&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:Ontvlogo.jpg) Original ON TV logo used in most Oak markets and in Portland, Oregon | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | National Subscription Television, a joint venture of Oak Industries and Chartwell Communications (each market had individual ownership) |
| History | |
| Launched | April 1, 1977 |
| Closed | June 30, 1985 |
ON TV was an American subscription television (STV) service that operated in eight markets between 1977 and 1985. Originally established by National Subscription Television, a joint venture of Oak Industries and Chartwell Communications, ON TV was part of a new breed of STV operations that broadcast premium programming—including movies, sporting events, and concerts—over an encrypted signal on a UHF television station and leased decoders to subscribing customers. At its peak in 1982, ON TV boasted more than 700,000 customers—more than half of them in Los Angeles, its most successful market. However, the rapidly expanding availability of cable television, coupled with a recession, caused the business to quickly lose subscribers at the same time that Oak Industries was experiencing severe financial difficulties. Between March 1983 and June 1985, all eight operations closed.