FX Networks leased the first three floors of the building at 212 Fifth Avenue, which overlooks Madison Square Park in New York City. The first floor contained sales offices and the control room, and the third floor contained production offices. Programming was broadcast from a functional apartment on the second floor. The apartment had several rooms. First was a large common room that contained the living room, dining room, and kitchen areas. Other rooms included a small library, a game room (complete with arcade and pinball machines) and a fully functioning restroom. At the rear of the apartment was a large "ballroom" that served several purposes. A third-floor balcony lined the ballroom. The network's shows would often venture into Madison Square Park for some features, especially in the summer. FX's lease on the building expired on December 31, 1998. All furnishings were auctioned and the building has since been renovated.
Breakfast Time (1994–96)
An off-the-cuff morning show with lifestyle segments and "roving reporters" (aka "Road Warriors") who visited unique sites across the country each day. This was the network's flagship show and utilized every room of the apartment. Hosted by Tom Bergeron, Laurie Hibberd and Bob the Puppet. Aired 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET.
Personal fX: The Collectibles Show (1994–98)
The Collectibles Show - similar to Antiques Roadshow, in which collectors would have unique items appraised in-studio, and a "roving reporter" would visit collectors nationwide. Broadcast from the "Dining Room." The last live show to be canceled. Hosted by Claire Carter and John Burke. Aired Noon to 1 p.m. ET.
The Pet Department (1994–98)
A call-in/interview show about domesticated pets. Usually broadcast from the "Game Room." Hosted by Steve Walker, Luann Lee, dog trainer Andrea Arden and fX's pet dog Jack. Suzanne Whang replaced Lee after her departure. Aired 2:30 p.m. to 3:00pm ET.
Under Scrutiny with Jane Wallace (1994–95)
An in-depth news program broadcast each night from the "Library." Given a CableACE Award for news programming in 1995. The first live show to be canceled. Hosted by Jane Wallace. Aired 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.
Sound fX (1994–95)
A show dealing with all things music, from the latest major artists to the most creative garage band tactics. Music videos were regularly shown on this show, which originated from the "Ballroom." Hosted by Karyn Bryant, Orlando Jones, and Matt Ostrum. Jeff Probst replaced Jones after his departure. Aired 11 p.m. to Midnight ET.
fX ended each broadcast day with a viewer mail show. Viewers could write, call, or e-mail comments about fX and its shows, and the host would spend 30 minutes each night reading and responding to these comments. Broadcast from the "Kitchen." Hosted by Jeff Probst and Jane Fergus. Aired 12:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. ET. Near the end of its run, Backchat was pre-taped and moved to 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
Some of the young talent discovered on the fX network that have moved on to larger, more successful projects include:
John Burke (Road Warrior, Personal fX) - Host of E! News Live
Before each show aired, and during commercial breaks, a "channel host" would appear and inform viewers about something upcoming within the episode. Some updates featured trivia about the current show, while some were merely observations. These can be compared to in-vision continuity announcers in Britain.
Sports
Former
The first venture by fX into sports occurred in September 1995, when The fX Sports Show, an hour-long highlights and analysis show, debuted; it was hosted by Jim Rome and Kevin Frazier, along with the pregame crew and commentators from Fox NFL Sunday providing contributions. Unlike most of fX's other studio programming at the time, it originated from the facilities of Fox Sports in Hollywood, as opposed to the fX Apartment in New York. The show, airing Sunday nights at 11pm, only lasted a single season.[25][26]
Following Fox's partnering with Liberty Media to form Fox Sports Net, Liberty took an equity stake in fX as well (organized under the banner of Fox/Liberty Networks), resulting in fX becoming the national cable home for Fox Sports programming.[27] This included a package of Major League Baseball games – initially aired on Monday nights before moving to Saturday nights in 1998 – and college football;[28] for a short time, newsbreaks provided by Fox Sports News also began to air during FX's primetime lineup.[29]
FX aired selected NASCAR events from the NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series from February to June of each year from 2001 to 2006 as part of Fox's NASCAR television package. However, coverage ended after the June 30, 2006, Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway. When NASCAR signed its new contract effective in 2007, FX was left out as Fox retained its rights and gained the right to broadcast weather-delayed races that aired on the network.
The channel also aired one game in the Major League Baseball postseason from 2001 to 2005, on the first Wednesday night of League Championship Series week when MLB schedules two games at the same time. On that night, Fox distributed one game to local affiliates based on a regional coverage map, and the other game aired on the corresponding cable affiliate of FX, the main DirecTV or Dish Network channel, or an alternate channel on the satellite services.
With a new MLB TV contract signed, again excluding FX, the last such broadcast was scheduled for October 11, 2006, but that night's NLCS game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets was rained out, making the Detroit Tigers-Oakland Athletics game in the ALCS a national broadcast; FX aired the movie Any Given Sunday instead. Both series were played on October 13, but Fox showed both games, with the ALCS during the day and the NLCS at night. Therefore, the Busch Series race, as mentioned above, is officially the last sports event telecast on FX, at least in the foreseeable future. Future LCS games will be split between Fox and TBS.
With the August 2013 launch of national sports cable network Fox Sports 1, FX no longer serves as a cable outlet for Fox Sports.
Current
The Walt Disney Company acquired exclusive broadcasting rights to the XFL in 2022 and, beginning with the 2023 season, began to air games on FX, in addition to ESPN and ABC.[30][31]
