In 1980 Hickman joined the young cable television company Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) in Atlanta, Georgia, working with Nick Charles as part of a four-person sports department for the company's Cable News Network CNN. The duo took to the air on June 1, 1980, as hosts of "CNN Sports Tonight", a nightly sports wrap-up show in which Hickman and Charles reported scores and events, showed highlights of college and professional games, and selected a "Play of the Day." The show was a nightly rival to ESPN's "SportsCenter", which Hickman later joined.