Prime Time Entertainment Network

The Prime Time Entertainment Network (also known as PTEN) was a United States television network launched in 1993 by the Prime Time Consortium, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Domestic Television and the Chris-Craft group of independent stations. Originally, the station groups in the consortium helped finance the shows on PTEN, but that deal was restructured at the beginning of the network's second year. At its peak, PTEN had 177 stations covering 93% of the country. PTEN was launched as a potential fifth network, and offered packaged nights of programming to television stations, beginning with a two-hour block, with second block added one year later. However, close to half of PTEN's initial affiliates were FOX stations, and PTEN programming was usually scheduled around FOX's then five-night prime time schedule. Some PTEN-affiliated stations took issue with the network's barter split, which gave nine minutes of advertising time per hour to the syndicator, leaving only five... full article at wikipedia