USA Network (commonly referred to as
USA) is an American
cable television channel launched in 1977. The channel shows a variety of original and
second-run programming, from syndicated TV series (such as NBC's
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the relocation of
Law & Order: Criminal Intent from
NBC) to edited
movies. It is notable for its original series, particularly
WWE Raw,
Monk,
Psych,
Burn Notice,
In Plain Sight,
Royal Pains, and
White Collar.
History
Early years
USA Network premiered on September 27, 1977, originally organized as the
Madison Square Garden Network (not to be confused with the New York City regional sports network
of that name). The channel became one of the first national cable television channels when it chose to use
satellite delivery as opposed to
microwave relay to cable systems.
On April 9, 1979, the channel changed its name to USA Network after the ownership structure was reorganized under a joint operating agreement by the
UA-
Columbia Cablevision cable system (now known as
Cablevision Systems Corporation) and
MCA Inc./
Universal City Studios (whose assets are currently owned largely by
NBC Universal and
Vivendi SA).