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NTA Film Network

From Alfawiki
NTA Film Network
Company typePart-time television network
IndustryTelevision broadcasting
Founded1956
FounderEly Landau
Defunct1961
FateDiscontinued operations; flagship station sold and became WNET (PBS affiliate)
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Ely Landau (founder, chairman), Charles C. Barry (president from 1959)
ProductsFilms and first-run television shows distribution
OwnerNational Telefilm Associates; 50% owned by Twentieth Century-Fox (from November 1956)
ParentNational Telefilm Associates

The NTA Film Network was among the pioneering American television networks, established in 1956 by Ely Landau. It functioned on a part-time basis, distributing films and first-run television shows sourced from prominent Hollywood studios. Although it managed to enlist over 100 affiliate stations and gained financial investment from Twentieth Century-Fox, which purchased a 50% ownership stake in November 1956, the network did not achieve profitability and discontinued operations by 1961. Its primary station, WNTA-TV, later became WNET, a significant outlet within the Public Broadcasting Service.

Origins

The parent company, National Telefilm Associates, was created in 1954 by producers Ely Landau and Oliver A. Unger following a reorganization of Landau's Ely Landau, Inc., which included Unger and producer Harold Goldman. NTA took over from U.M. & M. TV Corporation, which it acquired in 1956.

In October 1956, the NTA Film Network commenced operations with a roster exceeding 100 affiliate stations. The network operated as a syndication service, supplying films and television programs to independent broadcasters as well as select affiliates of NBC, CBS, and the ABC. Its flagship outlet was WNTA-TV Channel 13 located in New York City. Industry publications acknowledged it as an emerging television network.

Differing from the established Big Three television networks, NTA’s affiliates were not interconnected via coaxial cable or microwave relay. Instead, programming was physically shipped to each station; however, many affiliates consented to synchronized broadcasts, supporting Landau’s assertion of network status.

In November 1956, Twentieth Century-Fox acquired half ownership and intended to produce original programming for the network. The affiliate count grew to 128 stations. By September 1957, NTA expanded its holdings by purchasing KMGM-TV (currently known as KMSP-TV) in Minneapolis.

Affiliates

The following table lists NTA Film Network affiliate stations as of November 1956.

Ada, Oklahoma: KTEN Grand Junction: KREX-TV Oklahoma City: KGEO
Allentown-Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: WGLV Green Bay-Marinette, Wisconsin: WBAY-TV Peoria: WTVH
Anchorage: KTVA Harrisburg: WCMB-TV Phoenix: KPHO-TV
Amarillo, Texas: KGNC-TV Hattiesburg: WDAM-TV Portland, Maine: WCSH
Asheville, North Carolina: WLOS Henderson-Las Vegas: KLRJ-TV Portland, Oregon: KPTV
Atlanta: WAGA Houston: KTRK-TV Providence: WJAR
Austin, Minnesota: KMMT Indianapolis: WFBM-TV Raleigh-Durham: WTVD
Bakersfield: KERO-TV Jackson, Mississippi: WLBT Richmond: WTVR-TV
Bangor, Maine: WABI-TV Jefferson City, Missouri: KRCG Roanoke, Virginia: WDBJ
Birmingham, Alabama: WBRC Johnstown, Pennsylvania: WARD-TV Rock Island: WHBF-TV
Bismarck, North Dakota: KBMB-TV Juneau: KINY-TV Rockford, Illinois: WREX-TV
Carlsbad, New Mexico: KAVE-TV Kansas City: KMBC-TV Salt Lake City: KSL-TV
Cedar Rapids-Waterloo: KWWL Kearney, Nebraska: KHOL-TV San Angelo, Texas: KTXL-TV
Charleston, West Virginia: WCHS-TV Knoxville: WBIR-TV San Antonio: KENS-TV
Charleston, South Carolina: WUSN-TV West Lafayette, Indiana: WFAM-TV San Diego: XETV
Chattanooga: WDEF-TV Lafayette, Louisiana: KLFY-TV Savannah: WSAV-TV
Chicago: WGN-TV Lincoln: KOLN Seattle-Tacoma: KTNT-TV
Cincinnati: WKRC-TV Little Rock-Pine Bluff: KATV Sioux City: KTIV
Cleveland: WJW-TV Los Angeles: KTTV South Bend-Elkhart, Indiana: WSJV
Columbus, Georgia: WDAK-TV Lubbock: KDUB Spokane: KREM-TV
Columbus, Ohio: WTVN-TV Madison: WISC-TV Springfield, Massachusetts: WHYN-TV
Columbus, Mississippi: WCBI-TV Memphis: WMCT St. Joseph, Missouri :KFEQ-TV
Dallas-Fort Worth :KFJZ-TV Miami : WGBS - TV Sweetwater , Texas : KPAR - TV
Decatur , Illinois : WTVP - TV Milwaukee : WITI Tampa :WSUN - TV
Decatur , Alabama : WMSL - TV Minneapolis : WTCN - TV Tucson :KVOA
Denver : KTVR Minot : KCJB - TV Tulsa-Muskogee : KOTV
Des Moines-Ames :WOI - TV Mobile :WALA - TV Twin Falls , Idaho : KLIX - TV
Dickinson , North Dakota : KDIX - TV Monroe , Louisiana:KNOE - TV Washington : WMAL - TV

Additional affiliates that joined later included KOOK - TV in Billings , Montana (circa 1958–1959), KONO - TV in San Antonio (circa 1958–1959), WISH - TV in Indianapolis (circa 1958–1959), and KTVU in San Francisco (circa 1959–1960). The acquisition of KMGM - TV in Minneapolis occurred in September 1957.

Programs

The NTA Film Network broadcast a mixture of motion pictures and television series. Between 1956 and 1957, the network showcased 52 films from Twentieth Century-Fox. From 1957 through 1959, the prime-time segment titled Premiere Performance presented Fox's feature films. Other notable film showcases during 1958–1959 included TV Hour of Stars and The Big Night.

Prominent television series featured on the network were:

Additional programs included:

In October 1956, NTA revealed intentions to transmit live sports and special events via network relays starting with the 1959–1960 season.

NTA Film Network Friday evening lineup for the 1958–1959 TV season
7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30
— Man Without a Gun This Is Alice How to Marry a Millionaire Premiere Performance featuring 20th Century Fox films

During the 1958–59 season, as many as 17 stations adhered to this schedule, while others broadcast shows at different times.

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from:"09/01/58" till:"09/01/59" color:+dra text:"Danger Is My Business"
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from:"09/01/58" till:"09/01/59" color:+movi text:"TV Hour of Stars"
from:"09/01/58" till:"09/01/59" color:+movi text:"The Big Night"
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from:"09/01/59" till:"09/01/60" color:+com text:"Glencannon"
from:"09/01/59" till:"12/31/59" color:+tal text:"Henry Morgan and Company"
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End of network

In January 1959, Charles C. Barry took over the role of president of network operations from Ely Landau, who continued to serve as chairman of National Telefilm Associates. Although Twentieth Century-Fox held a 50% stake, the NTA Film Network never matured into a prominent commercial television network on par with the Big Three television networks. Many scholars of television history regard it more as a syndication platform rather than a fully developed network.

By 1961, WNTA-TV was operating at a loss and was sold in November to the Educational Broadcasting Corporation. The station was renamed WNDT (later WNET) and became the flagship for the National Educational Television network, which eventually evolved into PBS. With the loss of its flagship station, NTA's network operations came to an end, although National Telefilm Associates maintained its syndication activities. From 1962 through 1966, NTA distributed four series in syndication: Probe, Tintin, The Fair Adventure, and A Day with Doodles.

See also

Other early American television networks that failed:

External links

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