PANDA88 Until the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulated time slots prior to prime time with the now-defunct Prime Time Access Rule in the 1971-1972 season, networks began programming at 7:30 p.m. As a result, the prime access hour became a lucrative timeslot for syndicated programming in the years that followed, with game shows and variety shows, as well as syndicated reruns, becoming popular.|He was Released on August 29