I was kicking myself yesterday, because I realized I should've guessed Nick at Nite. But now, with today's clue, we know that wasn't it.
Who Am I? Week # 789
- Thread starter kingchuck69
- Start date
Congratulations, Koop!
This week's subject was the Cable Music Channel, the very-short-lived network that was the biggest bomb for its founder, the recently-departed Robert Edward "Ted" Turner.
Turner found success as the man behind TBS and CNN. Now, he was looking to grow his empire. With MTV taking cable TV by storm in the early 80s, Ted was willing to take a bite out of their numbers. He heard it all: MTV wanted more money out of cable companies to carry it. Some critics felt that they were too raunchy. So, Ted created CMC as an alternative to MTV. Not only did they avoid videos rife with sex and/or violence, but they also avoided hard rock and metal content.
Turner signed CMC on October 26, 1984. Its first video was "I Love L.A." by Randy Newman. However, despite an audience of 2.5 million, CMC was losing money quickly. Plus, most cable systems didn't have room for it. So, Turner immediately sold CMC for $1 million to Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment - MTV's parent - who immediately shut it down. The network only lasted a month and four days, making it one of Turner's biggest flops. That was, at least, until he sold his company to TimeWarner in 1996 for $7 billion and then lost control of his empire several years later post-AOL merger, plus $8 billion.
CMC's last video was Quarterflash's "Take Me To Heart", which aired just before midnight, November 30, 1984. WAMEX would relaunch the channel on New Year's Day 1985 as the similarly-formatted Video Hits One, or VH1.
New game next week!
You're on fire Koop! Hot on the heels of NO WINNER. Fun game King!
Congratulations, Koop! I don't remember the channel at all – but couldn't Turner have picked a better video to launch the channel with than I Love L.A.? The song debuted at #110 on Billboard's April 16 1983 Bubbling Under chart, remained at #110 the following week and then was gone. Obviously many millions do not love L.A.
The woman next to Randy Newman in the red 1955 Buick convertible is Laura Howard. In 1989, she appeared (for about three seconds) next to Weird Al Yankovic in a red 1955 Buick convertible in the video of the title song of the UHF movie (which includes dozens of hilarious parodies).
The woman next to Randy Newman in the red 1955 Buick convertible is Laura Howard. In 1989, she appeared (for about three seconds) next to Weird Al Yankovic in a red 1955 Buick convertible in the video of the title song of the UHF movie (which includes dozens of hilarious parodies).
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I'll leave the official tally up to Wolf but I think that gets me to 19 total wins and it's the first time I've ever won 2 in a row.
But what really matters is the fact that I am now only 4 away from tying that fucking asshole who is way worse than Stalin, Mussolini, Gaddafi and the entire early 90's Rwandan Hutu majority group put together..............NO FUCKING WINNER!!!!
I will defeat him. I will persevere through these dark times.
Also, thanks King. Yet another fun game!
But what really matters is the fact that I am now only 4 away from tying that fucking asshole who is way worse than Stalin, Mussolini, Gaddafi and the entire early 90's Rwandan Hutu majority group put together..............NO FUCKING WINNER!!!!
I will defeat him. I will persevere through these dark times.
Also, thanks King. Yet another fun game!
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Here are the final three minutes of Cable Music Channel – and what song was featured? I'll give you one guess.
I can tell you about Raechel Donahue. She was a DJ from 1975 to 2022. She worked at KMPX and KSAN in San Francisco; KMET, KWST, KROQ, KIIS and KEDG in Los Angeles; SiriusXM's Classic Vinyl channel; and online oldies station Boss Boss Radio – not all at the same time, of course. In 1980 she became CNN's first entertainment reporter. She is also a documentary filmmaker and since 2010 has written travel columns for USATODAY.