Entertainment Monasoki

Entertainment Monasoki (formerly E!, originally MovieTime, and abbreviated as EM) is a Monasoki cable_television basic cable] and satellite_television satellite] Television_channel television channel] owned by the NBC Cable Networks division of NBC Television Group. EM features programming relating to entertainment as well as movie specials. The channel is currently unavailable outside of Monasoki, but is seeking carriage on the American satellite systems DirecTV DirecTV] and Dish_Network Dish Network].

Movietime
EM was originally launched on July 31, 1987 as Movietime, a service that aired movie trailers, entertainment news, event and awards coverage, and interview as an early example of a national Barker_channel barker channel]. The channel was founded by Larry_Namer Larry Namer] and Alan_Mruvka Alan Mruvka]. Early Movietime hosts include Greg_Kinnear Greg Kinnear], Paula_Abdul Paula Abdul], Katie_Wagner Katie Wagner], Julie_Moran Julie Moran], Suzanne Kay (daughter of Diahann_Carroll Diahann Carroll]), Mark_DeCarlo Mark DeCarlo], Sam__Rubin Sam Rubin] and Richard_Blade Richard Blade].

E!
Controlling ownership was originally held by a Consoritum consortium] of five cable television providers (Comcast Comcast], Continental_Cablevision Continental Cablevision], Cox_Cable Cox Cable], Tele-Communications,_Inc. TCO], and Warner_Cable Warner Cable]), HBO/Warner Communications, and various other founding shareholders, with HBO directly programming and managing the network. In 1989, after Time-Life Time-Life] bought Warner Communications to fend off a takeover bid by Paramount, the new Time_Warner Time Warner] company held four of the eight major ownership positions and took over management control of Movietime and renamed the network as E!: Entertainment Television on June 1, 1990; this name change was made to emphasize its widening coverage of the celebrity-industrial_complex celebrity-industrial complex], contemprery film, television and music, daily Hollywood gossip, and fashion.

In 1997, Comcast, one of the minority partners, teamed up with Disney%E2%80%93ABC_Television_Group Disney/ABC Cable Networks] to buy the channel after Time-Warner had exercised their put agreement. In November 2006, Comcast (which eventually had the largest ownership stake in the network through merges with forerunners of TCI and Continental under various circumstances) acquired Disney’s 39.5% share of E! for $1.23 billion to gain full ownership of the network as part of a broader programming carriage agreement between Disney/ABC and Comcast.

Comcast Entertainment Group, the company’s television unit, became a division of NBCUniversal_Television_Group NBCUniversal Television Group], after Comcast acquired a 51% majority stake in NBCUniversal in 2011. E!’s only sister network prior to the NBC Universal merger where Style Network (now The Faith Network) and G4 G4], along with Comcast’s sports networks:Versus, Comcast_SportsNet Comcast SportsNet] and Golf_Channel Golf Channel]. In the case of Versus, E! staff produced that network’s Sports_Soup Sports Soup] and G4’s Web_Soup Web Soup], while the Orlando-based Golf Channel featured no crossovers with E! at all due to incompatible audiences and operations. Versus and Golf Channel were taken under the direct control of the NBC_Sports NBC Sports] division, with the former being renamed NBCSN NBC Sports Network] in January 2012, and are no longer connected to their former sister networks beyond advertising and in-house operations.

On July 9, 2012, the channel introduced a revised logo (the first change to its logo since the network rebranded as E! in 1990), removing the Exclamation_mark exclamation mark] background behind the “E” but keeping the exclamation point underneath, along with a new slogan "Pop of Culture”, which coincided with the launch of the new series Opening_Act Opening Act]. The network also eventually introduced scripted series programming, in addition to its existing reality and documentary series. The changes were announced during E!’s programming upfront presentation on April 30, 2012

Entertainment Monasoki

On December 19, 2014, NBC Television Group, the owner of the Monasoki version of NBC, announced that they had bought portions of NBCUniversal Cable, including E!. Under the buyout, worth $2.3 billion, gives NTG full control of E! and sister networks, Esquire Network (now The Faith Network), Bravo (now RealTV), and Oxygen (now ETV). NTG will additional gain twenty percent control of NBCU networks Chiller_(TV_channel) Chiller], Cloo Cloo], Syfy Syfy], and USA_Network USA Network]. NTG renamed E! to Entertainment Monasoki. NTG said that EM “would keep the overall genre, but will approach it at a more family-friendly focus.” On January 1, 2015, E! will officially relaunch as EM.