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 the United States was dominated by a small number of broadcast networks, but with the advent of cable television the cost of creating a television network has been reduced and there have been a huge increase in the number of networks with most of the newer networks catering to a small group. Many early television networks evolved from earlier radio networks.

Broadcast television networks:

Australia:

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
• Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)
• Nine network
• Ten network[?]
• Seven network[?]

Canada:

• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
• CTV Television Network (CTV)
• Global Television Network (Global)

China, Peoples Republic of

• Chinese Central Television (CCTV)

Ireland

• Radio Telifís Éireann (RTÉ) - state broadcaster
  • TG 4[?] (Irish language semi-independent station)
• TV 3[?] - independent station
• Sky (BSkyB - satellite network)
• Ulster Television (UTV) - part of the ITV network
• BBC Northern Ireland

note: BBC NI and UTV are based in Northern Ireland, RTÉ and TV 3 in the Republic of Ireland. However all four are available to most viewers throughout the island of Ireland, with UTV now accepting advertising from the Republic and targeting some of its programmes specifically at viewers in the Republic. Access to the Republic's stations (but in particular RTÉ) in Northern Ireland was a requirement of the Good Friday Agreement peace deal in 1998.

Japan

• Nihon Housou Kyoukai[?] (NHK) (web site:http://www.nhk.or.jp)
• Nippon Television Network Corporation[?] (web site:http://www.ntv.co.jp)
• Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc.[?] (TBS) (web site:http://www.tbs.co.jp)
• Fuji Television (web site:http://www.fujitv.co.jp)
• Asahi Broadcasting Corporation[?] (web site:http://www.asahi.co.jp)
• TV Tokyo[?] (web site:http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp)
• Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation[?] (YTV) (web site:http://www.ytv.co.jp)
• Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc[?] (MBS) (web site:http://www.mbs.jp)
• Kansai Telecasting Corporation[?] (KTV) (web site:http://www.ktv.co.jp)

Taiwan:

• China Television Company[?] (CTV) - (need chinese terms)
• Chinese Television Service[?] (CTS)
• Taiwan Television Company[?] (TTV)

United States:

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• Fox Network (Fox)
• Warner Brothers Network (WB)
• United Paramount Network (UPN)
• PAX Network (PAX)
• Public Broadcasting System (PBS)
• DuMont Network (defunct)
• National Educational Television (NET) (defunct)

United Kingdom

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Independent Television (ITV)
• Channel 4
• five
• Sky (BSkyB - satellite network)

Cable television networks (major):

• Black Entertainment Television (BET)
• C-SPAN
• Cable News Network (CNN)
• Discovery Channel
• Disney Channel
• ESPN
• Fox News Channel
• Fox Sports Net
• MSNBC
• MTV
• Nickelodeon ("Nick")
• TBS Superstation
• TNT
• USA Network
• The Weather Channel

Cable television networks (premium):

• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Showtime