is a
Cable Television channel in the
United States . As its name implies, the channel carries predominantly
Comedy programming, both original and
Syndicated . While once a small cable network that few watched, in recent years it has grown to be one of the most popular cable channels, earning the praise of many entertainment-based media along the way.
Comedy Central began on network
CTV forced the name change to ''Comedy Central'' on
June 1 ,
1991 (coincidentally, the Canadian channel ''
The Comedy Network '' is owned by
Bell Globemedia , which also owns the Canadian CTV, of which both names were used on the American merged network).
From the
1980s through mid-
1990s , much of Comedy Central's and its predecessors programming consists of
Comedy Movie s and
Stand Up Comedian s. With the exception of cult favorite ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 '', the channel had a relatively small viewership. A notable early success was ''
Politically Incorrect '' with
Bill Maher , which after showing promise on Comedy Central was quickly snapped up by the
ABC network. The channel made a breakthrough when ''
South Park '' premiered on the channel in
1997 . The first major cable show to carry the
TV-MA rating for mature audiences, the show was too controversial to get taken away like ''Politically Incorrect''. As word-of-mouth spread, the number of people who requested that Comedy Central be added to their cable systems increased, and the channel became available in over 50% of American homes by
1998 .
The success of ''South Park'' and its mature content enouraged the network to try continue to push the limits on adult language. Once a week, they show an unedited movie or comedy special. They call this the "Secret Stash." Comedy Central also hosts original programming, including ''
The Daily Show '' (curently hosted by
Jon Stewart ) and
Stephen Colbert 's ''
The Colbert Report '', satirical half-hour "
Fake News " shows poking fun at modern-day media and politics.
In late
2004 , it was reported that the top four rated shows on Comedy Central, in order, were ''
South Park '', ''
Chappelle's Show '', ''
The Daily Show '', and ''
Reno 911! ''. Shortly thereafter,
Dave Chappelle famously backed out of the anticipated third season of ''Chappelle's Show''; meanwhile, ''The Daily Show'' continued to climb in ratings. In October
2005 , on the occasion of a new three-year contract for ''South Park'' and the launch of ''
The Colbert Report '', it was reported that ''South Park'' and ''The Daily Show'' were the two highest rated shows on Comedy Central. Comedy Central chief
Doug Herzog was reported as saying that he hoped to continue to air new seasons of ''South Park'' forever; and that ''The Colbert Report'' fulfilled a long-held plan to extend the ''Daily Show'' brand.
On and
Matt Stone were informed of the policy several weeks earlier, and wrote this story arc in protest.
