Superstation

===Early television superstations===
In the early days of television broadcasting, most large [[media market]]s – primarily those ranked among the top 20 in [[Nielsen Audio|Arbitron]] and [[Nielsen Media Research|Nielsen]] estimates – had, by standards of the period, a sizeable number of television stations (sometimes as many as eight or nine in operation). Generally, these markets had three [[Very high frequency|VHF]] stations that operated as [[network affiliates|affiliates]] of the then dominant television networks – [[NBC]], ABC, and [[CBS]]; one or more [[public television]] stations – which usually were [[Network affiliate#Member stations|member stations]] of [[National Educational Television]] (NET) and its later successor, the Public Broadcasting Service ([[PBS]]); one or more [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] stations; and in the largest markets (such as New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago), at least one VHF station without a network affiliation. These [[Independent station (North America)|independent stations]] generally relied on syndicated reruns of current or defunct network shows, classic theatrical feature films and some variety of local programming – such as news programs (ranging from as limited as hourly news updates to long-form newscasts, usually airing in prime time and, in some cases, at midday), children's programming or sporting events – to fill their broadcast schedules. Because of the available population reach of the region, most mid-sized and smaller media markets often had only the basic three [[network affiliate|network-affiliated]] stations (either in the form of three standalone affiliates or a primary-secondary structure in which one or two stations carried programs selected among the schedules of two or all three major networks), with imported network affiliates often serving as default outlets where one or more networks were not available locally.

Early community antenna television (CATV) systems were restricted from retransmitting distant signals to communities no more than approximately {{convert|100|mi|km}} from the closest signal, which was a detriment to many small communities, especially sparsely populated areas of the Western United States, that were too distant from any receivable signal.<ref name="mbc-distantsignals">{{cite web|title=Distant Signals|url=http://www.museum.tv/eotv/distantsigna.htm|website=Museum of Broadcast Communications|access-date=April 30, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203221219/http://www.museum.tv/eotv/distantsigna.htm|archive-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> As CATV system capacity increased from three channels to five during the early 1950s, several communities in the Western U.S. began incorporating CATV systems using [[microwave transmission|microwave relay systems]] that made it possible to retransmit broadcast signals over great distances. In September 1956, Columbia Television Co. in [[Pendleton, Oregon]] began using a microwave relay unit operated by Inland Microwave Co. to import three [[Spokane, Washington]] television stations, ABC affiliate [[KREM-TV]] (channel 2, now a CBS affiliate), CBS affiliate [[KXLY-TV]] (channel 4, now an ABC affiliate) and NBC affiliate [[KHQ-TV]] (channel 6), to its subscribers. Building on this, other [[cable television|cable and CATV systems]] in smaller municipalities and rural areas sought a foothold by "importing" broadcast television signals from larger nearby or distant cities for their customers, extending their reach beyond their normal coverage area (in the case of network-affiliated stations, this was to improve reception into areas that could not adequately receive the station's signal, whether within or at the edge of the contour, even with an outdoor antenna). Anxious for more viewers, the stations assisted by relaying their signals by wire or microwave transmission.

Within a few years, many other microwave-capable CATV system operators began to import out-of-market television signals based on program offerings they thought would appeal to their subscribers. Except for areas that were far enough out of a signal's reach to make this an unviable option, these systems selected major-market independent stations (often located anywhere between {{convert|60|and|200|mi|km|disp=sqbr}} away from the relay towers) that aired popular feature films and local sports events. In 1962, [[Oneonta, New York]]-based Eastern Microwave Inc. (EMI) – a company that was developed after a technician employed with the parent CATV system observed the operations of [[Montana]]-based microwave-to-CATV firm Western Microwave – was founded to relay the signals of WPIX, [[WNYW|WNEW-TV]] and [[WOR-TV]] (channel 9, now [[MyNetworkTV]] owned-and-operated station [[WWOR-TV]] and licensed to [[Secaucus, New Jersey]]) to Oneonta Video and other CATV systems in surrounding areas. Eastern Microwave began distributing WOR-TV and either WPIX or WNEW (depending on the system) in March 1965 to three Upstate New York cable systems (Valley Cable Vision in [[Canajoharie, New York|Canajoharie]], Carthage Video Division in [[Carthage, New York|Carthage]] and Cortland Video in [[Cortland, New York|Carthage]]).<ref>{{cite magazine|title=For the Record|periodical=Broadcasting|publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc.|page=100|date=February 15, 1965}}</ref> Other microwave firms were also developed to relay independent television stations to cable systems, including H&B Microwave (a subsidiary of H&B Communications Corp., a major provider of CATV service and microwave relays throughout the U.S.), which began retransmitting the signal of [[WGN-TV]] (channel 9) in Chicago to subscribers of the Dubuque TV-FM Cable Company in [[Dubuque, Iowa]]; WGN's signal soon began to be imported via microwave to other CATV systems throughout the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]].

Because of changes to cable television regulations in the 1960s and 1970s, carriage of out-of-market independent stations increased significantly, allowing for the development of the first true "regional superstations." By way of the microwave connections, [[Ted Turner]] began allowing the signal of [[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia]] independent station WTCG (channel 17, later renamed WTBS and now [[WPCH-TV]]) – which he purchased from station founder and fellow Atlanta-based entrepreneur Jack Rice Jr. in December 1969 in a $3-million all-stock transaction – to be distributed into other parts of the Southeastern United States (including [[Alabama]], [[Tennessee]] and [[South Carolina]]). Two major independent station operators began extending coverage of their stations throughout their respective home states and even surrounding states. [[Gaylord Entertainment Company#Television stations formerly owned by Gaylord|Gaylord Broadcasting]] began allowing its independents—[[WUAB]] (channel 43, now a CW affiliate) in [[Lorain, Ohio|Lorain]]–[[Cleveland]], [[WVTV]] (channel 18, now a CW affiliate) in [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]], [[KSTW]] (channel 11, now a CW owned-and-operated station) in [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]–[[Seattle]], [[KTVT]] (channel 11, now a CBS owned-and-operated station) in [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]]–[[Dallas]] and KHTV (channel 39, now CW affiliate [[KIAH]]) in [[Houston]]—to be distributed to cable systems in their respective regions, as did the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]]'s Continental Broadcasting Network unit for two of its religious-secular hybrid independents, WYAH-TV (channel 27, now CW affiliate [[WGNT]]) in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]] and [[KXTX-TV]] (channel 39, now a [[Telemundo]] owned-and-operated station) in Dallas–Fort Worth.