The National Broadcasting Company had it's beginnings as a subsidiary of electronics manufacturer Radio Corporation of America (RCA). RCA saw NBC, created in November of 1926, as a marketing tool to entice the sale of it's radios. Soon after it's launch, RCA created a second network and designated them NBC - Red and NBC - Blue.

By 1932 NBC had already begun experimental television broadcasts from the Empire State Building in New York City. NBC became the first U.S. network to begin regular television broadcasts with its inaugural telecast of the opening day ceremonies of the New York World's Fair of 1939.

After losing a court battle and appeal over "chain broadcasting", RCA sold off it's Blue network in 1943 which eventually became the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).

Though trailing CBS for most of the 1950s, NBC did break several innovations into television programming. The concept of "magazine advertising" where, instead of one sponsor backing a whole show, advertisements from multiple sponsors were placed throughout a program. NBC also ventured into the early morning time slots with the Today show and late evening with Tonight.

NBC completed it's shift to color broadcasting in 1965. But it wasn't until the 1980s, under the direction of Grant Tinker and Brandon Tartikoff, that NBC turned it's long loosing streak to gold with shows like The Cosby Show, Hill Street Blues, Cheers, Family Ties and St. Elsewhere.

At the top of it's game and ripe for corporate takeover, the General Electric Corporation bought RCA in 1985 for 6.3 billion dollars. But NBC could not keep the ratings and had fallen from it's number one slot by the late 1980s. In 1996, it was back as leading network with top shows such as Seinfeld, E.R., Frasier, and Friends.

"Watch. Wherever you are."

Martin Fletcher
Ned Cott
Jim Mikalswakeh