Editing Turner Broadcasting System (section)

=== 1970s ===
In 1970, Ted Turner purchased WJRJ-Atlanta, Channel 17, a small, [[Ultra High Frequency]] (UHF) station, and renamed it WTCG, for parent company Turner Communications Group.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/meredith-buying-atlanta-station-from-turner-broadcasting/186234/|title=Ted Turner's Former Superstation TBS Has Been Sold|website=adweek.it|date=23 February 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/technology/2010/11/ted-turner-the-alexander-the-great-of-television.html|title=Ted Turner, the Alexander the Great of Television|last=Wu|first=Tim|date=2010-11-11|website=Slate Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412143744/https://slate.com/technology/2010/11/ted-turner-the-alexander-the-great-of-television.html|archive-date=2019-04-12|url-status=live}}</ref> During December 1976, [[TBS (American TV channel)|WTCG]] originated the [[superstation]] concept, transmitting via [[satellite]] to cable systems.<ref name=":0" />

[[HBO]] had gone to satellite transmissions to distribute its signal nationally in 1975, but that was a service that cable subscribers were made to pay extra to receive.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=The Rise of Cable Television {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/rise-cable-television |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Turner's innovation signaled the start of the basic cable revolution.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wu |first=Tim |date=2010-11-11 |title=Ted Turner, the Alexander the Great of Television |url=https://slate.com/technology/2010/11/ted-turner-the-alexander-the-great-of-television.html |access-date=2025-02-27 |work=Slate |language=en-US |issn=1091-2339}}</ref>

On December 17, 1976, at 1:00 pm, WTCG Channel 17's signal was beamed via [[satellite]] to its four cable systems in [[Grand Island, Nebraska]]; [[Newport News, Virginia]]; [[Troy, Alabama]]; and [[Newton, Kansas]]. All four cable systems started receiving the 1948 Dana Andrews – Cesar Romero film ''[[Deep Waters (1948 film)|Deep Waters]]'' already in progress. The movie had started 30 minutes earlier. WTCG went from being a little television station to a major [[TV network]] that every one of the 24,000 households outside of the 675,000 in Atlanta was receiving coast-to-coast. WTCG became what Turner labeled a [[superstation]], the forerunner of today's basic [[cable television]].<ref name=":3" />

In 1979, the company changed its name from Turner Communications Group to Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) and the call letters of its main entertainment channel to WTBS.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1990-06-02 |title=TBS HISTORY |url=https://greensboro.com/tbs-history/article_87040d09-d483-59c9-b117-fe44f0903fb7.html |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=Greensboro News and Record |language=en}}</ref>