E! Entertainment Televisionis an Americanbasic cabletelevision network.It is owned by theNBCUniversal Media Groupdivision ofComcast'sNBCUniversal.The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movies.
 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles,California |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled toletterboxed480ifor theSDTVfeed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | NBCUniversal(Comcast) |
| Parent | NBCUniversal Media Group |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | July 31, 1987 |
| Founder | |
| Former names | Movietime (1987–1990) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Streaming Services | Sling TV,YouTube TV,fuboTV,Hulu Live TV,DirecTV Stream |
| Claro TV+ | (requires subscription to access content) |
As of November 2023[update],E! is available to approximately 71,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2011 peak of 99,000,000 households.[1]
History
editMovietime
editE! was originally launched on July 31, 1987, asMovietime,a service that aired movie trailers, entertainment news, event and awards coverage, and interviews as an early example of a nationalbarker channel.[2]The channel was founded byLarry NamerandAlan Mruvka.[3][4]Early Movietime hosts includedGreg Kinnear,Katie Wagner,Julie Moran,Suzanne Kay (daughter ofDiahann Carroll),Mark DeCarlo,Sam RubinandRichard Blade.
E!
edit
Controlling ownership was originally held by aconsortiumof five cable television providers (Comcast,Continental Cablevision,Cox Cable,TCI,andWarner Cable),HBO/Warner Communications,and various founding shareholders, with HBO directly programming and managing the network. In 1989, afterTime Inc.bought Warner Communications to fend off a takeover bid by Paramount, the newTime Warnercompany held four of the eight major ownership positions and took over management control of Movietime and renamed the network asE!: Entertainment Televisionon June 1, 1990 based inLos Angeles;this name change was made to emphasize its widening coverage of thecelebrity–industrial complex,contemporary film, television and music, daily Hollywood gossip, and fashion.
In 1997, Comcast, one of the minority partners, teamed up withDisney/ABC Cable Networksto buy the channel after Time Warner had exercised their put agreement.[5]Comcast increased the ownership stakes in the network through mergers with forerunners of TCI and Continental under various circumstances. In November 2006, Comcast acquired Disney's 39.5% share of E! for $1.23 billion to gain full ownership of the network as part of a broader programming carriage agreement between Disney/ABC and Comcast.[6]
In January 2011, Comcast Entertainment Group, the company's television unit, became a division of theNBCUniversal Television Group,after Comcast acquired a 51% majority stake inNBCUniversalfromGeneral Electric.[7]E!'s only sister networks prior to the NBC Universal merger were the now-defunct channels Style Network (thenEsquire Network),PBS Kids SproutandG4,along with Comcast's sports networks: Versus,Comcast SportsNetandGolf Channel.In the case of Versus, E! staff produced that network'sSports Soupand G4'sWeb Soup,while the Orlando-based Golf Channel featured no crossovers with E! at all due to incompatible audiences and operations. Versus and Golf Channel were taken under the direct control of theNBC Sportsdivision, with the former being renamedNBC Sports Networkin January 2012, and are no longer connected to their former sister networks beyond advertising and in-house operations.
On July 9, 2012, the channel introduced a revised logo (the first change to its logo since the network rebranded as E! in 1990), removing theexclamation markbackground behind the "E" but keeping the exclamation point underneath, along with a new slogan "Pop of Culture", which coincided with the launch of the new seriesOpening Act.The network also started the process of introducing scripted programming (the first series,The Royals,premiering in March 2015), in addition to its existing reality and documentary series. The changes were announced during E!'s programming upfront presentation on April 30, 2012.[8]
Programming
editNews
editE! is one of the few U.S. general-entertainment cable channels that broadcasts a daily news program; its flagship entertainment news program isE! News,which debuted on September 1, 1991. The weekday program (which also has an hour-long weekend edition) features stories and gossip about celebrities, and the film, music and television industries, and has been broadcast under various formats since its launch, even being aired live for a time during the mid-2000s. It was first hosted by Dagny Hultgreen. Steve Kmetko was a host from 1994 to 2002.[citation needed]It has been hosted byTerrence JenkinsandGiuliana Rancicsince 2012 and 2006, respectively, withRyan Seacrest(who co-anchored the program from 2006 to 2012) serving asmanaging editorof the news operation.
E! Newswas the only entertainment news show on the channel for much of its history until 2006, when the channel launchedThe Daily 10,hosted bySal MasekelaandCatt Sadler(Debbie Matenopoulosalso co-hosted from the show's inception until 2008); the series was cancelled in September 2010 after E! announced that the weekday editions ofE! Newswould be expanded to one hour starting on October 25, 2010.[9]
E! also carried asimulcastof business news channelBloomberg Televisionfrom 2004 to January 2009, when the latter network had expanded its cable and satellite carriage to a level that allowed the discontinuation of the simulcast.
OutsideE! Newstelecasts, the channel runs anE! News–brandednews tickerdisplaying entertainment news headlines each half-hour during regular programming; fast-breaking entertainment headlines (such as a celebrity arrest or death) may also be displayed on a ticker, during any program when warranted.
On August 5, 2020, E! canceled both New York-based shows, along withIn The Room,one of the first of many program and employee cuts and staff realignments announced acrossNBCUniversalthat week due to the pandemic.[10][11]The news operation continued to maintain theE! Newswebsite, and its social media presences. Two years later, E! announced thatE! Newswould be revived as a late-night entertainment news program and would return to the E! network after a two-year hiatus, withAdrienne Bailon-Houghtonand Justin Sylvester (the latter of whom returned to the show for the revival) serving as co-hosts; it premiered on November 14, 2022.[12][13]
Original series
editThe network was known early on for its daily video simulcast of theHoward SternShow,which aired from June 20, 1994, until July 8, 2005, weeknights in a truncated half-hour form, airing three times in late night. The program was discontinued several months after Stern moved toSirius Satellite Radioand sold the video rights to his show to pay-per-view providerIn Demandas a monthly pay offering (video rights are now held by Sirius XM).[14]
E! is known for its live red carpet pre-shows for the industry's three prominent award shows, thePrimetime Emmy Awards,theGolden Globe Awards,and theAcademy Awards,and were famous for their fashion critiques byJoan Rivers;Rivers also hosted post-awards specials under the titleFashion Police,which became a regular weekly series in September 2010. In April 2017, it was announced that E! had acquired thePeople's Choice Awards,which will move to the network fromCBSin 2018 with a new November scheduling. The network promoted that the show would be given an "end-to-end" experience that will leverage its existing experience in awards show coverage.[15][16]As ratings declined across all of cable television overall, the People's Choice returned to broadcast television in 2021, with E! simulcasting the ceremony with NBC.
The network also produces many documentary and biographical series, most notablyE! True Hollywood Story;many of E!'s original specials are entertainment-related ranging from light fare (such as25 Cutest Child Stars All Grown Up) to serious fare (such as15 Most Unforgettable Hollywood Tragedies). It also produces specials centering on investigative and crime stories includingE! Investigates,which features topical investigative reports on subjects ranging fromchild prostitutiontoteenage pregnancy.
In recent years, the network has become known for itsreality televisionprograms. Its most popular series for over a decade has beenKeeping Up with the Kardashians,which spawned eightspin-off seriesand countless specials. Other original reality programming airing on the network currently includesTotal Divas–a series featuring theWWE'sBella Twins,Hollywood Medium withTyler Henry,theplastic surgeryrepair seriesDr. 90210andBotched,along withVery CavallariwithKristin Cavallariand her (later ex-) husbandJay Cutler,Ladygang–a television version of the popularpodcast,anddating showDating #NoFilter,[17][18][19]
E! has had five comedy programs: the late night talk showChelsea Lately,hosted by comedianChelsea Handler,its scripted/improvised spin-offAfter Lately,andThe Soup(based on the popular 1991–2002 E! seriesTalk Soup), featuring clips of the previous week's TV shows with humorous commentary delivered by the host, actor/comedianJoel McHale.Handler also producedLove You, Mean It,a weekly comedic look at pop culture hosted byWhitney Cummings,and a nightly talk show from actressBusy Philipps,Busy Tonight.The Soupreturned in February 2020, with new host Jade Catta-Preta, though it, and many of E!'s in-studio shows, were cancelled in the last quarter of 2020 due to the effects of theCOVID-19 pandemichampering production.
On September 8, 2020, it was announced the network's most popular seriesKeeping Up with the Kardashianswould be ending with season 20 in 2021.
Acquired series and films
editOver the years, E! has occasionally run acquired programming including reruns ofAlice,Absolutely Fabulous,20/20lifestyle-based interview shows fromABC(since removed under NBCUniversal ownership), and edited 60-minute versions ofSaturday Night Live,though fewer of these programs currently air.[20]The only programming currently airing on E! that it does not produce arebroadcast standards-editedreruns of the formerHBOseriesSex and the Cityoriginally carried by HBO's sister networkTBS,andfeature filmsthat air under the banner "Movies We Love"; the latter was part of a since-abandoned initiative by the network to use films to increase the network's ratings, though the branding remains, and low and mid-grossing female-focused films from theUniversal Pictureslibrary usually receive their basic cable premiere on E!, with higher-grossing films premiering onUSA Network.The network has aired same-week runs of NBC series (such asThe Voice,Fashion Star,Whitney,andAre You There, Chelsea?), and in the past aired previews of G4 programming to give that network an extended promotional platform due to their lowered carriage when it was removed fromDirecTVin November 2010.[20]The network also airs selected shows from thePeacockstreaming service (which E!'s parent company NBCUniversal owns).
Sports programming
editSince Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal, E! has infrequently aired sporting events as an overflow outlet forNBC Sports.It has participated in NBC's "Championship Sunday"effort to broadcast all matches on the final matchday of thePremier Leaguesoccer season.[21]In January 2022—amid the shutdown of long-time sister channelNBCSN—E! was incorporated into NBC Sports' coverage of twofigure skatingevents ahead of the2022 Winter Olympics,the2022 European Figure Skating ChampionshipsandFour Continents Figure Skating Championships.[22]
E! HD
editE! HDis ahigh definitionsimulcast feed of E! launched on December 8, 2008, in Comcast's default1080iresolution format. Currently, the network's entire original programming roster post-2010 is carried in high definition, along with most films. Available on the vast majority of pay television providers, it is downscaled at the providerheadendlevel to provide astandard definitionequivalent for those systems.[20]
During E!'s run as a broadcast service in Canada, theE! Ontarioversion of the service until the December 2008 discontinuation of the E! broadcast television system was available in HD overHamilton, Ontario-basedCHCH-TV(channel 11) on its channel 18ATSCdigital signal, though the majority of E!'s programming outside American primetime series before the shutdown of thetelevision systemwas not available in the format.[20]
E! Online
editE! Onlineis the online arm of E!, featuring live updates on entertainment news stories; the website includes an online-only entertainment news bulletin titledE! News Now,which is updated each weekday. The website also provides live streaming video of major red carpet events including movie premieres and award shows such as the Academy Awards and the Emmys, along with some blogs involving shows such asThe Soup.Columnists featured on the website includeKristin dos Santos(the "Watch with Kristin" television blog),Ted Casablanca( "The Awful Truth" gossip blog), and Marc Malkin (writer of an eponymous gossip blog and host of a daily video blog on the site).[citation needed]
As part of the rebrand of the cable channel on July 9, 2012, EOnline.com was redesigned forHTML5,including tablet and mobile devices.[23]
International versions
editAustralia and New Zealand
editCanada
editUnlike most international cable channels that have licensed an American cable channel's branding and programming, E! has existed as two separate television channels in Canada – in both broadcast and pay television forms.[20]
On September 7, 2007,Canwest Global Communicationsrebranded its CH television system asE!.CH originally launched on February 12, 2001, byCHCH/Hamilton, Ontarioas a secondary service of theGlobal Television Network;the CH/E! system would later include four additional Canwest-owned stations inQuebec(CJNT/Montreal),British Columbia(CHEK/VictoriaandCHBC/Kelowna) andAlberta(CHCA/Red Deer), and three affiliates owned byJim Pattison Groupin British Columbia (CKPG/Prince GeorgeandCFJC/Kamloops) and Alberta (CHAT/Medicine Hat). The E! television system shut down on September 1, 2009, due to low ratings and corporate financial difficulties that eventually led to Canwest filing forbankruptcy protectionand selling its properties toShaw Mediafor US$6.7 million; the E!owned-and-operated stationsexperienced varied fates (CHCH and CJNT were sold toChannel Zero,CHEK was sold to an employee-led group; CHBC remained with Canwest and was converted into a Global O&O, and CHCA ceased operations outright), while the Pattison Group stations affiliated with theRogers Media-ownedCitytvsystem.[20]As E!, local news and other regional programming, as well as most local community sponsorships on the O&O stations, used local branding (incorporating the callsign branding scheme common with Canadian stations not owned by a network or television system).[20]This decision was at least partly made to avoid confusion withE! News,but likely intended to ensure that local newscasts were not perceived as celebrity-oriented.[20]
The E! brand would later return to Canada on November 1, 2010, whenCTVglobemedia(whose assets are now owned byBell Media) signed a multi-year/multi-platform agreement with Comcast to rebrandCategory 2specialty channelStar! (which had a similar format to E! U.S. and had carried some of its programming prior to the 2007 rebranding of CH) into aCanadian version of E!on November 29, 2010.
Europe
editAsia
editE!'s Asian network aired acrossSoutheast Asiaand thePhilippinesfrom May 3, 1995, until December 31, 2019.
Philippines
editSome of E! programs started to air on Cinema Television during its inception byRMN(thruUHF Channel 31;now acquired byBEAM).[24]But in 2000, both RMN and E! announced its partnership to relaunch CTV into E! Philippines.[25]It was originally broadcast 24 hours a day, but eventually reduced in 2001 to a primetime 6-midnight block, before ending in 2003. Some of E!'s programs were brought to the Philippines and remade in a local version, one of which wasWild On! Philippines.
Three years after the relaunch as a standalone cable channel,[26]E! produced its first original reality series in Asia,It Takes Gutz to Be A Gutierrezstarring the Gutierrez family.
Israel
editE! is broadcast in Israel by cable providerHOTand by satellite provideryes.
Latin America
editE! it is distributed in Latin America, since January 1, 1997, being operated byNBCUniversal International Networksand distributed byOle Distribution(a joint venture betweenWarner Bros. Discoveryand Ole Communications). Its operations center is located inCaracas,BogotáandMexico City.
South Korea
editReferences
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