History of NBC News in Timeline
NBC News is the news division of NBC, operating under NBCUniversal Media Group, a subsidiary of Comcast. Rebecca Blumenstein is the president of NBC News, overseeing operations including MSNBC, CNBC, CNBC World, Noticias Telemundo, and Sky News. It is a major news organization that delivers news through various channels.
June 1940: NBC Televises Republican National Convention
In June 1940, NBC televised 30¼ hours of coverage of the Republican National Convention live from Philadelphia through its flagship station in New York City, W2XBS (later WNBT). This coverage was relayed to upper New York State, marking one of the first "network" programs of NBC Television.
1941: W2XBS renamed WNBT
In 1941, NBC's flagship station in New York City, W2XBS, was renamed WNBT.
1944: No Live Telecasts of Conventions
Due to wartime and technical restrictions, there were no live telecasts of the 1944 conventions.
1948: NBC & Life Magazine Team Up For Election Coverage
In 1948, NBC partnered with Life magazine to cover President Harry S. Truman's victory over Thomas E. Dewey on election night.
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 Becomes Washington Correspondent
In 1950, David Brinkley began serving as the Washington correspondent for NBC's news program.
1955: NBC Covers Montgomery Bus Boycott
In 1955, NBC provided national coverage of Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership of the Montgomery bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, featuring reports from Frank McGee.
October 29, 1956: Debut of The Huntley–Brinkley Report
On October 29, 1956, The Huntley–Brinkley Report debuted on NBC, created by Producer Reuven Frank.
November 22, 1963: NBC Reports JFK Assassination
On November 22, 1963, NBC interrupted its programming to announce that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas, and subsequently provided 71 hours of uninterrupted coverage of the assassination and funeral, including the only live broadcast of Lee Harvey Oswald's shooting.
1968: Reuven Frank Becomes President of NBC News
1969: NBC Earns Emmy Award for Moon Landing Coverage
In 1969, NBC's coverage of the first Moon landing earned the network an Emmy Award.
1973: Richard Wald Becomes President of NBC News
1974: Chet Huntley's Death
Chet Huntley died of cancer in 1974, four years after retiring from NBC.
1977: Lester Crystal Becomes President of NBC News
1979: William J. Small Becomes President of NBC News
December 1983: NBC News Overnight Canceled
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.
1985: Lawrence Grossman Becomes President of NBC News
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 Radio Network Purchased by Westwood One
In 1987, General Electric, which acquired NBC's parent company RCA, sold the NBC Radio Network to Westwood One, ending NBC's direct participation in the radio business.
1987: NBC Wins Top Spot in Nielsens
In 1987, NBC won the top spot in the Nielsens.
1988: Michael Gartner Becomes President of NBC News
1989: Brokaw Witnesses Fall of Berlin Wall
In 1989, NBC News correspondent Tom Brokaw was the only American television news correspondent to witness the fall of the Berlin Wall.
1993: Andrew Lack Becomes President of NBC News
1993: Dateline NBC Airs Rigged Report on GM Trucks
In 1993, Dateline NBC broadcast an investigative report about the safety of General Motors (GM) trucks, which was later found to be rigged. GM filed an anti-defamation lawsuit against NBC, and NBC admitted the results of the tests were rigged.
1996: Nightly News Moves Into First Place Again
In late 1996, Nightly News moved into first place in the ratings again.
1997: Closure of Canal de Noticias, NBC
In 1997, the 24-hour news service aimed at Latin American viewers called "Canal de Noticias, NBC" closed.
1998: NBC Nightside 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.
1999: CNN Radio Replaces NBC Radio and Mutual
2001: Neal Shapiro Becomes President of NBC News
2003: Brian Williams in Iraq
In 2003, Brian Williams experienced the invasion of Iraq, later telling an inaccurate story about his experience there.
December 2004: Brian Williams Becomes Primary Anchor
In December 2004, Brian Williams assumed primary anchor duties when Tom Brokaw retired.
2005: Steve Capus Becomes President of NBC News
January 1, 2007: Poker After Dark Joins NBC All Night Lineup
From January 1, 2007, to September 23, 2011, Poker After Dark was part of the "NBC All Night" programming.
June 2008: Tom Brokaw Takes Over as Interim Host of Meet the Press
Following the death of Tim Russert in June 2008, Tom Brokaw took over as the interim host of Meet the Press.
December 14, 2008: David Gregory Becomes Moderator of Meet the Press
On December 14, 2008, David Gregory became the new moderator of Meet the Press.
2009: NBC Leads in Network News
By 2009, NBC had established leadership in network news, airing the highest-rated morning, evening, and Sunday interview news programs.
September 23, 2011: Poker After Dark Leaves NBC All Night
September 23, 2011, marked the end of Poker After Dark's run as part of the "NBC All Night" programming.
December 2013: Early Today dropped from 9TV
In December 2013, Early Today was officially dropped from the 9TV network in the Philippines, and they were replaced by the repeats of Inside Edition.
2013: Dial Global Rebrands as Westwood One
In 2013, Dial Global rebranded itself as Westwood One.
2013: Today replaces theme music
Until 2013, "Scherzo for Today," the third movement of "The Mission" by John Williams, was used by Today, when it was replaced by a new theme by Alan Gubman.
August 10, 2014: David Gregory's Last Broadcast on Meet the Press
August 10, 2014, was David Gregory's last broadcast as moderator of Meet the Press.
August 14, 2014: Chuck Todd to Take Over as Moderator of Meet the Press
On August 14, 2014, NBC announced that Chuck Todd would take over as the 12th moderator of Meet the Press.
September 7, 2014: Chuck Todd Becomes Moderator of Meet the Press
On September 7, 2014, Chuck Todd took over as the moderator of Meet the Press.
September 2014: Today dropped from 9TV
In September 2014, Today was dropped from 9TV to make room for weekend children's programming.
2014: Matt Lauer's Sexual Harassment Allegations
In 2014, during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Matt Lauer allegedly 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, and he was temporarily replaced by Lester Holt.
March 2015: NBC Nightly News dropped from 9TV
In March 2015, NBC Nightly News was dropped from 9TV due to the firing of Brian Williams and the move of Lester Holt to main anchor, as well as the anticipation of rebranding the network to CNN Philippines.
April 2015: NBC Revises Kidnapping Account
In April 2015, NBC News revised its account of the 2012 kidnapping of Richard Engel and his crew, following investigations by The New York Times. The revised account suggested that a Sunni criminal element affiliated with the Free Syrian Army was likely responsible, rather than a Shia loyalist group.
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 29, 2017: Matt Lauer Fired from NBC News
On November 29, 2017, NBC News terminated Matt Lauer's employment after an unidentified female employee reported sexual harassment that occurred during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and continued afterwards.
2017: Ronna McDaniel Chairs RNC
In 2017, Ronna McDaniel became the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
April 2018: Ronan Farrow's Weinstein Story Wins Pulitzer Prize
In April 2018, the story on Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual misconduct, which NBC News initially declined to publish, won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service after being published in The New Yorker Magazine.
2019: Westwood One Discontinues CNN Content
In 2019, Westwood One discontinued using content from CNN.
2020: Ronna McDaniel Claims Voter Fraud After 2020 Election
After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, then RNC chair Ronna McDaniel made false claims of voter fraud and sought to overturn the election results.
2020: McDaniel Backtracks on Election Claims
During an interview after being hired by NBC News, Ronna McDaniel backtracked on her previous claims, stating that Joe Biden won the 2020 election "fair and square" and condemned political violence.
2021: Stay Tuned Team Launches The Overview on Peacock
In 2021, the Stay Tuned team launched "The Overview" on Peacock, expanding their content offerings on streaming platforms.
March 2024: NBC News Hires Ronna McDaniel
In March 2024, NBC News hired Ronna McDaniel, the former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). This hire sparked controversy due to McDaniel's past support for Donald Trump and false claims about the 2020 election.
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