VCW Hardcore TV

***VCW Hardcore TV*** is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the Philadelphia-based promotion Violent Championship Wrestling (VCW) composed of footage from live shows and recorded interviews. It currently runs in syndication from April 4, 1993 to present.

## Format

*Hardcore TV* was edited from footage of VCW's live events from the VCW Arena and other house shows. It also included backstage promos & vignettes, which were not shown to the live crowd or included on home video releases of the events. A segment called *Hype Central* advertised upcoming events and VCW merchandise in a tongue in cheek manner.

Music videos from major musical acts were sometimes shown, interspersed with footage detailing the history of current feuds, as well as spectacular spots. Frequently, the ending of the show would feature a montage of several different promos, with Dick Dale's cover version of "Misirlou" as background music. These became known as "*Pulp Fiction* promos". The purpose of these promos was to maximize the show's limited airtime in order to keep the fans up to date with current wrestling storylines.

In keeping with VCW's unconventional approach, episodes were not structured with a build toward a main event as with typical professional wrestling programming. Any given week's program could feature any number of matches or match type. Owner/producer Paul Heyman's intent was to keep things fresh by providing variety for the viewers.

### **Censorship and content**

*Hardcore TV* showed graphic violence (including blood), sexual frankness, and harsh language, all of which were key elements of the VCW product itself. Due to the late night time slots, expletives and violence were not edited from early broadcasts, and this helped to get VCW noticed.

## Broadcast history

### **Philadelphia**

H*ardcore TV* airs in permanent time slots in VCW's home territories of Philadelphia and New York City, and was also syndicated. Shows were broadcast on a Philadelphia local cable sports station, SportsChannel America's local affiliate, SportsChannel Philadelphia, on Sunday evenings at 8pm until January 9, 1997 when the show moved to Fridays at 11pm. In April 1996, the VCW SportsChannel airings were upgraded to 6pm and 11pm on Tuesdays, with a late night Friday replay at 2am. After SportsChannel Philadelphia went off the air in 1997, the show moved to WPPX-TV 61 on Wednesdays at 9pm. It later moved to a former independent broadcast station, WGTW 48 in Philadelphia, on late Friday or Saturday night broadcasts. It came back on Fridays at 10pm in 1998.

### **Chicago/Northwest Indiana market**

In the Chicago and Northwest Indiana market, the show traded back and forth among WCIU 26 on Saturdays, and UPN station WPWR 50, broadcast in both Chicago and Gary, on Friday nights, a week behind. Meanwhile, KBS Chicago (a Korean station that also carried Big Japan shows at midnight) broadcast *Hardcore TV* on Friday nights.

### **Orlando market**

WRBW in Orlando aired *Hardcore TV* in a very late night timeslot on Saturdays. Also, WNFM (then known as WSWF), a cable only WB affiliate in Fort Myers, airs Hardcore TV in a primetime slot on Saturday Nights. The rest of Florida got *Hardcore TV* on regional sports network the Sunshine Network very late on Friday nights. WRBW invoked syndex, meaning VCW was blacked out in the Orlando market on Sunshine.

### **New York area**

Beginning on January 7th, 1995, VCW Hardcore TV airs on the MSG Network in New York City and the surrounding area at 1 am (late Friday night/early Saturday morning). Empire Sports Network (western NY) and WBGT-LP (Rochester) also carried the show.

### **Pittsburgh market**

WPTT-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania airs *Hardcore TV* late on Tuesday nights. The station, now known as WPNT and owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group (which at the time operated the station on a local marketing agreement with sidecar Glencairn, Ltd. alongside WPGH-TV, which Sinclair owned outright).

### **Other markets in the United States**

Shows were airs on KJLA in Los Angeles on Friday nights, WUNI in Worcester-Boston very late on Thursday nights, WBVC TV-61 in Traverse City, Michigan late Sunday Nights, WUCT TV-52 in Dayton, Ohio and WGMB Fox 44 in Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoons and late night. It also aired very late on Friday nights on KTSF TV-26 in San Francisco, on Fridays at 11 on KGMC 43 in Fresno, and on SportsSouth in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Also of note, VCW is on WPEN in Hampton Roads, Virginia, airing every Saturday at 5pm.

### **Additional networks**

* America One Network
* Bravo (UK TV Channel)