New Podcast Chronicles Early Days Of Comedy Central

Podcast Looks At Network's History

Veteran television producer and executive VINNIE FAVALE and COMEDY CENTRAL predecessor THE COMEDY CHANNEL founder ART BELL are launching a new podcast about the creation of COMEDY CENTRAL, premiering in APRIL. The podcast, "THE ORIGINS OF COMEDY CENTRAL," comes as the network marks its 30th anniversary.

BELL, who has written a memoir, "Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor," initially pitched the idea of an all-comedy channel to HBO Chairman MICHAEL FUCHS in 1988, leading to the launch of THE COMEDY CHANNEL in 1989. MTV shortly thereafter debuted its own comedy channel, HA!, and the two merged in 1991.

BELL said, "VINNIE and I thought it would be fun to interview comedians and colleagues who had a part in building the network so comedy fans can hear the story of how the channel became "the center of the comedy universe" that we envisioned thirty years ago."

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