aMC was originally a basic cable channel that aired classic movies, largely pre 1950's, in a commercial free, generally unedited format. Originally, the channel's acronym stood for American Movie Classics. It was not uncommon for the channel to host a Marx Brothers marathon, or show such classics as the original Phantom of the Opera.

The network has since changed format somewhat, airing a lot more newer movies. The commercial free format has also been abandoned. Since the format change, the acronym has become meaningless although some have hypothesized that it could mean All Movie Channel.

AMC is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. and signed on in 1984.

From 1996 to 1998, before the format change, AMC aired its first original series, Remember WENN. It was a half hour show about a radio station during the peak of Radio's influence in the 1930's.