QAA - Premium Episode 142: The Ancient Alienization of the History Channel (Sample) Aired: 2021-09-28 Duration: 07:51 === The History Channel's Journey (06:31) === [00:00:03] What's up, QAA listeners? [00:00:05] The fun games have begun. [00:00:09] I found a way to connect to the internet. [00:00:11] I'm sorry, boy. [00:00:15] Welcome, listener, to Premium Chapter 142 of the QAnon Anonymous podcast, the ancient alienization of the History Channel episode. [00:00:24] As always, we are your hosts, Jake Rokitansky, Liv Ager, Julian Field, and Travis View. [00:00:30] This week we are turning our eyes to a great archive, a repository of knowledge, perhaps even the great library of the USA, which is the History Channel. [00:00:41] Now, you've probably tuned into it and watched, I don't know, People shoot ducks, or aliens fly over various continents, vortexes, 5D ascension stuff, and honestly, it's not even the worst out there at this point. [00:00:58] There's Gaia, which has gone a level deeper. [00:01:00] But this week we're going to try to cover the history of the History Channel. [00:01:05] How did we get from something founded with that name to where we are now? [00:01:09] And that part will be, of course, Jake Rokitansky having to, I guess, pick up the pieces for the Hollywood Machine that he is basically a poster boy for. [00:01:19] After this, Liv has assigned us to watch episode one of season 14 of Ancient Aliens, which I have to say went harder than any other Ancient Alien material that we've ever watched. [00:01:34] And so we're going to take a look at how that went down and also how it connects to our Aryans in Atlantis episode. [00:01:42] So, hey, I see that Jake is literally opening with the definition of a word. [00:01:48] So that should be good. [00:01:49] I'm glad he finished his homework. [00:01:51] Good grade school essay-ass episode today. [00:01:54] Mm-hmm. [00:01:55] Yep, that's what you get when you ask me to do real research. [00:01:58] Take it away, maestro. [00:02:00] The History of the History Channel. [00:02:02] History. [00:02:03] Noun. [00:02:07] The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. [00:02:12] A continuous, typically chronological record of important or public events or of a particular trend or institution. [00:02:20] Can any of you here today claim that you have never sipped from the late night television fountain? [00:02:27] That as your eyes grew heavy and processed cheese particles crumbled and melted into your comforter, The distant echo of a mad scientist talking about underwater pyramids saying you to sleep. [00:02:38] If you said, no way Jake, I will consider you a liar. [00:02:43] No, they're just the Travis Few fan type of listener. [00:02:50] No, I think no one's above this, you know. [00:02:52] There's something nourishing about really trashy TV that pretends to be highbrow. [00:02:58] Travis, so you're saying you have had this late-night moment? [00:03:01] Sure, yeah. [00:03:02] I mean, yeah, I mean... There it is. [00:03:03] Before, back in the days when, like, we flipped through channels and it wasn't all streaming, yeah, I had the experience of, like, watching something that was, you know, either, like, you know, history channel style or possibly, like, you know, A classic is America's Funniest Home Videos. [00:03:20] Remember this? [00:03:21] It's just absolute dumb, mind-mush television. [00:03:24] Loved it. [00:03:25] This is like Bill Clinton saying he didn't inhale. [00:03:27] Very tepid. [00:03:28] Nowadays, the History Channel has become a meme in and of itself. [00:03:32] The frozen, baked-out-of-his-mind visage of Giorgio A. Tsoukalos encouraging you to smoke more dope has been recycled on the internet a thousand times over. [00:03:43] But the History Channel wasn't always this high. [00:03:46] In its younger years, it did all of its homework and helped with the dishes before going to bed. [00:03:51] It wasn't until the channel turned 12 in 2007 that it started hanging out behind the elementary school, smoking spliffs and daring you to urinate on the gymnasium wall. [00:04:01] What happened? [00:04:02] How did such a respectable station, known for its comprehensive biographical documentaries, become literal trash passed off as quote-unquote history? [00:04:12] The History Channel is actually owned by A&E Networks, which began broadcasting in 1984. [00:04:18] A&E was a joint venture between ABC, NBC, the Hearst Corporation, and the Rockefeller Group. [00:04:25] So, small, very small, independent studios. [00:04:30] Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:04:31] The channel was broadcast to 1,500 cable networks with around 9 million subscribers. [00:04:36] Initially, A&E had only one sponsor, and that was the BBC. [00:04:40] So, 75% of A&E's programming came from the BBC. [00:04:45] However, over the next couple of years, A&E was buying up anything it could get at bargain prices to fill their 20-hour broadcast block. [00:04:53] These programs were nearly all culture-focused. [00:04:56] Stage plays, jazz concerts, docuseries, old movies, that sort of thing. [00:05:01] The channel was beginning to receive heavy praise for its enriching content. [00:05:05] In 1986, TV Guide had this to say about the network. [00:05:08] Clearly, A&E is delivering some of the very best of the world's television. [00:05:12] It has more actors, dancers, singers, and musicians on a daily basis than any network, and a range of arts programming never before done by an advertiser-supported TV network. [00:05:23] The next year, in 1987, A&E bought the rights to Biography, which became their most successful show to date. [00:05:31] It didn't cost them anything to produce since every episode was acquired, Meaning a different production company was actually producing the content and A&E was just airing it. [00:05:40] This, as you can guess, attracted a more upscale, older audience. [00:05:44] But the network execs wanted more. [00:05:46] They wanted that sweet, sweet 18-25 demographic. [00:05:50] They added some comedy specials and even a sitcom in the hopes of attracting a younger, hipper viewership. [00:05:57] There was even a show called Living Dangerously, a reality series that followed people who like to take risks. [00:06:03] In 1988, A&E achieved their highest ratings ever when they broadcast news footage from the day JFK was assassinated for 24 hours. [00:06:15] They're just like us! [00:06:17] And from that point on, a history channel was born. === Ancient Alien Shit Today (01:32) === [00:06:21] Ah, so, yeah, I see. [00:06:22] So you like, uh, titillating gore and conspiracies, huh? [00:06:26] Right? [00:06:27] They go, oh, our highest ratings ever talking about the, like, most talked about conspiracy theory of all time? [00:06:34] Hmm. [00:06:35] And they're just doing, like, an A-B testing with an audience, and they're showing them... So how about this president with mutton chops? [00:06:42] Okay, so how about this president with a hole in his head? [00:06:46] It's the curse of the marketer, you know? [00:06:49] You give the people what they want, and eventually what they want is just pure corn syrup just shoved down their throat. [00:06:58] Travis, those words will ring true, especially later on. [00:07:01] I do love the implication with the comparison to this podcast that, like, QAA will be doing ancient alien shit in 15 years, to be relevant. [00:07:09] Yes. [00:07:10] I mean, to be fair, we're doing ancient alien shit today. [00:07:13] That's a good point. [00:07:14] I guess we're being critical of it. [00:07:16] Well, I don't know what you've prepared, Liv. [00:07:18] Maybe you're into it. [00:07:19] I don't know. [00:07:20] We did recently add a participant who is aimed at the 18 to 25 section of our population. [00:07:29] You have been listening to a sample of a premium episode of QAnon Anonymous. [00:07:34] We don't run any advertising on the show, and we'd like to keep it that way. [00:07:38] For five bucks a month, you'll get access to this episode, a new one each week, and our entire library of premium episodes. [00:07:46] So head on over to patreon.com slash QAnonAnonymous and subscribe. [00:07:50] Thank you. [00:07:50] Thanks. [00:07:51] I love you.