Fox Family (Fox AU)

> *This page takes place in an alternate universe where Fox Family was more successful and never fail, if it has a hit show and going into right direction. For the real-life version, see Freeform. In addition, this will be a part of the new AU, known as the FoxVerse.*
>
>

## Programming

### Picture format

1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)

## Ownership

### Sister channel(s)

FoxNight
Fox Zoom
Spotlight
Fox Play
FoxRetro
FoxYouth
Fox
FX
FXX
FXM
National Geographic
Nat Geo Wild

## History

### Former names

CBN Satellite Service (1977–1981)
CBN Cable Network (1981–1988)
The CBN Family Channel (1988–1990)
The Family Channel (1990–1998)

## Links

### Website

www.foxfamily.com

**Fox Family** (sometimes known as **Fox Family Channel**) is an American basic cable channel owned and operated by Fox Family Worldwide, a sub-division of the Fox Networks Group division of the 21st Century Fox. Fox Family primarily broadcasts programming geared toward kids and family. Its programming includes contemporary off-network syndicated reruns and original series, feature films, and made-for-TV original movies.

Since the network was launched on April 29, 1977, it has undergone various changes to its programming format and naming under 4 different owners. The network was originally founded as a religious channel, the **CBN Satellite Service**—an extension of televangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network. It evolved into a family-focused entertainment network in 1981. It was spun off into a for-profit company known as International Family Entertainment (IFE) in 1990, eventually becoming known as **The Family Channel**. As a condition of the spin-off, the channel was contractually required to maintain airings of *The 700 Club* and an annual telethon the last Sunday in January; these conditions have applied to all future owners of the channel.

In 1997, IFE and the Family Channel were acquired by a joint venture between News Corporation and Haim Saban. This resulted in its rebranding as the **Fox Family Channel** a year later. The new owners wanted to reposition the network toward younger viewers as a companion for the popular Fox Kids Network.

The channel offered an alternate Spanish-language audio feed, either via a separate channel with the English track removed as part of a package of Spanish-language television networks sold by subscription providers or a separate audio track accessible through the SAP option, depending on the provider.

As of September 2018, Fox Family is available to 92.4 million households in America.

## History

### Early history (1977–1998)

The channel traces its origins to the launch of the CBN Satellite Service (CBN Satellite Network), an arm of Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), on April 29, 1977. Focusing mainly on religious programming, the channel was notable for being one of the first cable channels to distribute its signal nationally through satellite transmission (the third overall, as the method had been first pioneered by HBO in September 1975) as well as the first national basic cable-originated network (TBS – which became the second cable channel in the U.S. to begin transmitting via satellite in December 1976 – originated as a feed of broadcast television station WTCG (now WPCH-TV) in Atlanta, Georgia). The channel changed its name to the **CBN Cable Network** on September 1, 1981, and adopted a more secular programming format featuring a mix of family-oriented series and films while retaining some religious programs from various televangelists (mirroring the format used by CBN's independent television stations of that time). Around this time, the channel began airing a late night block of classic family oriented shows like *You Bet Your Life* with Groucho Marx, *I Married Joan*, and *The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis*. This block of programming is said by some to have inspired the 1985 debut of the Nick at Nite classic TV block on Nickelodeon. By this point, its carriage grew to 10.9 million homes with a cable television subscription.

On January 1, 1988, the word "Family" was incorporated into the channel's name to better reflect its programming format, rebranding as **The CBN Family Channel**. By 1990, the network had grown too profitable to remain under the Christian Broadcasting Network umbrella without endangering the ministry's non-profit status. On January 8 of that year, CBN spun out the network into a new, for-profit corporation known as International Family Entertainment (IFE). Managed by Pat Robertson's eldest son Timothy, IFE was co-owned by the Robertsons, with a minority interest held by Liberty Media and Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI) owner John C. Malone. Following the spin-off, the channel's name was officially shortened to The Family Channel on September 15, 1990.

As a stipulation included as part of the spin-out from CBN to International Family Entertainment, The Family Channel was required to continue its daily airings of CBN's flagship program, *The 700 Club*. During this time, from 1994 to 1997, The Family Channel sponsored NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Ted Musgrave in the #16 Ford Thunderbird for Roush Racing.

### Fox Family (1998–present)

In 1997, after International Family Entertainment put The Family Channel up for sale, News Corporation made an offer to acquire the channel. The company aimed to turn The Family Channel into a competitor to children's cable networks such as Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, leveraging the library of Fox Kids Worldwide (which was a joint venture between Fox and Haim Saban). News Corp negotiated to purchase a stake in the channel, with IFE as a partner. After competing bids were submitted by Nickelodeon parent Viacom and The Walt Disney Company (parent of fellow competitor Disney Channel) to acquire IFE as a whole, News Corporation placed its own bid to buy the company for $1.8 billion. On June 11, 1997, International Family Entertainment was acquired by the Fox/Saban consortium, renamed Fox Family Worldwide, for $1.9 billion. The Family Channel was officially renamed Fox Family Channel on August 15, 1998.

*More coming soon!*

## Programming

*Main article: List of programs broadcast by Fox Family (Fox AU)*
*Coming soon!*

## Programming blocks

### Current

* ***FoxNight*** – a late-night block targeted towards teens and adults, airing every night from 12 a.m. EST to 6 a.m. EST.
* ***Fox Theater*** – a weekend programming block that aired movies every Saturday and Sunday.
* ***Fox Play*** – Fox Zoom programs series targeted at preschool-age children daily every morning on Monday through Fridays from 9am-1pm Eastern and Pacific Time.
* ***Foxtoons Fridays!*** - Originally launched in 2000, Foxtoons Fridays! is a Friday night block that served as the marquee night for premieres, movies, new episodes, and re-runs of the network's original series, which included the well-known Foxtoons. Originally ended on June 13, 2008, the block got revived on June 12, 2015.

### Seasonal

* **31 Nights of Halloween** (originally **13 Days of Halloween** and later **13 Nights of Halloween**) - The channel aired specials, such as *Casper: A Spirited Beginning*, *Casper Meets Wendy*, *The Haunting of Seacliff Inn*, *Lost Souls*, *Addams Family Reunion*, *Spiral Staircase*, *Grave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive*, *The Hollow*, *When Good Ghouls Go Bad*, and *Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare*. Also aired was the TV Series *Scariest Places On Earth*. Starting in 2006, this holiday lineup shifted towards more family oriented films, such as *The Addams Family*, *Addams Family Values*, *Scooby-Doo*, *Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed*, and "Harry Potter Weekends" (consisting of the first six Harry Potter films).
* **25 Days of Christmas and Kickoff to Christmas** (originally **Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas**) – The channel has been known for airing many Christmas specials, such as the Rankin-Bass programs *The Little Drummer Boy* and *Santa Claus Is Coming to Town*. It has since expanded this holiday programming, adding made-for-television and theatrically-released movies, a litany of Rankin-Bass sequels (this was complicated somewhat because the broadcast rights of some of the original specials, including *Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer*, were still owned by CBS), and other original programming to create "The 25 Days of Christmas". This program block airs in prime time on weekdays and from noon through prime time on weekends from December 1 to 25th each year, and has existed since 1996 under Freeform's previous brands. The block has aired some movies that are not necessarily holiday-related. The "25 Days of Christmas" also features special Christmas episodes of the channel's original series.

#### Former

* **Cable Health Club** – In 1994, as The Family Channel, the channel ran programming from sister channel, the Cable Health Club, as part of a daytime block on Monday through Friday mornings, featuring the fitness instruction programs *Tamilee Webb* and *Body by Jake*.
* **The Game Channel** – Premiering on June 7, 1993, The Family Channel debuted a 2½-hour game show block in preparation for the planned launch of the cable channel of roughly the same name (which never launched), featuring reruns of *Let's Make a Deal* and *Name That Tune*, as well as two first-run shows based on the board game *Trivial Pursuit* (both hosted by Wink Martindale). By August of that year, the block was expanded to three hours.
* **The Positive Place** – Running from 1991 to 1994 as The Family Channel, "The Positive Place" was a weekly block that aired Sunday early evenings (from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time) featuring first-run episodes and reruns of original and acquired programs (including *Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop*, *Maniac Mansion*, *Big Brother Jake,* and *Zorro*).
* **It's Itsy Bitsy Time!** – A preschool-oriented block that ran on the Fox Family channel (later ABC Family) from September 1999 until August 2002. The show is similar to Cartoon Network *Big Bag* with production Sesame Workshop *and* Small World*, as it hosted several children's cartoons from across the world, The show on Cartoon Network’s like Tickle U and Cartoonito* including *64 Zoo Lane*, *Tom and Vicky*, *The Animal Shelf*, *Budgie the Little Helicopter*, and *Charley and Mimmo*.
* **Fox Fridays** - A Friday night block that replaced the original Foxtoons Fridays!, which this block featured live-action segments and hosts. The block premiered in May 2009 and ended in June 2014.
* **Fox Variety** - A Saturday morning block that temporarily replaced Fox Fridays, until June 6, 2015

## Related services

 **Hulu** | The network also makes mention of the programming the network offers streaming on **Hulu**, which through its part-ownership by the 21st Century Fox. The service primarily houses most of Fox Family's content since the "Come Together" era.

## International channels

*Main article: List of Fox Family TV channels*