SelecTV (American TV channel)

SelecTV
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide (available in select areas)
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
OwnerStarion Entertainment
History
LaunchedJuly 23, 1978; 46 years ago (1978-07-23)
ClosedMarch 31, 1989; 35 years ago (1989-03-31) (10 years, 251 days)

SelecTV was an American subscription television service that was formed in 1976 and first began broadcasting in 1978; the service focused entirely on televising movies, and was shut down in 1989.

As with other subscription television systems, SelecTV was transmitted via scrambled signal from a local UHF television station (it later became a satellite service as well). Unlike its competitors, it originally allowed subscribers to pay only for programs "selected" during the month, with the first several minutes free (the decoder box included a phone hook-up to transmit information back to the billing office); it later switched to a flat fee.