History of NBC News in Timeline
NBC News is the news division of NBC, an American broadcast television network. It operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is a division of Comcast. The various operations of the news division report to the president of NBC News, Rebecca Blumenstein. The NBCUniversal News Group encompasses MSNBC, CNBC, CNBC World, Noticias Telemundo, and Sky News.
June 1940: Republican National Convention Coverage
In June 1940, NBC televised 30¼ hours of coverage of the Republican National Convention live and direct from Philadelphia through its flagship station in New York City, W2XBS, making it among the first "network" programs of NBC Television.
1941: W2XBS renamed to WNBT
In 1941, NBC's flagship station in New York City, W2XBS was renamed commercial WNBT, now WNBC.
1944: No Live Telecasts of Conventions
Due to wartime and technical restrictions, there were no live telecasts of the 1944 conventions, although films of the events were reportedly shown over WNBT the next day.
1948: Election Night Coverage with Life Magazine
In 1948, NBC teamed up with Life magazine to provide election night coverage of President Harry S. Truman's victory.
1948: NBC Television Newsreel
In 1948, after World War II, NBC Television Newsreel aired filmed news highlights with narration.
1949: Camel News Caravan
In 1949, NBC Television Newsreel was renamed Camel News Caravan when John Cameron Swayze was added as an on-camera anchor.
1950: David Brinkley as Washington Correspondent
In 1950, David Brinkley began serving as the Washington correspondent for NBC.
1955: Coverage of Montgomery Bus Boycott
In 1955, NBC provided national coverage of Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership of the Montgomery bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, with reports from Frank McGee.
October 29, 1956: Debut of The Huntley-Brinkley Report
On October 29, 1956, NBC's The Huntley–Brinkley Report, created by Producer Reuven Frank, had its debut.
1956: Huntley and Brinkley Paired as Anchors
In 1956, NBC paired Chet Huntley and David Brinkley as anchors, supported by reporters including John Chancellor, Frank McGee, and others, boosting the network's news coverage.
November 22, 1963: Coverage of JFK Assassination
On November 22, 1963, NBC interrupted its programming to announce the shooting of President John F. Kennedy and provided 71 hours of uninterrupted news coverage of the assassination and funeral, including the live broadcast of Lee Harvey Oswald's shooting.
1968: Bill McAndrew's Death
1969: Emmy Award for Moon Landing Coverage
In 1969, NBC's coverage of the first Moon landing earned the network an Emmy Award.
1974: Chet Huntley's Death
In 1974, Chet Huntley died of cancer, four years after retiring.
1983: Tom Brokaw Becomes Sole Anchor
In 1983, Tom Brokaw became the sole anchor of NBC Nightly News after co-anchoring with Roger Mudd for a year.
1986: NBC Wins Top Spot in Nielsens
In 1986, NBC won the top spot in the Nielsens for the first time in years.
1987: NBC Wins Top Spot in Nielsens
In 1987, NBC won the top spot in the Nielsens for the first time in years, only to fall back when Nielsen's rating methodology changed.
1987: Westwood One purchased NBC Radio Network
In 1987, Westwood One acquired the original major NBC Radio Network as General Electric divested properties unrelated to NBC television.
1989: Brokaw witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall
In 1989, NBC's Tom Brokaw was the only American television news correspondent to witness the fall of the Berlin Wall.
1993: Dateline NBC Report on GM Trucks
In 1993, Dateline NBC broadcast an investigative report about the safety of General Motors (GM) trucks. The "actual footage" utilized in the broadcast had been rigged by including explosive incendiaries attached to the gas tanks and improper sealants for those tanks.
1996: Nightly News Moves into First Place Again
In late 1996, Nightly News again moved into first place in the Nielsens.
1997: Canal de Noticias, NBC closed
In 1997, Canal de Noticias, NBC, a 24-hour news service aimed at Latin American viewers, closed.
1998: NBC Nightside was replaced by NBC All Night
In 1998, NBC Nightside was replaced by NBC All Night, which consisted of reruns of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
2000: Seven Nightly News name change
Around 2000, Seven Nightly News, which had been the name of local newscasts since the mid-1980s, was changed.
2003: Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, Brian Williams told an inaccurate story about his experience in the invasion of Iraq.
December 2004: Brian Williams Assumes Anchor Duties
In December 2004, Brian Williams assumed primary anchor duties of NBC Nightly News when Tom Brokaw retired.
January 1, 2007: Poker After Dark aired on NBC
From January 1, 2007, to September 23, 2011, Poker After Dark aired on NBC.
June 2008: Tom Brokaw Takes Over as Interim Host
After the death of Tim Russert in June 2008, Tom Brokaw took over as an interim host of Meet the Press.
December 14, 2008: David Gregory Becomes Moderator
On December 14, 2008, David Gregory became the new moderator of Meet the Press.
September 23, 2011: Poker After Dark ended on NBC
Poker After Dark aired on NBC until September 23, 2011.
2011: Today retained it separately on 2nd Avenue
In 2011, Today retained it separately on 2nd Avenue
December 2013: Early Today dropped from 9TV in the Philippines
In December 2013, Early Today was dropped from 9TV in the Philippines and replaced by repeats of Inside Edition.
2013: "Scherzo for Today" replaced
In 2013, "Scherzo for Today," the third movement of "The Mission", was replaced as the theme for Today with a new theme by Alan Gubman.
2013: Dial Global rebranded as Westwood One
In 2013, Dial Global rebranded itself as Westwood One.
August 10, 2014: David Gregory's Last Broadcast
On August 10, 2014, David Gregory's last broadcast as moderator of Meet the Press took place.
August 14, 2014: Chuck Todd to Take Over Meet the Press
On August 14, 2014, NBC announced that Chuck Todd would take over as the moderator of Meet the Press starting September 7, 2014.
September 7, 2014: Chuck Todd Becomes Moderator of Meet the Press
On September 7, 2014, Chuck Todd officially became the 12th moderator of Meet the Press.
September 2014: Today dropped from 9TV in the Philippines
In September 2014, Today was dropped from 9TV in the Philippines to make room for weekend children's programming.
2014: Sexual harassment during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia
In 2014, during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Matt Lauer sexually harassed a female NBC employee, which led to his termination in 2017.
February 2015: Brian Williams Suspended
In February 2015, NBC suspended Brian Williams for six months for telling an inaccurate story about his experience in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He was replaced by Lester Holt on an interim basis.
March 2015: NBC Nightly News dropped from 9TV in the Philippines
In March 2015, NBC Nightly News was dropped from 9TV in the Philippines due to Brian Williams' firing and Lester Holt's move to main anchor.
June 18, 2015: Lester Holt Becomes Permanent Anchor
On June 18, 2015, it was announced that Lester Holt would become the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News and Brian Williams would move to MSNBC.
November 2016: NBCUniversal announced intended purchase of stake in Euronews
In November 2016, NBCUniversal announced its intention to purchase a 25% stake in Euronews, a European news organization.
November 29, 2017: Matt Lauer terminated from NBC News after sexual harassment allegations
On November 29, 2017, NBC News terminated Matt Lauer's employment following a report of sexual harassment by a female NBC employee. The allegations stemmed from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and continued in New York. Investigations by The New York Times and Variety were underway, and there were conflicting claims about NBC management's prior knowledge of Lauer's behavior.
2017: Ronna McDaniel became chairwoman of the Republican National Committee
In 2017, Ronna McDaniel became the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), serving in that role until 2024.
April 2018: Ronan Farrow's Weinstein story wins Pulitzer Prize after NBC rejection
In April 2018, the story on Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual misconduct, which NBC News had initially rejected, won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service after being published in the New Yorker Magazine.
2020: Ronna McDaniel made false claims of voter fraud after Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election
In 2020, after Joe Biden won the presidential election, Ronna McDaniel, then chairwoman of the RNC, made false claims of voter fraud in an attempt to overturn the election results.
2020: McDaniel backtracked on her claims about the 2020 election
In 2020, after being hired by NBC during an interview on Meet the Press, Ronna McDaniel retracted her previous claims, acknowledging that Joe Biden won the election "fair and square."
2021: The Stay Tuned team launched The Overview on Peacock
In 2021, The Stay Tuned team launched The Overview on Peacock.
March 2024: NBC News hires Ronna McDaniel, stirring controversy
In March 2024, NBC News hired Ronna McDaniel, the former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). This decision was controversial due to her past support for Donald Trump and false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
January 31, 2025: NBC News must move out of Pentagon workspace
On January 31, 2025, a Defense Department memo announced that NBC News was required to vacate its workspace in the Pentagon's Correspondents' Corridor due to a new Annual Media Rotation Program. NBC News expressed disappointment over the decision.
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