Medical News Network

American interactive television services

Television channel

Medical News Network

Country| United States
Programming
Language(s)| English
Ownership
Owner| Whittle Communications
History
Launched| 1993
Closed| 1994

The Medical News Network (MNN) was an American interactive video news service delivered to physicians by satellite. It was launched in 1993 by Whittle Communications, and shut down in 1994.[1][2][3][4][5]

## History

[edit]

The service had a business model similar to Whittle Communications's Channel One, as well as Whittle's Special Report TV and magazine project, which was available in about 30,000 medical waiting rooms."[6][7]

According to Medical Market and Media, MNN would use satellite transmission to send daily medical news and information programming to VCR/TV units operated by the network and located in medical offices. Programming could be viewed on demand, and included a daily 10-minute news program. The system was interactive, using what Medical Market and Media described as "computer and modem units."[3]

The service had been tested in 5,000 doctors' offices, and Whittle had planned to do a national rollout in fall 1994.[4] But according to the Los Angeles Times, the company was unable to attract sufficient sponsorship from drug companies, and shut down the service in August 1994, laying off 205 employees.[1][4][8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "COMPANY NEWS; WHITTLE CANCELS NEWS NETWORK FOR DOCTORS". The Associated Press. 1994-08-02. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
2. ^ "THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF WHITTLE". Ad Age. August 8, 1994. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
3. ^ a b Castagnoli, William G. (1993-06-01). "Whittle's Medical News Network: making waves in Rx marketing. (Whittle Communications L.P.)". Medical Marketing & Media. Archived from the original on 2018-08-19.
4. ^ a b c LIPPMAN, JOHN (1994-08-10). "Whittle to Sell Channel One : Media: K-III Communications plans to buy firm's educational network for nearly $300 million, executives say". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
5. ^ "Thomas G. Lombardo, Editor-In-Chief". WebMD. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
6. ^ Staff, Times; Reports, Wire (1994-02-24). "Company Town Annex". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
7. ^ Knee, Jonathan A. (2016-11-29). Class Clowns: How the Smartest Investors Lost Billions in Education. Columbia University Press. p. 18\. ISBN 9780231543330.
8. ^ Lundberg, George D. (1995-03-15). "And Then There Were None". JAMA. 273 (11): 891. doi:10.1001/jama.1995.03520350073034. ISSN 0098-7484.

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