20 Years Ago This Week: The Auto Channel TV Series Debuts Across America

AUTO CENTRAL - September 22, 2009: Just a short/long twenty years ago, The Auto Channel's first broadcast television series hit the airwaves. The weekly show was uniquely produced in three formats to fit available local-market time blocks: 2-hours, 1-hour and 30-minutes. At its height, the show aired in about 65% of U.S. markets; 16 of the top 20, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Dallas.

At the time, the show was considered "leading edge," making use of virtual studio sets, "new media" stylized graphic transitions, and interactive functionality. Within weeks of its first airing, PBS' Motor Week, the only other regular nationally broadcast general-interest car show at that time, revamped its on-air look and format to try and keep up. The Auto Channel's original on-camera team included race champion Parker Johnstone (host) and noted automotive journalists Rick Titus, Ray Thursby, and Bill Maloney.

One of The Auto Channel's cross-promotional innovations was its content relationships with several top print publications, such as AutoWeek, Open Wheel, Old Cars News & Marketplace, Sports Car International, Popular Mechanics, Stock Car Racing and Aftermarket News. The TV series ran for three seasons, 1989 - 1991.

The Auto Channel TV series was originally produced by Bob Gordon and Marc Rauch to be the pilot for a national automotive cable TV network that they created in May 1987. TACH’s precedents and content format was later misappropriated by COX Communications to create copycat Speedvision, now known as Speed Channel.

CLICK HERE to watch the original 1990 promo video for The Auto Channel Cable Network

In the fall of 1995, The Auto Channel signed what was the largest Internet sponsorship contract with Pennzoil, allowing Gordon and Rauch to establish TheAutoChannel.com, the Internet’s most complete and comprehensive automotive information resource.