MBN (United States)

MBN (stands for Mein Broadcasting Network) is a non-terrestrial channel owned by Mein Corporation. MBN began broadcasting in experimental form in December 1985 as MTC and was made official in April 1986 with its programming debut "Come Along to The Best of MBN".

Origin
Prior to the founding of MBN, what can be considered as the forerunner of this network was Central Broadcasting America, which had two of their flagship channels in the United States. CBA's first and main channel was KNLA in Los Angeles, launched on August 13, 1978 on UHF channel 19 formerly occupied by KUWN-TV which had moved to VHF channel 12 in 1957 and was the only more established independent station to reject any network affiliation. WNNY launched on July 8, 1979 as CBA's second and final flagship station in New York City, broadcast on UHF channel 16 and was independent, featuring programming from its independent production arm.

In 1983, CBA announced plans to create a new network that would compete with the "Big Three" networks, creating the "CBA Network" aimed at more established independent affiliates rejecting any network affiliation with both CBA station outlets being the network's new planned affiliate. However, crises and restructuring the company went through forced it to drop plans for CBA Network and the two CBA outlet stations continued to broadcast as independents.

1980s; Network formation
After News Corporation purchased a 50% stake in TCF Holdings in March 1985, TCF Oasina owner Joko Roberto left the company and both News Corp/TCF relinquished their holdings in TCF Oasina while changing its name to Mein Corporation in June 1985. Joko then took advantage of this after the resignation by reaching an agreement with CBA owner, Win Wilson, to buy 25% of the company's broadcasting branch in July 1985 to form a new network.

In October 1985, Mein Corporation announced it would launch their new network using a combination of studio TCF Oasina and the former CBA station to produce and distribute programming (the same way 20th Century Fox announced it would establish the Fox network). The two stations eventually became the new Mein Corporation station under the name Mein Television Company, abbreviated as MTC, which was headquartered at the MTC Center studio in New York.

MTC began trial broadcasts on December 1, 1985 airing some mix programming from WNNY-KNLA and the rest of programs produced by its independent production arm. In early January 1986, MTC aired a series of "Big Three" network shows preceded by some of the network's affiliates. Its launch officially began in April 1986, with WGDM-TV (channel 8, licensed to Boston) becoming the network's first affiliate. At the time, MBN was in a similar situation to most of the country's fourth major television efforts, having no other choice but to affiliate with UHF on both CBA-owned outlet stations in both markets. The two CBA station outlets were converted to MBN owned and operated stations as the network's two flagship stations when Mein Corporation completed the acquisition of CBA's remaining 75% interest months later.

But for the remainder of the 1980s through the 1990s, MBN struggled for a position as fourth or even fifth television due to shorter programming. To that end, MBN briefly persuaded News Corporation-owned station WFAC-TV (which broadcast on VHF 8 and is a Fox affiliate in Baltimore) to become a network affiliate in July 1988 until Mein Corporation purchased the station in December of the same year, making it the first station owned by the major networks in the Baltimore market long before WJZ-TV in 1995.