Lifetime (TV network)
Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company.[1][2] It features programming that is geared toward women or features women in lead roles. As of January 2016, it is received by 93.8 million households in America.[3]
Country
New York City, New York
February 1, 1984
As of November 2023, Lifetime has garnered nominations for 63 Emmy Awards, 8 Golden Globe Awards and 20 Critics' Choice Movie Awards.[4]
History[edit]
Predecessors[edit]
There were two television channels that preceded Lifetime in its current incarnation. Daytime, originally called BETA, was launched in March 1982 by Hearst-ABC Video Services.[5][6][7] The cable service operated four hours per day on weekdays. The service was focused on alternative women's programming.[6] The following year, the Cable Health Network was launched as a full-time channel in June 1982 with a range of health-related programming.
Hearst/ABC-Viacom Entertainment Services[edit]
Lifetime was established on February 1, 1984, as the result of a merger of Hearst/ABC's Daytime and Viacom's Cable Health Network.[5][6] A board for the new network was formed with equal representation from Hearst, ABC, and Viacom, and the board elected Thomas Burchill as the new network's first CEO.[8] It was not an initial success, reportedly losing $36 million in its first two years of operation, and did not become profitable until 1986.[9] The channel suffered from low viewership, with a poll reportedly finding that some TV viewers erroneously believed it carried religious content.[9]
Broadcast area
July 1, 2014
A&E Networks
Lifetime Entertainment Services
August 20, 2001