609 Television
609 Television was a Flarlandian television channel operated by the Flarlandian Broadcasting Corporation that operated for half of 1986, using FBC 2's frequencies. The channel was aimed at the youth and was an experimental service derived from the popular 609 show, one of the cornerstones of its programming. Subsequent changes to FBC 2's programming would lead to its demise and gave the Cabinet ideas for the launch of FBC 3 in 1990.
History[edit | edit source]
609 debuted on FBC 2 in 1982. It ran from 18:30 to 20:00. Up until then FBC 2 started at 20:00 every night and featured programming targeting "minorities", mostly pertaining to the upper class. 609 was set up to be an alternative youth magazine unlike any other seen on Flarlandian television, this led to reforms to FBC Radio and FBC Television in order to cater a growing youth demographic.
In 1985, the FBC announced that it would give a channel to 609, under the condition that the channel would timeshare with FBC 2 and would broadcast during the afternoon hours and ocasionally at weekends. The channel was announced for a launch in June, but FBC staff decided to bring it to an earlier date.
609 TV started operations on May 5, 1986 at 16:30. Its first program was "Wasted Youth" showing that they now had a voice for them on television. 609, the program that gave the channel its name, ran at around 5pm every evening, after Children's 609, despite the name, it showcased mainly experimental shorts from all over the world, some not even targeting children. Other programs that were included in 609 TV's schedule included Fashion Patrol and Punk Seekers. 609 ran for 40 minutes, little less than half of the length as a standalone show, because most of the programs seen on 609 were adaptations of recurring segments from the show.
The channel normally shut down at 20:00 on weekdays featuring a handover to FBC 2 and a recording of the national anthem.
609 Television was considered to be a failure for many reasons, leading to the inevitable collapse of the service by the end of the year.
In November, the FBC announced that 609 Television was unviable, and FBC 2 was able to take over the broadcasting hours formerly occupied by it.
Many years after its shutdown, 609 and 609 Television are still remembered, despite the relatively short run of the services.
