HGTV

HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive. HGTV broadcasts a variety of how-to shows with a focus on home improvement, gardening, craft and remodeling. The channel is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. The channel sponsors the annual HGTV Dream Home and HGTV Smart Home giveaways.

As of February 2015, approximately 95,628,000 American households (82.2% of households with television) receive HGTV.

History

Kenneth W. Lowe (then a radio executive with The E.W. Scripps Company and, subsequently, the chief executive officer of Scripps Networks Interactive) envisioned the concept of HGTV in 1992. With modest financial support from the E.W. Scripps corporate board, he purchased Cinetel, a small video production company in Knoxville, as the base and production hub of the new network.

Cinetel became Scripps Productions, but producing more than 30 programs simultaneously proved daunting. The organization brought in former CBS television executive Ed Spray, who implemented a system of producing (nearly all) programming through independent production houses around the United States. Burton Jablin, as Vice President of Programming, set the tone and oversaw the production of the early series. About 90 percent of the channel's programming consisted of original productions at launch, with ten percent licensed and rerun from Canadian channels, PBS, and other sources.

HGTV (Canada)

HGTV (Home & Garden Television) is a Canadian English language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel that is owned as a joint venture between Shaw Media (which serves as managing partner and owns 80.24% majority control through licensee HGTV Canada, Inc.) and Scripps Networks Interactive (which owns the remaining 19.76%). HGTV broadcasts programs regarding real estate, home and garden design, and renovations.

HGTV broadcasts both original Canadian productions and licensed content from other broadcasters. The majority of licensed content is sourced from the flagship HGTV cable channel in the United States (which is wholly owned by the Canadian service's part-owner, Scripps Networks Interactive); however, it also carries programming from other sources such as DIY Network and the BBC.

History

In September 1996, Your Channel Television Inc., a company majority owned by Atlantis Communications with minority partner E. W. Scripps Company, was granted a television broadcasting licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a channel called HGTV-TV Canada, described at the time as broadcasting "programming that presents practical, hands-on advice and instruction about homes and gardens. The programming will revolve around five key themes: building and remodelling, decorating and interior design, gardening and landscaping, crafts and hobbies and special interests."