Multichannel News was founded by Fairchild Publications and Paul Maxwell. Its first issue was published on September 15, 1980. A subsidiary publication, Multichannel News International focusing on non-American markets, was distributed between the mid-1990s and mid-2002.
In August 2024, Future announced the magazine would cease the following month, though it and Broadcasting & Cable (which will also cease publication) would survive as sub-brands on sister industry news website Next TV, which primarily focuses on the streaming industry.[3]