▁on ▁some ▁stations , ▁synd ic ated ▁feature ▁film ▁packages ) ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁on ▁week end ▁af tern o ons , ▁followed ▁again ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁type ▁of ▁prime - time ▁shows ▁a ired ▁during ▁the ▁week . ▁ ▁Other ▁over - the - air ▁commercial ▁television ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁English - language ▁television ▁stations ▁that ▁were ▁not ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁Big ▁Three ▁networks , ▁nor ▁affili ates ▁of ▁National ▁Edu c ational ▁Television ▁nor , ▁arg u ably , ▁( from ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 1 ) ▁the ▁smaller ▁N TA ▁Film ▁Network ▁were ▁" in dependent ," ▁air ing ▁only ▁synd ic ated ▁and ▁some ▁locally ▁produced ▁programming ▁to ▁fill ▁their ▁daily ▁sched ules . ▁Many ▁independent ▁stations ▁still ▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁usually ▁histor ically ▁broadcast ing ▁on ▁the ▁U H F ▁band ; ▁however ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁them ▁had ▁dr ast ically ▁decre ased ▁( es pecially ▁within ▁individual ▁mark ets ) ▁after ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁newer ▁broadcast ▁networks ▁that ▁were ▁created ▁to ▁comp ete ▁against ▁the ▁four ▁established ▁compet itors . ▁Sy nd ic ated ▁shows , ▁often ▁r er uns ▁of ▁television ▁series ▁currently ▁in ▁or ▁out ▁of ▁production ▁and ▁mov ies ▁released ▁as ▁recently ▁as ▁three ▁years ▁prior ▁to ▁their ▁initial ▁synd ic ation ▁broadcast , ▁take ▁up ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁sched ules .