9 8 ▁purchase ▁by ▁News ▁Corporation ), ▁ABC ▁Family ▁( after ▁its ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁sale ▁to ▁ABC ▁parent ▁The ▁W alt ▁Disney ▁Company ) ▁and ▁Free form ▁( to ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁renamed ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁to ▁sign ify ▁its ▁shift ▁toward ▁a ▁broad ▁schedule ▁of ▁family - orient ed ▁shows ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁series ▁of ▁appeal ▁to ▁te en ▁and ▁young ▁adult ▁aud ien ces ). ▁ ▁Un like ▁broadcast ▁networks , ▁most ▁cable ▁networks ▁air ▁the ▁same ▁programming ▁nation wide . ▁Top ▁cable ▁networks ▁include ▁USA ▁Network ▁( which ▁maintain s ▁a ▁general ▁entertain ment ▁format ), ▁ESP N ▁and ▁F S 1 ▁( which ▁focus ▁on ▁sports ▁programming ), ▁MTV ▁( which ▁originally ▁focused ▁on ▁music ▁videos ▁when ▁it ▁launched ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁but ▁now ▁largely ▁features ▁music - related , ▁original ▁script ed ▁and ▁reality ▁television ▁programming ), ▁CNN , ▁MS N BC ▁and ▁Fox ▁News ▁Channel ▁( which ▁are ▁dedicated ▁news ▁channels ▁with ▁some ▁opinion ▁and ▁other ▁feature - dri ven ▁programming ), ▁A & E ▁( a ▁network ▁created ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁mer ger ▁of ▁arts - and - c ulture - orient ed ▁channels ▁AR TS ▁and ▁The ▁Entertainment ▁Channel , ▁which ▁now ▁focus es ▁on ▁non - f iction ▁programs ▁and ▁reality ▁doc user ies ), ▁Sy f y ▁( which ▁focus es ▁on ▁science ▁fiction ▁and ▁fant asy ▁programming ), ▁Disney ▁Channel , ▁Nick el ode on ▁and