America's Talking

America's Talking was an American cable television channel focused mainly on talk based programming, created by NBC and spun off from economic channel CNBC. It was launched on July 4, 1994, and was carried in 10 million American households upon launch.[1] The headquarters were in an office building in Fort Lee, New Jersey, two floors below CNBC's original studios, on Fletcher Avenue. It was shuttered on July 15, 1996, and its transponder space was replaced by MSNBC.

America's Talking
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaUnited States
HeadquartersFort Lee, New Jersey
Ownership
OwnerGeneral Electric
Sister channelsCNBC
History
LaunchedJuly 4, 1994 (1994-07-04)
ClosedJuly 15, 1996 (1996-07-15)
Replaced byMSNBC

Programming

The programming was mainly focused on low-budget talk shows, and included the following lineup:

  • America's Talking A.M. - A morning talk show, hosted by Steve Doocy and Kai Kim, with Tony Morelli as "the Prodigy Guy".
  • Am I Nuts? - (later named State of Mind) hosted by psychologist Bernie Katz and behavioral therapist Cynthia Richmond.
  • What's New? - The latest hot gadgets, hosted by Mike Jerrick and later Brian Tracey.
  • Break A Leg with Bill McCuddy - Mid-afternoon chatfest hosted by the winner of a CNBC-sponsored talent contest, Bill McCuddy. Featured celebrities and musical acts.
  • Alive and Wellness - Healthy living by holistic methods, hosted by Carol Martin.
  • Ask E. Jean - A call-in advice show hosted by writer E. Jean Carroll.
  • Have a Heart - A talk/news show discussing the brighter side of the news and show-arranged charitable situations, hosted by Lu Hanessian.
  • Pork - A political talk show focusing on government waste hosted by John David Klein. The executive producers were Robin Gellman and Dennis Sullivan.[2]
  • AT In-Depth - A two-hour news/talk show focusing on the day's top stories, co-hosted by Terry Anzur in Fort Lee and Chris Matthews in Washington. Matthews later got his own show (see below) and the show became In Depth Coast to Coast with Anzur in Burbank, CA, and John Gibson in Fort Lee.[3]
  • Straight Forward - A celebrity hour-long talk show, hosted by the President of the network, Roger Ailes.
  • Bugged! - A comedic look at what bugs people, hosted by Brian O'Connor with Bill Gulino.
  • R&R with Roger Rose - A late-night themed talk show featuring the latest music and celebrities.
  • After Hours - This show replaced R&R, was basically the same format, hosted by Brian Tracy and Bill Gulino. The show was eventually moved over to CNBC where it was hosted by Mike Jerrick.
  • Politics with Chris Matthews - After moving over to CNBC during the rampdown of America's Talking, the show was renamed Hardball with Chris Matthews and eventually moved to MSNBC, where it aired nightly at 7 p.m. until March 2, 2020, when Mathews announced his retirement at the top of his final program. Following a commercial break, Steve Kornacki took over for the rest of that episode.
  • Cable Crossings - A minute-long serial that aired between programs, written by Marv Himelfarb, featuring Brian Fraley. Music written by Bill Gulino.

Demise

While America's Talking had something of a following, it was not successful in the ratings and was picked up by few cable providers. In January 1996, NBC announced plans to partner with Microsoft to launch MSNBC on cable and online with the satellite transponder that America's Talking occupied, effectively ending the life of the network. America's Talking officially signed off on July 15, 1996, after Ailes had departed NBC[4] and been hired by Rupert Murdoch to launch the Fox News Channel for News Corporation, and was replaced at 9 a.m. by MSNBC Live, hosted by Jodi Applegate.

References
  1. "And Now, Interactive TV for a Nation of Yakkers". tribunedigital-thecourant. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  2. Pork - Overview, Television Casts & Cults, New York Times, http://tv.nytimes.com/show/159024/Pork/overview
  3. "America's Talking: Back to the Future". www.terryanzur.com. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  4. Michaelson, Judith (1996-01-19). "Company Town : CNBC President Ailes Quits After Shake-Up at America's Talking". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
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