NBC founded September 9, 1926

The National Broadcasting Company (NBC), was founded on this date, September 9, 1926, 97 years ago. NBC was incorporated by RCA.
The nation’s first major broadcast network came to life on November 15, 1926, with a gala four-hour radio program originating from the ballroom of the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel at 5th Avenue and 34th Street, which is now the Empire State Building’s location.
After NBC was created, their two stations became the centers of their two semi-independent networks…NBC Blue, based on WJZ, and NBC Red, based on WEAF, each with its respective links to stations in other cities. RCA became the network’s sole owner January 1, 1930, when former partners General Electric and Westinghouse were bought out.
Many believe that NBC created the first radio network but that is not exactly the case. RCA’s old partner AT&T had the first radio network and their first network radio broadcast was January 4, 1923 between WEAF in NYC and WNAC in Boston.
RCA sold NBC Radio and NBC-TV by General Electric, and later TV was re-sold to U.S. cable giant, Comcast, its current owner. The NBC owned radio stations were sold off. The radio network lived on in different forms after it was purchased by Westwood One, and later in a brand licensing agreement with iHeart Radio.

–Farrell Meisel/Farrell Meisel International Media Consultancy, Inc.

NBC Blue became ABC, a result of anti-trust action. The founder of Life Savers candy bought it for “not a penny more than $8million.”

1 visit(s) today