CBS Broadcasting Inc., or CBS, is a major American television and radio network. As the flagship property of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group, it stands alongside Paramount Pictures and MTV as one of the company's three primary subsidiaries. CBS is recognized for its wide-reaching broadcast content and its significant role within the Paramount Global portfolio.
CBS's journey began in January 1927 with the founding of the United Independent Broadcasters radio network in Chicago.
By September 1928, William S. Paley became the majority owner of CBS, marking the beginning of his influential tenure.
Paramount Pictures acquired 49% of CBS in 1929, a partnership later impacted by the Great Depression.
In 1932, amidst the Great Depression, Paramount Pictures sold its shares back to CBS, returning the network to primarily independent ownership.
The Pillsbury Bake-Off, a nationwide cooking contest, premiered its broadcast on CBS in 1949.
On October 20, 1951, CBS officially started using its iconic eye trademark.
In 1955, the live-action children's series Captain Kangaroo premiered on CBS, airing on weekday mornings.
On March 31, 1957, CBS aired a live, color television production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, starring Julie Andrews. The broadcast, intended to rival NBC's Peter Pan, was a massive success, viewed by over 100 million people.
CBS aired a live telecast of the George Balanchine New York City Ballet production of "The Nutcracker" in 1957.
CBS aired another live telecast of the George Balanchine New York City Ballet production of "The Nutcracker" in 1958.
CBS began broadcasting the Young People's Concerts, a series of classical music concerts for children conducted by Leonard Bernstein, in 1958.
Following William Golden's unexpected death in 1959, his top assistant, Lou Dorfsman, took over, overseeing all print and on-air graphics for CBS for the next three decades.
The Young People's Concerts won two Emmy Awards in 1961, recognizing the show's excellence in children's programming.
The Miss USA beauty pageant began its run on CBS in 1963, marking the beginning of a long-term partnership.
CBS became the first network to broadcast National Geographic specials in 1964, introducing viewers to the work of figures like Louis Leakey, Jacques Cousteau, and Jane Goodall.
The stop-motion animated special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" premiered on NBC in 1964, becoming a holiday classic.
In 1965, CBS remade the musical Cinderella, featuring Lesley Ann Warren, Stuart Damon, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Pidgeon. This version introduced the song "Loneliness of Evening."
CBS became the first network to broadcast "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 1965, marking the beginning of a long-standing tradition of airing Peanuts specials.
CBS aired a filmed German-American production of "The Nutcracker" in 1965, starring Edward Villella, Patricia McBride, and Melissa Hayden.
The Young People's Concerts began broadcasting in color in 1966, enhancing the visual experience for viewers.
CBS aired the first television special based on Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" in 1966, introducing the beloved story to a wider audience.
CBS spun off its broadcast syndication division, Viacom, into a separate company in 1971.
In 1971, CBS News began producing "In the News," a series of one-minute news segments aimed at children, airing between other Saturday morning programs.
After a successful run, the Young People's Concerts series concluded in 1972.
The controversial "60 Minutes Wednesday" segment in 2004 brought into question George W. Bush's service in the Air National Guard during 1972 and 1973.
The long-running game show "The Price Is Right" began production in 1972, becoming a daytime television staple.
The daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless" premiered on CBS in 1973, becoming a long-running fixture.
In 1973, CBS began using a memorable seven-second animated opening sequence for its specials, featuring the words "A CBS Special Presentation" in colorful lettering and a jazzy fanfare.
The controversial "60 Minutes Wednesday" segment in 2004 brought into question George W. Bush's service in the Air National Guard during 1972 and 1973.
CBS streamlined its name from the original full name to simply CBS, Inc. in 1974.
Elvis Presley inked a deal with CBS on June 1, 1977, for a television special that would feature footage from his summer tour.
On October 3, 1977, CBS aired "Elvis in Concert," a special featuring footage from Presley's final tour, which had been filmed just months before his death in August of that year.
CBS began airing the Mikhail Baryshnikov staging of "The Nutcracker" in 1977, featuring Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland in a production that would become a television classic.
From 1977, CBS solidified its commitment to daytime soap operas, expanding its lineup to 3.5 hours daily.
CBS became the exclusive broadcaster of The Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, a tradition that continues to this day.
During the 1981–82 season, CBS launched its "Reach for the Stars" campaign, utilizing a space theme to highlight the network's ratings improvement and the launch of the space shuttle Columbia.
After a successful run, Captain Kangaroo stopped airing on weekday mornings on CBS in 1982.
In 1982, CBS aired its "Great Moments" campaign, juxtaposing scenes from classic CBS programs like "I Love Lucy" with those from then-current hits like "Dallas" and "M*A*S*H.".
From 1983 to 1986, CBS, then dominating the ratings, ran the "We've Got the Touch" campaign.
Captain Kangaroo aired its final episode on CBS in 1984, marking the end of an era for the beloved children's show.
Richie Havens provided vocals for CBS's "We've Got the Touch" campaign jingle from 1983 to 1984, with one instance in the 1984-1985 season.
Kenny Rogers lent his vocals to the jingle for CBS's "We've Got the Touch" campaign from 1985 to 1986.
In April 1986, CBS presented a live broadcast of "Horowitz in Moscow," featuring pianist Vladimir Horowitz's return to Russia after an absence of over 60 years.
CBS News stopped airing "In the News" in 1986, ending the run of the children's news segments.
CBS aired "Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening" in 1986, a primetime concert celebrating the venue's renovation and featuring a diverse lineup of artists.
CBS introduced the "Share the Spirit of CBS" campaign for the 1986–87 season, marking the network's first fully computer-graphics and digital video effects-driven campaign.
CBS's "We've Got the Touch" campaign ran from 1983 to 1986.
CBS introduced the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" to its daytime lineup in 1987.
CBS launched the "CBS Spirit" (or "CBSPIRIT") campaign for the 1987-1988 season, continuing the use of computer graphics and digital video effects.
For the 1988-1989 season, CBS launched the "Television You Can Feel" campaign, more commonly known as "You Can Feel It On CBS", aiming for a more sensual, new-age image.
With the 1989-1990 season, CBS launched the "Get Ready for CBS" campaign, aiming to elevate the network from last place in the ratings. This campaign also marked the first time a broadcast network partnered with a national retailer, Kmart, to encourage viewership through the "CBS/Kmart Get Ready Giveaway".
For the 1990–91 season, the "Get Ready for CBS" campaign featured a new jingle performed by The Temptations, based on an altered version of their hit "Get Ready."
CBS continued to use the iconic "A CBS Special Presentation" opening sequence for its specials throughout the 1980s.
CBS continued to air various pre-1990 animated specials, including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which remained a holiday staple on the network.
CBS launched its "It's All Here" campaign in 1992, featuring updated versions of the network's sound mark.
During the 1992 season, CBS introduced a distinctive four-note sound mark, later incorporated into the network's IDs and production company vanity cards.
The Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired CBS in 1994, marking a significant shift in ownership.
CBS faced controversy in 1995 when it refused to air a "60 Minutes" interview with a former Brown & Williamson executive. The decision sparked debates about journalistic integrity and legal pressures.
In 1995, CBS used the tagline "You're on CBS".
After acquiring CBS in 1996, Westinghouse Electric merged its own syndication divisions with CBS Enterprises, forming Eyemark Entertainment, CBS' domestic television syndication division.
CBS launched the "Welcome Home to a CBS Night" campaign in the 1996-1997 season.
The "Welcome Home to a CBS Night" campaign, simplified to "Welcome Home", ran from 1997 to 1999.
CBS premiered "Wheel 2000" in 1997, a children's version of the popular game show "Wheel of Fortune," airing simultaneously on the Game Show Network.
In 1997, Westinghouse adopted the name of its acquisition, becoming CBS Corporation.
CBS began its transition to high-definition broadcasting with the launch of CBS HD in September 1998.
CBS entered into an agreement with Nelvana in September 1998 to provide children's programming for its Saturday morning lineup. The block, known as CBS Kidshow, featured shows such as "Anatole," "Mythic Warriors," "Rescue Heroes," and "Flying Rhino Junior High."
From 1999 to 2000, CBS ran "The Address is CBS" campaign, a spin-off of the "Welcome Home" campaign and a nod to the 1940s CBS radio slogan, "The Stars' Address is CBS".
In 1999, the original Viacom, which had been spun off from CBS in 1971, gained control of CBS Corporation.
The 1999 film "The Insider," directed by Michael Mann, was based on the 1995 "60 Minutes" controversy surrounding CBS's decision to pull a segment about the tobacco industry.
CBS partnered with Nickelodeon, its corporate sibling under Viacom, to air programming from the Nick Jr. block starting in September 2000.
CBS's "The Address is CBS" campaign ran from 1999 to 2000.
CBS Kidshow came to an end in 2000, concluding the network's partnership with Nelvana for Saturday morning programming.
After a successful run on CBS, the broadcast rights to the Peanuts holiday specials were acquired by ABC in 2000.
Building on the success of its specials, the National Geographic Society partners with Fox Cable Networks to launch the National Geographic Channel in January 2001.
"The Young and the Restless" made history on June 27, 2001, when it became the first daytime soap opera to air in high definition.
After nearly four decades on CBS, the Miss USA pageant moved to NBC in 2002 following a deal with Donald Trump, then-owner of the Miss Universe Organization.
In 2002, the Nick Jr. on CBS block expanded to include live-action and animated Nickelodeon series aimed at older children under the name "Nick on CBS."
Justin Timberlake released the song "Rock Your Body" in 2003. This song later became central to the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy involving Timberlake and Janet Jackson.
On September 8, 2004, CBS's "60 Minutes Wednesday" program aired a segment questioning President George W. Bush's Air National Guard service. The report sparked controversy over its authenticity and led to internal investigations and legal actions.
The FCC imposed a record $550,000 fine on CBS in 2004 for the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show incident involving Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. The incident led to increased scrutiny and regulation of broadcast content.
After 2005, CBS continued to present certain pre-2005 holiday specials, such as the Rankin-Bass specials, in standard definition. However, some were remastered for HD broadcast.
After the Viacom-CBS split, Nick on CBS ended its run in 2005, marking the end of Nickelodeon programming on the network.
Following the controversy surrounding the "60 Minutes Wednesday" segment about George W. Bush, Dan Rather resigned as CBS News' chief anchor in 2005.
In 2005, CBS launched the "Everybody's Watching" campaign as part of its strategy to become "America's Most Watched Network".
Viacom divided into two separate entities in 2005, with the broadcast and entertainment assets, including the CBS network, forming the re-established CBS Corporation.
In March 2006, CBS partnered with DIC Entertainment to program its Saturday morning time slot, marking a new era for the network's children's programming.
CBS introduced the slogan "We Are CBS" in 2006, with voiceovers by Don LaFontaine.
In 2006, CBS introduced a new graphical identity created by Trollbäck + Company. This identity placed the eye logo in a "trademark" position on various elements.
Dan Rather filed a $70 million lawsuit against CBS and Viacom in September 2007, alleging that his termination and the handling of the controversial 2004 "60 Minutes Wednesday" report about George W. Bush were mishandled.
In 2007, actor and comedian Drew Carey became the host of "The Price Is Right" following Bob Barker's 35-year tenure.
In 2008, a Philadelphia federal court overturned the $550,000 indecency fine against CBS related to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show incident. The court deemed the fine "arbitrary and capricious."
A court dismissed parts of Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS and Viacom in 2008, which was related to the 2004 "60 Minutes Wednesday" controversy and his subsequent termination.
CBS announced the renewal of its contract with Cookie Jar for another three seasons through 2012, continuing their partnership for Saturday morning programming.
CBS Studios International entered a joint venture with Chellomedia on September 14, 2009, to launch six CBS-branded channels in the United Kingdom.
In September 2009, KEWLopolis was renamed Cookie Jar TV, reflecting the acquisition of DIC Entertainment by the Cookie Jar Group.
On October 1, 2009, CBS announced that CBS Reality, CBS Reality +1, CBS Drama, and CBS Action would launch on November 16 in the UK.
CBS launched the "Only CBS" campaign in 2009, highlighting the network's unique qualities.
CBS made adjustments to its daytime lineup in 2009, impacting its soap opera programming.
Zone Horror and Zone Horror +1 were rebranded as Horror Channel and Horror Channel +1 on April 5, 2010.
CBS premiered the panel talk show "The Talk" in October 2010, drawing comparisons to ABC's "The View."
By the 2010-2011 season, networks like NBC, Fox, and The CW were already broadcasting their entire programming schedules in high definition, with the exception of Saturday mornings.
Dan Rather's entire lawsuit against CBS, stemming from the 2004 "60 Minutes Wednesday" controversy and his departure from the network, was dismissed in 2010. His appeal was also denied.
In October 2011, CBS celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Eye logo. Special IDs featuring past logo versions aired during the network's primetime lineup.
By the mid-2011-2012 season, ABC had transitioned to broadcasting its entire schedule in high definition.
CBS brought back the "America's Most Watched Network" slogan in 2011, using it alongside the "Only CBS" slogan.
In Israel, Zone Reality and Zone Romantica were rebranded as CBS Reality and CBS Drama, respectively, in 2012.
On January 14, 2013, CNET's editor-in-chief issued a statement acknowledging the "impossible" situation caused by CBS's interference and pledged to prevent similar incidents.
In January 2013, a controversy erupted when CBS Interactive disqualified Dish Network's "Hopper with Sling" from CNET's "Best in Show" award due to ongoing litigation. This sparked debate about editorial independence and conflict of interest.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) removed CNET from the "Best in Show" award selection process due to CBS's intervention. Both the Hopper and Razer Edge were eventually recognized.
CBS released its streaming app for Apple iOS devices in March 2013, but with a delay on the latest episodes to promote live viewing.
CBS partnered with Litton Entertainment to launch a new Saturday morning block featuring live-action reality-based lifestyle, wildlife, and sports series.
The Litton-produced CBS Dream Team block premiered on September 28, 2013, replacing Cookie Jar TV and targeting teenagers aged 13 to 16.
CBS expanded its streaming app's content and availability in October 2013, offering more episodes and support for Google Play and Windows 8.
CBS shut down its three CBS-branded channels in India—Big CBS Prime, Big CBS Spark, and Big CBS Love—in late November 2013.
As of 2013, CBS provided 87.5 hours of regularly scheduled network programming each week.
CBS announced CBS All Access on October 16, 2014, marking the first over-the-top (OTT) streaming service launched by a major U.S. broadcast network.
CBS All Access officially launched on October 28, 2014, offering subscribers access to past and present episodes of CBS shows for a monthly fee.
In 2014, CBS finished its 14-year transition to an entirely high-definition schedule, with "Big Brother" and "Let's Make a Deal" becoming the final programs to convert from standard definition to HD.
CBS All Access became available on Roku devices on April 7, 2015, expanding the streaming service's reach.
CBS All Access added support for Chromecast on May 14, 2015, allowing users to stream content from the service to their TVs.
When ABC switched to a 16:9 widescreen presentation on September 1, 2016, CBS and The CW remained the only networks framing their promotions and on-screen graphics for a 4:3 presentation.
Facing financial difficulties, Network Ten in Australia entered voluntary administration in June 2017. CBS Corporation, being the network's largest creditor, played a significant role in the subsequent events.
Following Network Ten's financial struggles and voluntary administration, CBS Corporation acquired the Australian broadcaster in November 2017.
CBS News and BBC News started a news-sharing agreement in 2017, replacing BBC's previous agreement with ABC News and CBS' with Sky News.
CBS sold its radio division, CBS Radio, to Entercom (later Audacy) in 2017, marking the end of its direct ownership of radio stations.
In July 2018, a bombshell article in The New Yorker brought to light allegations of harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation at CBS, with multiple women accusing Les Moonves of misconduct.
Following the serious allegations against him, reports emerged on September 6, 2018, that CBS board members were in negotiations for Les Moonves's departure from the company.
On September 9, 2018, The New Yorker published further accusations against Moonves, leading to his resignation as CEO of CBS that same day.
On September 24, 2018, CBS transitioned its on-screen graphics to a 16:9 widescreen presentation for all non-news and sports programs.
CBS launched its streaming service in Australia in December 2018, branding it as 10 All Access due to its partnership with Network 10.
By 2018, Israeli television providers Yes and Hot, which previously carried both CBS Reality and CBS Drama, only offered CBS Reality.
CBS' news-sharing agreement with Sky News ended in 2018, partly due to NBCUniversal's acquisition of Sky News.
On December 4, 2019, CBS Corporation and Viacom merged to form ViacomCBS, a significant media conglomerate.
In September 2020, CBS announced its plans to rebrand CBS All Access as Paramount+, incorporating content from the broader ViacomCBS library.
In October 2020, CBS revealed a rebranding effort focusing on a unified identity across the network and its divisions. This included a "deconstructed eye" motif and a new five-note sonic branding.
CBS News first used its rebranded look, including the deconstructed eye motif and sonic branding, during its coverage of the 2020 presidential election.
CBS All Access was officially rebranded as Paramount+ on March 4, 2021, following the merger of CBS and Viacom.
CBS Sports implemented its rebranding, featuring the deconstructed eye and sonic branding, before Super Bowl LV in 2021.
CBS used a custom variant of the Didot font, similar to Bodoni, as its corporate font until 2021.
Entercom, which acquired CBS Radio in 2017, rebranded to Audacy in 2021.
CBS News and Stations began implementing the new brand identity in December 2022, incorporating the deconstructed eye motif and sonic branding. Most local news operations adopted the "CBS News (region)" branding.
"The Late Late Show with James Corden" ended its run on CBS in 2023, replaced by the game show "@midnight."
In 2023, CBS Dream Team was renamed CBS WKND, reflecting a shift in the network's branding strategy.