This story is about the television network, which during its existence was able to achieve great success and, thus, enter the so-called Big Three of the best television networks of the USA. Find out more about NBC at manhattan-future.com.
Foundation period
NBC is a well-known American English-language commercial television network, formerly a television and radio network owned by Comcast corporation. The headquarters of the network is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan.
The television network NBC was founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), which was a subsidiary of General Electric (GE).
From the very beginning, NBC was focused on broadcasting. RCA purchased the first radio station, WJZ AM 833, in 1926. The station became the flagship of the NBC Blue Network. Already in 1926, RCA purchased the WEAF 610 AM radio station, which in turn became the flagship of the NBC Red Network.
The NBC Red Network showed more popular and expensive programs, while the NBC Blue Network broadcast less popular ones. Later, the NBC Orange Network and the NBC Gold Network appeared. However, they were yet closed soon.
The emergence and development of television broadcasting
Television broadcasting on the NBC television network began to appear in the 1930s. Then the RCA invested considerable funds in its development. Officially, regular television broadcasting started functioning in 1939. At first, feature films, news, championships, game shows and the like were broadcast.
In the early years of World War II, television did not function. However, later, it resumed and began to operate with renewed vigor, strengthening the influence in the US television industry. By the way, this took place quite successfully because already on July 1, 1941, the first television advertising was launched. It was a commercial for Bulova company watches, which lasted 10 seconds of airtime and cost $9. In general, at that time, NBC broadcast programs such as Texaco Star Theater, Today, Today’s Show, the Voice of Firestone Televues and much more. Since 1948, there have also appeared broadcasts on political topics on television. Releases on the theme of presidential elections in the United States were especially popular.
Time passed, the network was constantly developing, so already in 1954, the first color programs appeared. The first such one was the Marriage program. In addition to broadcasts, films were also released, such as The Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Days of Our Lives, See How They Run, Hanged, The Wizard of Oz and the like.
Thanks to the long-term success, in the 1960s, the NBC network ended up in second place in the ratings after CBS. Already by the mid-1960s, NBC had invested funds in a number of television stations, thereby strengthening its position in the television broadcasting market. In addition to that, during this period, the television network began cooperation with the production company MCA-Universal.
Already in 1996, the television network turned into the undisputed leader of network television.
The period of decline and recovery
The 1970s were generally still successful for NBC, because then quite popular programs such as Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Flip Wilson Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, as well as films such as Adam-12, Ironside, The Dean Martin Show, The NBC Mystery Movie, Sanford and Son, Chico and the Man, Little House on the Prairie, The Midnight Special, The Rockford Files, Policewoman, Emergency and the like were released. Despite the fact that there were also successful projects, the network subsequently experienced difficult times caused by low ratings. On the part of the leadership there were attempts to restore performance. However, everything was in vain. The situation with ratings began to recover only from the 1980s thanks to programs such as Late Night with David Letterman, The Cosby Show, as well as films such as Family Ties, The Golden Girls, Miami Vice, 227, Night Court, Highway to Heaven, Hunter, ALF, Amen, Matlock, L.A. Law, The Hogan Family, A Different World, Empty Nest and the like.
As for our times, NBC continues to maintain a high level of popularity and provides about 87 hours of regular weekly programs such as Today, NBC News Daily, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, Early Today, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Saturday Night Live. In addition to that, it broadcasts films such as Stopover, Law & Order: Organized Crime, La Brea, Quantum Leap, Magnum P.I., The Irrational and Found.
