. As of 2006, Spike's viewership was almost half women (45%), although many of them are reported to be watching it with male partners or family members, or were watching the CSI franchise . The average age of the channel's viewers was 42 years old. Spike is available in 96.1 million American homes. The channel features re-runs of popular shows such as CSI , CSI: NY , Unsolved Mysteries , Married With Children , UFC , and various original programs and movies. It is also the home of the professional wrestling organization Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's flagship show Impact! .
Today, after several changes of ownership and name, Spike operates as part of MTV Networks, owned by Viacom.
In October 2007, Kevin Kay was appointed president, after being executive vice president and general manager of the channel for the previous two years. The post had been vacant since December 2006.
Precursors
The Nashville Network era (1983–2000)
Main article: The Nashville NetworkPrior to 2000, Spike was originally called The Nashville Network, or "TNN" for short. TNN was a country music-themed television channel that was launched on March 7, 1983. TNN's flagship shows included Nashville Now and Grand Ole Opry Live , both of which were broadcast live from Opryland USA. Gaylord Entertainment purchased The Nashville Network and the Opryland properties in the latter half of 1983. Much of TNN's programming during the Gaylord era was originally produced by Opryland Productions, also owned by Gaylord Entertainment. Programming included variety shows, talk shows, game shows, outdoors shows, and lifestyle shows, all centered in some way around country music. Some of TNN's popular on-air talent included local Nashville media personalities Ralph Emery, Dan Miller, Charlie Chase, and Lorianne Crook, as well as established stars such as country music singer Bill Anderson and actresses Florence Henderson and Dinah Shore. By 1995, TNN was acquired by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, who owned CBS. In 1998, the channel dropped its "The Nashville Network" moniker and shortened its official name to the simpler TNN . Ownership shifted to Viacom in the late 1990s after its acquisition of CBS Corporation, Westinghouse's successor. TNN subsequently moved out of its original Nashville base to New York City and folded into Viacom's MTV Networks division.
The National Network, The New TNN and the WWE era (2000–2003)
In September 2000, Viacom sensed redundancy among its related TNN and CMT channel when it merged them into its MTV Networks unit. Hence, it decided to refocus TNN, and in the process the channel dramatically scaled back its country-western trappings and changed its name to The National Network .
The name change also triggered a significant programming change in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience than its original constituency of rural, or working-class, Southern whites. This change was catalyzed by Viacom's acquisition of the rights to WWF (now WWE) programming, including its flagship show RAW Is War . The Arena Football League (AFL) had broadcast on the "New" TNN with Eli Gold as an announcer. In 2001, TNN aired the first opening-round game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament when organizers expanded the field to 65 teams; it was produced by CBS Sports with CBS announcers. (Both the opening round basketball game and the AFL are now carried by ESPN.)
The channel was also one of three to air the XFL's games (NBC and UPN being the other two). As part of its contract TNN had the rights to a late Sunday afternoon game each week except for the first week, when UPN aired the afternoon game instead.
In 2001, TNN added off-network sitcoms and dramas such as Diff'rent Strokes , The Wonder Years , The Rockford Files , WKRP in Cincinnati , Newhart , Miami Vice and Taxi . TNN was also the first channel to air Mad TV off-network. This went unnoticed for the most part due to TNN's lack of popularity. By that time, all country-western programming had been purged from TNN. Some of The Nashville Network's former programming was picked up by CMT. Other classic TNN shows were picked up by GAC, including eventually the Grand Ole Opry , which was pushed off to CMT and eventually removed by Viacom after they did not renew the agreement to carry the series in an attempt to infuse a more youthful schedule on CMT.
As time went on, the words "The National Network" were downplayed in promotions. By late 2002, the channel was known simply as The New TNN and had picked up more male-oriented shows, such as Baywatch , Monster Jam , Bull Riding , Robot Wars and Star Trek: The Next Generation . This was an effort both to further distance itself from its former country music-based identity and to trumpet an increase in original programming. Television critics at the time noted disdainfully that "The New TNN" technically stood for " The New The National Network". Likewise, after more than two years in a non-country format, it had long ceased to be "new" in any meaningful sense.
Spike TV
In early 2003, another name change was announced. The new brand, Spike TV , was marketed as the first television channel for men. (Eventually, early in 2006, the channel would begin, in promotional segments it airs, referring to itself simply as "Spike", omitting the "TV".)
Spike Lee lawsuit
The name change to "Spike TV" was supposed to be official on June 16, 2003. However, on June 13, film director Spike Lee won a New York Supreme Court injunction preventing the name change. Lee claimed that because of his well-known popularity in Hollywood, viewers would therefore assume that he was associated with the new channel. Lee stated in court papers that: "The media description of this change of name, as well as comments made to me and my wife, confirmed what was obvious--that Spike TV referred to Spike Lee."
The channel had planned an official launch of its new name at a star-studded, televised party at The Playboy Mansion in mid-June. But due to Lee's injunction, the special—titled Party With Spike —had to be heavily edited and the impact of the event was considerably muted. During the lawsuit, even the name "TNN" was significantly scaled back, as logos and voice-overs referred to the channel only as "The First Network for Men".
Spike Jones Jr., son of comic musician Spike Jones, became a party of the lawsuit as part of Viacom's defense to protect the rights to his father's name. The suit was settled on July 8, 2003, and TNN was allowed to call itself Spike TV. In announcing the settlement, Lee admitted that he did not believe that the channel intentionally tried to trade on his name.
Lee's injunction had become the subject of ridicule in the media and talk shows, thus bringing free publicity to the fledgling channel. The name change became official on August 11, 2003.
Spike programming
Main article: List of programs broadcast by SpikeThe name change was slated to coincide with an adult-oriented change in programming including original animated series Stripperella and Gary the Rat . Popular reruns such as Baywatch , V.I.P. and The A-Team , original specials such as The 100 Most Irresistible Women and imported programming such as MXC .
Spike TV hired cartoonist John Kricfalusi and a new version of the classic animated hit The Ren and Stimpy Show returned with new episodes in a series known as Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon . Original Nickelodeon episodes also aired uncut.
The channel now airs a combination of original programming and reruns of network programming, including series from the CSI and Star Trek franchises, MXC , Game Head , Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Ultimate Fighting Championship programming.
It has scored some major coups in terms of its programming, receiving syndication rights to several Star Trek series (which was produced by another Viacom branch, Paramount Pictures), as well as most of the James Bond series of movies. It is also the cable home to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , and the cult TV favorite MXC , an overdubbed version of the Japanese series Takeshi's Castle .
In the fall of 2003, Spike TV aired The Joe Schmo Show , a parody of reality television shows like Survivor and Big Brother . Its finale led to the channel's highest ratings at the time, and a second season aired in the Summer of 2004. In November 2004, Spike TV purchased the cable/satellite syndication rights to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for a record price of $1.9 million per episode. It joined the lineup on October 1, 2006.The promotion of the CSI franchises earned Spike the colloqu
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