▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Operation ▁Prime ▁Time ▁ste ering ▁committee . ▁ ▁Pl ans ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁proposed ▁launch ▁of ▁the ▁Param ount ▁Television ▁Service ▁were ▁first ▁announced ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁Set ▁to ▁launch ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁ ▁its ▁programming ▁would ▁have ▁initially ▁consisted ▁of ▁only ▁one ▁night ▁a ▁week . ▁ ▁Th irty ▁" M ov ies ▁of ▁the ▁Week " ▁would ▁have ▁followed ▁Star ▁Tre k : ▁Ph ase ▁II ▁on ▁Saturday ▁night s . ▁Pl anned ▁too ▁was ▁a ▁series ▁derived ▁from ▁ ▁Param ount ' s ▁version ▁of ▁The ▁War ▁of ▁The ▁World s ▁( 1 9 5 3 ) ▁as ▁" back up " ▁for ▁Ph ase ▁II ; ▁a ▁pilot ▁presentation ▁was ▁completed ▁by ▁the ▁film ' s ▁producer ▁George ▁Pal . ▁P TV S ▁was ▁delayed ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 8 - 7 9 ▁season ▁due ▁to ▁c aut ious ▁advert is ers . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁was ▁being ▁broadcast ▁on ▁ 1 3 7 ▁stations ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁synd ic ation , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁expected ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁television ▁service ▁would ▁provide ▁a ▁single ▁evening ▁package ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁broadcast ▁by ▁these ▁independent ▁stations ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Param ount ' s ▁recently ▁acquired ▁Hugh es ▁Television ▁Network . ▁It ▁was ▁hoped ▁that ▁this ▁station ▁could ▁become ▁the ▁fourth ▁national ▁network ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ; ▁D iller ▁and ▁his