The program was created by Vivian Horner, an educator and former research director for the PBS show The Electric Company. Horner envisioned Pinwheel as a mix of educational and entertaining content tailored for young children. Pinwheel was part of Warner Cable's experimental QUBE service, an innovative platform that offered interactive television programming.
Initially, the channel was only available to QUBE liberia email list subscribers and operated without commercials, relying solely on subscription fees . Recognizing the potential for a dedicated children's network, Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment—a joint venture between Warner Communications and American Express —expanded Pinwheel into a national channel. On April 1, 1979, the channel was renamed Nickelodeon. This rebranding marked the birth of the first cable network in the United States dedicated exclusively to children's programming.
The name "Nickelodeon" was chosen to evoke the early 20th century movie theaters known as "nickelodeons," where admission cost just five cents. In 1985, Warner Communications sought to streamline its operations and bought out American Express's stake in Warner-Amex. This move led to the formation of MTV Networks, Inc., which housed Nickelodeon and other popular channels such as MTV and VH1. The following year, Viacom acquired MTV Networks, significantly changing Nickelodeon's ownership structure.
The channel was named after its flagship program, Pinwheel, a variety show aimed at preschoolers
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