# Why No Channel 1 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 6, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-channel-1/153116 "2003-02-06T02:52:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vito\_Powers\_Italian\_Spy\_Pilot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c77e96/32.png) [@Vito\_Powers\_Italian\_Spy\_Pilot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vito_Powers_Italian_Spy_Pilot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-channel-1/153116/1 "2003-02-06T02:52:48Z")
Yo! Cecil! The Huns didn’t sack Rome! The Visigoths (410) and the Vandals (455) sacked Rome, but not the Huns. Everybody knows that in 452 Atilla met with Pope Leo I (The Great) and was convinced to leave Italy. Atilla kakked in 453 and the Huns returned to their stronghold east of the Danube. While everybody knows the Pope Leo gag, few people realize the Chinese built part of the Great Wall to keep the Huns out. These guys must have been the historic forerunners of my last ex-wife’s family, although they usually get run out of town by the Sheriff, not the Pope. Finally, is it true they call it “The Great Wall Of China” because that’s what it’s made of? ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-channel-1/153116/2 "2003-02-06T21:34:48Z")
A far more interesting question is, why are there [two](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_372b.html)[columns](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_372.html) about Channel 1? ---
**Author:** ![Vito\_Powers\_Italian\_Spy\_Pilot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c77e96/32.png) [@Vito\_Powers\_Italian\_Spy\_Pilot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vito_Powers_Italian_Spy_Pilot)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-channel-1/153116/3 "2003-02-07T00:55:27Z")
Are you one of my ex-wives using a phony name? ---
**Author:** ![trustno1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@trustno1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trustno1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-channel-1/153116/4 "2003-02-08T21:50:31Z")
That the three existing networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) lobbied hard for the four slices of spectrum, and that channel 1 should be an educational, public affairs and other sorts of wholesome goodness channel. It of course was never funded. (PBS in its mondern incarnation came much later). No evidence, just heard it many moones ago. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-channel-1/153116/5 "2003-02-08T22:57:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by trustno1 \* > That the three existing networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) lobbied hard for the four slices of spectrum, and that channel 1 should be an educational, public affairs and other sorts of wholesome goodness channel. It of course was never funded. > > (PBS in its mondern incarnation came much later). > > No evidence, just heard it many moones ago. Several problems with this. First, there used to be more than 3 networks. [The Dumont Network](http://members.aol.com/cingram/television/dumont.htm) for example. Also, where do you get “four slices”? The VHF band (UHF came later) was 13 channels in 2 ranges of frequencies. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-channel-1/153116/6 "2003-02-09T03:38:12Z")
**Vito**. Welcome to the SDMB. I’m not chiding you, but, if you had used the search feature for “channel” and “comments on Cecil’s column’s” you would have seen a thread reply by **bibliophage** at 4:25 **AM** last year. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122277&highlight=channel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122277&highlight=channel) He said, > [@](#): > > Cecil, of course, is never wrong. But sometimes he puts stuff in his column to make sure you’re really paying attention. You pass the test. The Visigoths sacked Rome in 410. The Huns invaded Italy in 451, but never reached the city. What you _should_ have asked is, why was[b]bib\*\* up that late?