History of CNBC in Timeline

CNBC is an American business news channel owned by Versant, broadcasting live business news and analysis during business hours. It offers business-related documentaries, reality TV, and occasional sports outside of those hours. CNBC also operates CNBC.com, a financial news website with articles, videos, podcasts, and subscription services. The network's headquarters and main studios are in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with an additional studio at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City.

July 30, 1979: Founding of Satellite Program Network (SPN)

On July 30, 1979, the Satellite Program Network (SPN) was founded, which later became Tempo Television and eventually played a role in the formation of CNBC.

June 1988: NBC Leases Tempo Television Transponder

In June 1988, NBC opted to lease Tempo Television's transponder instead of acquiring the channel, setting the stage for the relaunch as CNBC.

April 17, 1989: CNBC Relaunch

On April 17, 1989, the channel relaunched as the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), with Neil Cavuto as the anchor of the first broadcast.

1990: Limited Cable Carriage

By the winter of 1990, CNBC was available in only 17 million homes due to cable providers' skepticism and the established presence of Financial News Network.

March 2, 1991: FNN Files for Bankruptcy

On March 2, 1991, Financial News Network (FNN) filed for bankruptcy protection after an accounting scandal and was put up for sale.

May 21, 1991: CNBC Awarded FNN

On May 21, 1991, CNBC was awarded Financial News Network (FNN) by a bankruptcy judge for $154.3 million and merged the two operations, expanding CNBC's distribution and audience.

1991: Acquisition of Financial News Network (FNN)

In 1991, NBC acquired the bankrupt Financial News Network (FNN) and merged it into CNBC, gaining full ownership of CNBC in the process.

1992: Daytime Programming Branding

Until 1992, CNBC branded its daytime programming as "CNBC/FNN Daytime" incorporating elements from FNN's on-air ticker.

August 1993: Roger Ailes Hired as President of CNBC

In August 1993, Roger Ailes was hired as the president of CNBC to turn around the struggling network.

June 1995: Launch of CNBC Asia

In June 1995, CNBC launched CNBC Asia, based in Hong Kong.

January 1996: Roger Ailes Resigns

In January 1996, Roger Ailes resigned as president of CNBC due to disagreements with management regarding a joint venture with Microsoft.

March 1996: Launch of CNBC Europe

In March 1996, CNBC Europe, headquartered in London, was launched.

1996: Previous Logo Update

In 1996, CNBC updated their logo for the first time.

December 1997: Strategic Alliance with Dow Jones

In December 1997, CNBC formed a strategic alliance with Dow Jones, involving content sharing with various Dow Jones properties and rebranding the channel as "a service of NBC and Dow Jones."

2000: Highest Daytime Viewership

In 2000, CNBC experienced its highest daytime viewership, reaching 343,000 viewers, often surpassing CNN during market hours.

2001: CNBC Website Operated by MSN

From 2001, the CNBC website was operated by MSN.

2001: CNBC announces plans to open airport shops

In 2001, CNBC announced plans to open as many as 100 airport shops in the United States.

2002: Decline in Viewing Figures

In 2002, CNBC experienced a 44% decline in its viewing figures following the burst of the dot-com bubble.

August 2003: Deal with AccuWeather

In August 2003, CNBC signed a deal to provide weather content from AccuWeather.

October 2003: Move to Englewood Cliffs

In October 2003, CNBC moved its world headquarters from Fort Lee to a new digital video production studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

2003: Further Decline in Viewing Figures

In 2003, CNBC's ratings fell another 5%, continuing the decline in viewing figures.

2005: NBC Universal Reacquired Full Control

At the end of 2005, NBC Universal reacquired full control of CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia from Dow Jones.

2005: Bottoming of Ratings

In Q1 2005, CNBC's ratings hit a low point, with an average daytime viewership of 134,000.

September 2006: Launch of FTSE CNBC Global 300

In September 2006, CNBC launched the FTSE CNBC Global 300 stock market index in conjunction with FTSE Group.

2006: CNBC Website Operated by MSN

Until 2006, the CNBC website was operated by MSN.

June 1, 2007: Launch of CNBC Africa

On June 1, 2007, CNBC Africa was launched.

October 10, 2007: CNBC HD launched on DirecTV

On October 10, 2007, CNBC HD, a 1080i high-definition television simulcast of CNBC, was launched, initially on DirecTV.

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October 22, 2007: Introduction of CNBC Investor Network

On October 22, 2007, CNBC introduced the "CNBC Investor Network," which used webcams in financial institutions for instant interviews.

December 2007: Content Partnership with Yahoo! Finance

In December 2007, CNBC formed a content partnership with Yahoo! Finance.

2007: Jim Cramer's stock picks underperform the market

In 2007, an article in Barron's indicated that Jim Cramer's stock picks had underperformed the market over the prior two years. Viewers holding stocks recommended by Cramer would be up 12%, while the Dow rose 22% and the S&P 500 rose 16%.

2007: Ratings Hit All-Time High

In 2007, profits at CNBC exceeded $333 million and ratings hit an all-time high.

January 2008: Content Partnership with The New York Times

In January 2008, CNBC formed a content partnership with The New York Times.

May 2008: Content Partnership with AOL

In May 2008, CNBC formed a content partnership with AOL.

2008: Seven-Year High Viewership

In the first quarter of 2008, CNBC average daytime viewership reached a seven-year high of 310,000 viewers.

2009: Ratings Plunge

In 2009, CNBC's ratings plummeted as the network aired negative economic news related to the Great Recession.

January 2010: Launch of SBS-CNBC

In January 2010, the launch of the Korean language channel SBS-CNBC marked the fifteenth CNBC-branded channel worldwide.

July 2010: BT Content Distribution Deal

In July 2010, BT signed a five-year contract with CNBC Europe to distribute content from its London headquarters.

2011: IBC Award for CNBC 4D

In 2011, CNBC won an award at the International Broadcasting Convention for its CNBC 4D: Interactive motion tracking.

June 2012: Expanded Partnership with Yahoo! Finance

In June 2012, CNBC expanded its partnership with Yahoo! Finance to increase its online reach.

2012: Licensing Agreement Expiration

In 2012, the licensing agreement between Dow and CNBC U.S. expired.

2013: Maria Bartiromo Leaves CNBC

In 2013, Maria Bartiromo left CNBC for Fox Business and CNBC took over production of Nightly Business Report.

2013: Launch of CNBC Disruptor 50

Since 2013, the company publishes the annual CNBC Disruptor 50 list.

October 13, 2014: CNBC switches to 16:9 letterbox presentation

On October 13, 2014, CNBC switched to a full 16:9 letterbox presentation, aligning with CNBC Asia and CNBC Europe.

2014: Launch of CNBC25

Since 2014, the company publishes the annual CNBC25 list.

January 6, 2015: Change in Ratings Calculation

On January 6, 2015, CNBC changed its ratings calculation method for business day programming, using Cogent Research instead of Nielsen.

October 2015: Highest Viewership Program

In October 2015, a Republican Party candidates debate hosted by CNBC was seen by 14 million viewers, marking the highest viewership for a CNBC program.

January 10, 2016: Partnership with Trans Media

On January 10, 2016, CNBC announced a partnership with Indonesian broadcaster Trans Media to form CNBC Indonesia.

2016: Launch of "Make It"

In 2016, CNBC launched "Make It" branded content.

2017: Fox Business Overtakes CNBC

By 2017, Fox Business surpassed CNBC as the most watched business news network during the day.

2019: Jim Cramer Sells TheStreet to The Arena Group

In 2019, Jim Cramer sold TheStreet, which he co-founded, to The Arena Group.

2020: All-Time High Online Video Starts

In 2020, CNBC's online video operations reached an all-time high of 1.92 billion total digital video starts across platforms.

2020: Cesar Conde Becomes Head of NBCUniversal News Group

In 2020, Cesar Conde became head of the NBCUniversal News Group, leading to resource sharing between CNBC and NBC News.

2020: Shepard Smith Hired

In 2020, Shepard Smith was hired to host "The News with Shepard Smith" on CNBC.

September 2021: New Deal with Jim Cramer

In September 2021, CNBC signed a new multi-platform deal with Jim Cramer, including co-development of live events and digital content through Cramer Media.

January 2022: Launch of CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer

In January 2022, CNBC launched the "CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer," a subscription service offering commentaries, stock picks, and online meetings.

August 2022: Mark Hoffman Stepped Down

In August 2022, Mark Hoffman stepped down as president of CNBC, being succeeded by KC Sullivan.

November 2022: Cancellation of The News with Shepard Smith

In November 2022, CNBC cancelled "The News with Shepard Smith" due to low ratings.

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January 2023: Premiere of Last Call with Brian Sullivan

In January 2023, CNBC premiered "Last Call with Brian Sullivan", a new financial news program.

December 11, 2023: Major Rebranding

On December 11, 2023, CNBC underwent a major rebranding, updating its logo and on-air graphics.

2023: CNBC Viewership

In 2023, CNBC had higher total day and primetime viewership than Fox Business, but lower trading day viewership.

March 2024: Addition of "Make It" to Weekend Programming

In March 2024, CNBC announced plans to add its personal finance brand "Make It" to weekend programming.

April 2024: 35th Anniversary Celebration

In April 2024, CNBC celebrated its 35th anniversary with a ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange.

July 18, 2024: End of Last Call with Brian Sullivan

On July 18, 2024, the financial news program "Last Call with Brian Sullivan" ended.

November 2024: Launch of Times Brasil

In November 2024, Times Brasil launched as CNBC's first local franchise in South America.

November 20, 2024: NBCUniversal Announces Spin-Off

On November 20, 2024, NBCUniversal announced its intent to spin off most of its cable networks, including CNBC, as a new publicly traded company.

2024: CNBC airport stores continue to expand

As of 2024, CNBC airport stores continue to expand, with a Pensacola International Airport location unveiled in Florida that November.

April 2025: Current notable programming

As of April 2025, this marks current notable programming.

August 18, 2025: CNBC announces rebranding to reduce ties to NBC brand

On August 18, 2025, it was announced that CNBC would undergo a rebranding to reduce its ties to the NBC brand due to a spin-off. The channel would retain the "CNBC" name but adopt a new logo excluding the NBC peacock symbol.

October 2025: CNBC and MSNBC begin separating from NBC News

In October 2025, CNBC and MSNBC began formally separating themselves from NBC News ahead of the completion of the divestment in 2026.

December 2025: CNBC unveils new logo

In December 2025, CNBC unveiled its new logo, which took effect on-air on December 13. The logo is designed around motifs originally introduced in the 2023 rebranding.