, ▁Mississippi . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁basic ▁cable ▁network ▁was ▁Atlanta , ▁Georgia ▁independent ▁station ▁W TC G ▁( channel ▁ 1 7 ), ▁which ▁was ▁u pl ink ed ▁to ▁satellite ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁months ▁after ▁station ▁owner ▁Ted ▁Turner ▁reached ▁an ▁agreement ▁with ▁media ▁executive ▁Howard ▁H . ▁Hub b ard ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁cable ▁network ▁via ▁satellite ▁transmission . ▁Turner ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁dist ribute ▁his ▁station ▁– ▁which ▁subsequently ▁had ▁its ▁call ▁sign ▁changed ▁to ▁W T BS ▁( for ▁" Turn er ▁Broadcast ing ▁System ") ▁– ▁via ▁satellite ▁enabled ▁W TC G ▁to ▁be ▁received ▁nation wide , ▁especially ▁in ▁mark ets ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁local ▁independent ▁station ▁or ▁did ▁not ▁receive ▁an ▁out - of - market ▁independent . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁Turner ▁Broadcast ing ▁split ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁broadcast ▁feed ▁of ▁W T BS ▁from ▁the ▁satellite - del iver ed ▁cable ▁feed ▁and ▁began ▁market ing ▁the ▁channel ▁to ▁cable ▁prov iders ▁as ▁a ▁" free ▁market ▁super station ". ▁( The ▁broadcast ▁and ▁cable ▁fe eds , ▁however , ▁sim ul cast ▁one ▁another ▁with ▁certain ▁exceptions ▁until ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁when ▁Turner ▁Broadcast ing ▁– ▁which ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁Time ▁Warner ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁– ▁decided ▁to ▁separate ▁the ▁programming ▁on ▁both ▁fe eds , ▁therefore ▁making ▁T BS ▁a ▁cable - ex clus ive ▁entertain ment ▁network ▁with