NBC (National Broadcasting Company)

The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was the first national U.S. television network and was one of the original Big Three U.S. networks, along with the American Broadcasting Company and Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS, now CBS Corporation). NBC holds a huge market and audience share in the United States. It was initially established by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in 1926 as a broadcast radio network. In 1986, RCA was purchased by General Electric Company (GE). In the 1990s, NBC expanded its cable television programming, creating Microsoft/National Broadcasting Company (an alliance with Microsoft) and Consumer News and Business Channel (an alliance with Dow Jones). Following GE’s purchase of Universal Studios in October 2003, the NBC and Universal divisions were merged to create NBC/Universal. Steve Burke ...