MTMcast

**MTMcast** was an attempt at a fifth broadcasting network based in Seattle, Washington. The network was notable as the first television network to have featured exclusively direct response commercials and infomercials among standard programming.

The network featured classic, though cheaper and lesser-known, 1950s and 1960s programming, movies and game shows, with direct response infomercials rounding out the schedule. MTMcast expected to buy newer programs and originate their own programming once on a firm operating status.

The network was facing competition from Fox, which went after the bigger markets. In light of this, MTMcast explained that its key advantage is in terms of operating costs for the station, in which a station affiliating with the network could save about 90% on their programming costs, and a national advertiser advertising on MTMcast could pay about 68% of the major network rates.

## History

The network was introduced under the MTMcast name in October 1988 as needing $15 million to launch and had just started contacting potential affiliates. The network expected to sign up 30 stations by the April 1989 launch date and have 18 hours of broadcasting a day. By January 1989, the company had 70 stations willing to sign on to the network.

By April 1989 the projected launch date, MTMcast pushed back their launch to July due to programming negotiations and financing hold ups. 64 stations had provisionally signed on as affiliates in markets like Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Jacksonville, Florida and Orlando to an estimated reach of 40 million households. The network was then in talks with an additional 33 stations. At this time, an affiliation fee ranging from $2,750 to $60,000 annually would be paid by the stations based on their market size instead of the standard network payments to affiliates. 36 minutes a day would be allocated for advertising sold by the network, with the remainder given to its affiliates. MTMcast missed the July launch due to lack of additional funding and set a new September 1 deadline for enough affiliates to sign on for a possible November 1 launch. The network expected to be based at the then-new Argosy/MTM Studios in Seattle. At this time, the network restructured its affiliate agreement in dropping the annual carriage fee for the addition of some infomercials and a refundable deposit of $1,500 to $175,000 based on the station's size. The number of affiliates at launch and infomercials was a requirement to bring on replacement investor David Peck, owner of Argosy Media. The infomercials would bring a steady source of income for the network and were mostly to be provided by Argosy Marketing Corporation.

Missing the September 1, 1989 affiliate total deadline, the network pushed back its launch to December 1989. MTMcast launched on December 1, 1989 with 10 affiliates reaching 9 million homes, as the additional stations were not ready or failed to receive FCC approval. With fewer stations, MTMcast sold less through the infomercials, thus not meeting company goals. The infomercial companies were having their own problems, and thus unable to produce newer shows. Argosy and MTM sought out other investors, to no avail. In 1990, Argosy Marketing was sold to Magnet Communications.

The MTMcast Television Network became MTMnet on January 14, 1993 at 4:00 a.m. EST.

## Programming

MTMcast's schedule was of four hours of infomercials and eight hours of classic shows.

Infomercials were listed in schedules under various names, such as MTM Showcase, MTM Opportunities, MTM Collections, MTM Sensations, MTM Innovations, MTM Marketplace, and MTM Direct.

As with other networks, affiliates filled the rest of the time with their own local and syndicated programming, as well as sports, which would preempt MTMcast programming.