Editing USA Network (section)

=== MCA/Paramount ownership (1981–1994) and Time ownership (1981–1987) ===
On April 9, 1980, the channel changed its name to USA Network. It also added a children's program called ''[[Calliope (TV series)|Calliope]]'' to its schedule and some [[talk show]]s in an effort to appeal to women. The new network also offered a programming block from [[BET|Black Entertainment Television]] (which would eventually launch as its own network three years later, but now owned by Paramount as of 2001) and carried [[C-SPAN]] during the day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Madison Square Garden and UA- Columbia merge cable efforts |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1980/1980-04-14-BC.pdf |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |date=April 14, 1980 |page=130}}</ref>

In 1981, ownership of the network changed. First, [[Time Inc.]] agreed to buy UA-Columbia's share of the network contingent upon Madison Square Garden owner [[Gulf and Western Industries|Gulf + Western]] transferring its share of the network to its [[Paramount Pictures]] division.<ref>{{cite news |title=Time to buy all or half of USA Network |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/81-OCR/1981-08-31-BC-OCR-Page-0024.pdf |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |date=August 31, 1981 |page=24}}</ref> Shortly thereafter [[MCA Inc.]] also bought into the network with the three companies each owning an equal share.<ref>{{cite news |title=In Brief |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/81-OCR/1981-10-19-BC-OCR-Page-0088.pdf#search=%22usa%20network%20mca%22 |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |date=October 19, 1981 |page=88}}</ref> The three partners had a [[non-compete clause]] that would prevent them from owning other basic cable networks independently from the USA joint venture; however, it was acknowledged that Time also owned powerful USA Network rival [[HBO|Home Box Office]].<ref name=dillerusanetwork /> This clause would cause Time Inc. to drop out of the venture in 1987, as the company attempted (but failed) to buy [[CNN]] from [[Ted Turner]] and run it independently from USA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/kay-koplovitz# |title=Kay Koplovitz: Network Creator/Executive |first=Jane |last=Altschuler |date=May 3, 2006 |website=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=November 2, 2019}}</ref> MCA and Paramount subsequently became the sole owners of the channel (being a 50/50 joint venture between the two companies).

C-SPAN stopped sharing satellite space with USA on April 1, 1982, after having launched its own 24-hour feed two months earlier.<ref>{{cite news |title=C -SPAN goes on campaign trail |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-01-25-BC-OCR-Page-0099.pdf#search=%22usa%20network%20c-span%22 |access-date=August 6, 2021 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |date=January 25, 1982 |page=99}}</ref> USA began operating on a 24-hour schedule, programming its new daytime block with the British soap opera ''[[Coronation Street]]'', a health-oriented show named ''Alive and Well'', and an afternoon movie.<ref>{{cite news |title=USA Network makes programing changes |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-03-29.pdf |access-date=August 6, 2021 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |date=March 29, 1982 |pages=132–133}}</ref>

In fall 1982, the channel began running a mix of 1960s and 1970s [[Hanna-Barbera]] cartoons each weekday evening from 6:00 to 7:00&nbsp;p.m. as part of the new ''[[USA Cartoon Express]]'' block, with sports programming airing after 7:00&nbsp;p.m., which were rebroadcast during the overnight hours. Weekends featured a mix of movies, some older drama series and talk shows during the morning hours, and sports during the afternoons and evenings. Overnights consisted of old low-budget films and film shorts, and music videos as part of a show called ''[[Night Flight (TV series)|Night Flight]].''

By August 1983, then-Paramount head [[Barry Diller]] became more focused on having the network increase its relationship with the [[Madison Square Garden Network]].<ref name=dillermsg /> This included a deal which made the USA Network a source for the Madison Square Garden Network programming and having the network also being more tied to sporting organizations which could air events in [[Madison Square Garden]].<ref name=dillermsg>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/28/business/barry-diller-s-latest-starring-role.html|title=Barry Diller's Latest Starring Role|work=New York Times|date=August 28, 1983|accessdate=March 29, 2025}}</ref>

Between 1984 and 1986, however, USA's programming focus began shifting away from sports,<ref name=wwfhistory>{{cite book |last1=Assael |first1=Shaun |last2=Mooneyham |first2=Mike |title=Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fhNgjI3pSPkC&q=NHL+on+USA+Network&pg=PA36 |date=November 3, 2010 |publisher=Crown/Archetype |isbn=978-0-307-75813-2 |page=36}}</ref> and shifted towards general entertainment programs not found on broadcast stations, including some less common network drama series, situation comedies and cartoons. Nevertheless, the network would still focus on airing [[World Wrestling Federation]] programs.<ref name=wwfhistory />

For the 1985–1986 season, the channel had four hours of original and exclusive shows. One original series from the 1985–1986 season was the comedy ''[[Check It Out! (Canadian TV series)|Check It Out!]]''. USA, wanting to become the flagship cable channel and compete directly with the broadcast networks, committed to 26 half-hours of part exclusive off-broadcast network and part original programming for the 1986–1987 season at an increase of $30&nbsp;million. In one case, the channel picked up ''[[Airwolf]]'' for 58 off-network episodes, while commissioning 24 new episodes without the original cast.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-TV-Radio-Age/Issues/80s/1986/1986-08-04-RTVA.pdf |title=USA's ambitious season |date=August 4, 1986 |magazine=[[Television/Radio Age (magazine)|Television/Radio Age]] |volume=XXXIV |issue=1 |page=48 |publisher=Television Editorial Corp. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20141127203506/http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-TV-Radio-Age/Issues/80s/1986/1986-08-04-RTVA.pdf |archive-date=November 27, 2014 }}</ref>

One tradition on USA was an afternoon lineup of [[game show]] reruns mixed in with several original low-budget productions that aired over the years. It began in October 1984 with reruns of ''[[The Gong Show]]'' and ''[[Make Me Laugh]].'' In September 1985, the network began airing its first original game show, a revival of the mid-1970s game show ''[[Jackpot (game show)|Jackpot]];'' two more original game shows, ''[[Love Me, Love Me Not (game show)|Love Me, Love Me Not]],'' and a revival of the 1980 series ''[[Chain Reaction (game show)|Chain Reaction]],'' were added in September 1986. More shows were progressively added soon afterward such as ''[[The Joker's Wild]],'' ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]],'' ''[[Press Your Luck]],'' ''[[High Rollers]],'' and ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'' (with [[John Davidson (entertainer)|John Davidson]] as its "Square-Master", or host), along with ''[[Wipeout (1988 game show)|Wipeout]],'' ''[[Face the Music (American game show)|Face the Music]],'' and ''[[Name That Tune]].'' In June 1987, the channel debuted another original game show, ''[[Bumper Stumpers]]'' (all four USA original game shows in this era were taped in Canada). When it began, the game-show block ran for an hour, but it expanded significantly the following year. By 1989, the network ran game shows Monday through Fridays from noon to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. eastern. USA also aired late night reruns of [[Procter & Gamble]] soap operas ''[[The Edge Of Night]]''  from August 5, 1985, to January 19, 1989, along with ''[[Search For Tomorrow]]'' from 1987 until the summer of 1989. In January 1989, USA debuted ''[[USA Up All Night]],'' a showcase of low-budget feature films that aired as part of its weekend overnight schedule. ''Up All Night'' became a cult favorite among viewers for the comedic wraparound segments that were usually shown during breaks leading into (and sometimes, out of) commercials and between films that were hosted by comedian [[Gilbert Gottfried]] and model/actress [[Rhonda Shear]], the latter of whom had replaced original co-host Caroline Schlitt in 1991. Though this program was discontinued on March 7, 1998, late-night movie telecasts on USA continued to be branded under the "Up All Night" banner until 2002.

Short news updates, branded as ''USA Updates,'' were broadcast early on, from 1989 until 2000. These segments were first produced out of [[KYW-TV]] in [[Philadelphia]], as the station had already produced a number of syndicated news services (including the [[Westinghouse Broadcasting|Group W]] Newsfeed) and [[Steve Bell (news anchor)|Steve Bell]], the former newsreader on ''[[Good Morning America]],'' was employed as a primary anchor at the station. By 1993, production of USA Updates had been taken over by the [[All News Channel]] (operated as a joint venture of [[Hubbard Broadcasting]]'s and [[Viacom (original)|Viacom]]'s CONUS Communications); Bell had left KYW in 1992, when KYW's news operations were heavily revamped in response to falling ratings. Via the ANC connection, USA also aired the financial news program ''[[First Business]]'' (then produced by CONUS) at 6:30am weekday mornings for a time (the network had previously carried [[The Wall Street Journal|''Wall Street Journal'']]-produced financial news updates and a late-night report in the 1980s<ref>{{Citation|title=USA Wall Street Journal Late News & Ford ad, 1984| date=April 17, 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vICtZfj7Gb0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/vICtZfj7Gb0| archive-date=October 30, 2021|language=en|access-date=October 13, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=USA Network - The Wall Street Journal Late News| date=November 2, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4yWbdStejM| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/I4yWbdStejM| archive-date=October 30, 2021|language=en|access-date=October 13, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>).<ref>{{Citation|title=1992 USA "First Business" commercial| date=August 22, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbUKxqOkoqM| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/nbUKxqOkoqM| archive-date=October 30, 2021|language=en|access-date=October 13, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=USA Network late night commercials and First Business opening, 1/15/1993 part 2| date=June 21, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnKpyBx_XRg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/FnKpyBx_XRg| archive-date=October 30, 2021|language=en|access-date=October 13, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The ANC-produced updates continued through 2000 (ANC was suffering heavily around this time due to competition with other cable news channels such as [[CNN]] and the then-similarly formatted [[HLN (TV network)|Headline News]], and ended up shutting down in 2002); USA Network has not carried any news programming since the news updates were removed.

USA was the first basic cable channel to pre-empt the syndicated television market by purchasing a package of 26 films from [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s [[Touchstone Pictures]] library in October 1989. To obtain the package, it spent an estimated $50 million to $60&nbsp;million, with films including such box office hits as ''[[Dead Poets Society]],'' ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]],'' and ''[[Three Men and a Baby]].''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-07-tv-2689-story.html |title=New Shows on the Block: KCOP Builds Prime-Time Programming in Move Against the Networks |last=Cerone |first=Daniel |date=October 7, 1990 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>

The tradition of game show reruns continued into the 1990s with the ''[[Pyramid (game show)|$25,000 and $100,000 Pyramids]],'' the early 1990s revivals of ''[[The Joker's Wild]]'' and ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]],'' and other well-known shows such as ''[[Scrabble (game show)|Scrabble]],'' ''[[Sale of the Century]],'' ''[[Talk About (game show)|Talk About]],'' and ''[[Caesars Challenge]].'' Additionally, two more original game shows were added in June 1994; these were ''Free 4 All'' and ''Quicksilver.'' In September 1991, the block was reduced to three hours, from 2:00 to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern. However, an additional hour was added in March 1993. In November 1994, the game show block was cut back to only two hours, from 2:00 to 4:00&nbsp;p.m.

On September 24, 1992, USA launched a sister network, the Sci-Fi Channel (now [[Syfy]]), focusing on [[science fiction]] series and films.

In January 1993, the channel began showing ''[[WWF Monday Night Raw]]'', which was the first weekly WWF program on USA to air in front of a live audience. In September 1993, USA adopted a new on-air look centering on the slogan "The Remote Stops Here", with flat graphics suggesting a television camera's in-lens symbols and music consisting of electric guitar and synthesized noises, though the movie presentation openers were retained from the previous design.