Z Channel
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| 250px | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Availability | United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
|
Key people
|
Jerry Harvey |
|
Launch date
|
1974 |
| Dissolved | 1989 |
| Replaced by | SportsChannel Los Angeles |
The Z Channel was one of the first pay television stations in the United States. Launched in 1974 from Los Angeles, California, this station was known for its devotion to the art of cinema due to the eclectic choice of films[1] by the programming chief, Jerry Harvey. It also popularized the use of letterboxing on television, as well as showing 'director's cut' versions of films (which is a term popularized after Z Channel's showing of Heaven's Gate). Z Channel's devotion to cinema and choice of rare and important films had an important influence on such directors as Robert Altman, Quentin Tarantino, and Jim Jarmusch. Z Channel was owned by Theta Cable (a division of TelePrompTer Corporation and Hughes Aircraft Co.) which was acquired by Group W (Westinghouse) in 1981. Operations were located in Santa Monica, California. In 1989, Z Channel faded to black[2] and was replaced by SportsChannel Los Angeles.[3]
The channel was the subject of the 2004 documentary Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession, which was directed by Alexandra Cassavetes, daughter of John Cassavetes.
Live wrestling events
In the late 1980s, Z Channel broadcast a number of the World Wrestling Federation's live events from the Los Angeles Sports Arena, but nowhere near as many as Madison Square Garden (MSG Network), Boston Garden (New England Sports Network) or the Philadelphia Spectrum (PRISM).
References
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<references />, or <references group="..." />External links
- Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession at IMDb
- ↑ "Film-News and Notes." Daily News of Los Angeles October 3, 1986
- ↑ "Z Channel Fading To Black Amid Film Industry Tributes." The Hollywood Reporter April 27, 1989
- ↑ "Hollywood Freeway." Daily News of Los Angeles June 26, 1989
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- SportsChannel
- Sports in Los Angeles, California
- Television channels and stations established in 1974
- Television channels and stations disestablished in 1989
- American subscription television services
- Film preservation
- Defunct American television networks
