A&E is an American cable and satellite television network and the flagship property of A+E Global Media, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. A&E was launched on February 1, 1984, as a block on Nickelodeon. The network originally focused on fine arts, documentaries, dramas and educational entertainment. Today, it deals primarily in non-fiction programming, including reality television, true crime, documentaries and miniseries, thus de-emphasizing its full name in the process.