The interference resulted in mediocre to poor quality pictures, and caused problems with Spectrum's set top descramblers. WFBN's broadcast from the eastern mast atop the John Hancock Center in the Chicago Loop was prone to multipath interference caused by the large number of high rise buildings in the area. In Chicago, Spectrum encountered technical issues with their broadcast signal. Three months later, the company wrote down the Home Entertainment Network division and put the three STV systems on the market. Even then, United Cable was laying off 55 staff, cutting costs, and considering outsourcing its movie programming to Oak Industries, owners of ON TV. At its peak, in May 1983, the service attracted 27,000 Twin Cities subscribers, making it the most successful of United Cable's three STV operations. ![]() ![]() The new service quickly secured valuable programming when it struck a deal to televise Minnesota Twins baseball and Minnesota North Stars hockey home games: the entire North Stars home slate and 50 Twins home games, packaged as "Spectrum Sports"-available for $19.95 a month or $29.90 along with the Spectrum movie service. It competed with TVQ, which operated a microwave distribution system of HBO to some 15,000 subscribers. United Cable launched Spectrum in the Twin Cities on a new station, KTMA, on September 22, 1982, making it one of the later subscription television startups. By early 1983, Spectrum there had 60,000 subscribers-in comparison to ON TV's 125,000-and had not turned a profit since its inception. Spectrum began operating in Chicago on September 29, 1981, on a new television station, WFBN channel 66, owned by Focus Broadcasting. United Cable, which owned a majority stake in Spectrum through its Home Entertainment Network division, also owned a third STV operation in the Cincinnati and Dayton market, which used the ON TV brand name under license United had purchased a majority share in Home Entertainment Network from original owners Buford Television for a reported $20 million in 1982. ![]() It was also available in some areas of Alaska, such as Fairbanks. Existing during the early 1980s, the service was available in the Chicago and Minneapolis–St. Spectrum was an American subscription television channel that was owned and operated by United Cable. Home Entertainment Network (80% United Cable, 20% Buford Television)
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