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Launched in 1981 by United Video Satellite Group, the TV Guide Network began its life as a simple electronic program guide ( or EPG ) software application sold to cable system operators throughout the United States and Canada.

Known simply as the Electronic Program Guide, or the EPG for short, the software was designed to be run within the head end facility of each participating cable system on a single, custom-modified consumer-grade computer supplied by United Video.

Its scrolling program listings grid, which cable system operators broadcast to subscribers on a dedicated channel, covered the entire screen and provided four hours of listings for each system's entire channel line-up, one half-hour period at a time.

Because of this, listings for programs currently airing would often be several minutes away.

Additionally, because the EPG software generated only video, cable operators commonly resorted to filling the EPG channel's audio with music from a local FM station, or with programming from a cable TV-oriented audio service provider such as Cable Radio Network.