History of NBC News in Timeline
NBC News is the news division of NBC, operating under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of Comcast. Rebecca Blumenstein is the president of NBC News. The NBCUniversal News Group includes MSNBC, CNBC, CNBC World, Noticias Telemundo, and Sky News, covering a wide range of news and information.
June 1940: Republican National Convention Coverage
In June 1940, NBC televised 30¼ hours of coverage of the Republican National Convention live from Philadelphia, 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 commercial WNBT.
1944: No Live Convention Telecasts
Due to wartime and technical restrictions, in 1944 there were no live telecasts of the conventions, although films of the events were reportedly shown over WNBT the next day.
1948: NBC Television Newsreel
In 1948, NBC Television Newsreel aired filmed news highlights with narration.
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 surprising victory over New York governor Thomas E. Dewey.
1949: Camel News Caravan Debut
In 1949, John Cameron Swayze was added as an on-camera anchor and the program was renamed Camel News Caravan.
1950: David Brinkley Joins Camel News Caravan
In 1950, David Brinkley began serving as the Washington correspondent for the Camel News Caravan.
1951: Bill McAndrew Director of News
In 1951, Bill McAndrew was made Director of News, managed by Vice President of News and Public Affairs J. Davidson Taylor.
1951: William R. McAndrew begins managing NBC News
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, airing reports from Frank McGee.
October 29, 1956: The Huntley-Brinkley Report Debut
On October 29, 1956, NBC's The Huntley–Brinkley Report debuted.
1956: Huntley and Brinkley Paired
In 1956, NBC paired anchors Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, who became celebrities.
November 22, 1963: Coverage of JFK Assassination
On November 22, 1963, NBC interrupted programming to announce that President John F. Kennedy had been shot and provided 71 hours of uninterrupted news coverage of the assassination and funeral.
1968: Reuven Frank Becomes President of NBC News
1969: 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
1977: Lester Crystal Becomes President of NBC News
1979: William J. Small Becomes President of NBC News
December 1983: Cancellation of NBC News Overnight
1983: Tom Brokaw Sole Anchor
In 1983, Tom Brokaw became the sole anchor of NBC Nightly News.
1985: Lawrence Grossman Becomes President of NBC News
1986: NBC Wins Top Spot in Nielsen Ratings
In 1986, NBC won the top spot in the Nielsens for the first time in years.
1987: NBC Wins Top Spot in Nielsen Ratings
In 1987, NBC won the top spot in the Nielsens.
1987: NBC Radio Network Sold to Westwood One
In 1987, the original major NBC Radio Network was purchased by Westwood One, ending NBC's direct participation in the radio business.
1988: Michael Gartner Becomes President of NBC News
1989: Brokaw Witnesses Fall of Berlin Wall
In 1989, 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: GM Anti-Defamation Lawsuit
In 1993, General Motors filed an anti-defamation lawsuit against NBC after Dateline NBC broadcast a rigged investigative report about the safety of GM trucks. NBC publicly admitted the results of the tests were rigged and settled the lawsuit with GM on the very same day.
1996: Nightly News Moves into First Place
In late 1996, Nightly News again moved into first place in the ratings.
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 All Night Replaces NBC Nightside
In 1998, NBC Nightside was replaced by "NBC All Night," composed of reruns of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
1999: CNN Radio Replaced NBC Radio and Mutual
2001: Neal Shapiro Becomes President of NBC News
2003: Inaccurate Story of Iraq Invasion
In February 2015, NBC suspended Brian Williams for six months for telling an inaccurate story about his experience in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
December 2004: Brian Williams Assumes Anchor Duties
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
From January 1, 2007, to September 23, 2011, Poker After Dark was part of NBC All Night.
June 2008: Tom Brokaw Interim Host of Meet The Press
After the sudden death of Tim Russert in June 2008, Tom Brokaw took over as an interim host of Meet the Press.
December 14, 2008: David Gregory New Moderator of Meet the Press
On December 14, 2008, David Gregory became the new moderator of Meet the Press.
2009: NBC Established Leadership
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
Poker After Dark Leaves NBC All Night on September 23, 2011
December 2013: Early Today Dropped by 9TV
In December 2013, Early Today was officially dropped from 9TV in the Philippines.
2013: Today Show Theme Music Replaced
In 2013, "Scherzo for Today," the third movement from "The Mission," was replaced as the theme music for Today by a new theme composed by Alan Gubman.
2013: Dial Global Rebrands as Westwood One
In 2013, Dial Global rebranded itself as Westwood One.
2013: John Lapinski Director of Elections
In 2013, John Lapinski was Director of Elections, replacing Sheldon Gawiser.
August 10, 2014: David Gregory's Last Broadcast
On August 10, 2014, David Gregory's last broadcast was on Meet the Press.
August 14, 2014: Chuck Todd to Moderate Meet the Press
On August 14, 2014, NBC announced that Chuck Todd would take over as the 12th moderator of Meet the Press starting September 7, 2014.
September 7, 2014: Chuck Todd Takes Over Meet the Press
Starting September 7, 2014, Chuck Todd took over as the 12th moderator of Meet the Press.
September 2014: Today Dropped by 9TV
In September 2014, Today was dropped by 9TV in the Philippines.
2014: Matt Lauer's Sexual Harassment During the Sochi Olympics
During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Matt Lauer sexually harassed a female NBC employee, according to a report that led to his termination in 2017. The harassment continued after they returned to New York.
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 Lester Holt replaced him on an interim basis.
April 2015: Revised Kidnapping Account
In April 2015, NBC had to revise the kidnapping account of Richard Engel, following further investigations by The New York Times.
June 18, 2015: Lester Holt Becomes Permanent Anchor
On June 18, 2015, it was announced that Lester Holt would become the permanent anchor and Brian Williams would be moved to MSNBC as an anchor of breaking news and special reports beginning in August.
2015: Election Team's Permanent Space
In 2015, the election team's decision desk group was given its first permanent space at 30 Rockefeller, replacing the News Sales Archives.
November 2016: NBCUniversal Intends to Purchase Stake in Euronews
In November 2016, NBCUniversal announced its intention to purchase a 25% stake in Euronews.
November 29, 2017: Matt Lauer Terminated for Sexual Harassment
On November 29, 2017, NBC News terminated Matt Lauer's employment after an unidentified female NBC employee reported that Lauer had sexually harassed her during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and that the harassment continued after they returned to New York.
2017: Ronna McDaniel's Tenure as RNC Chairwoman
From 2017 to 2024, Ronna McDaniel served as the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), a tenure marked by staunch loyalty to Donald Trump.
April 2018: Pulitzer Prize for Weinstein Coverage
In April 2018, the New Yorker Magazine won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual misconduct; this was the same story that NBC News had previously rejected.
2020: McDaniel Backtracks on Claims
After being hired by NBC, McDaniel admitted Biden won the 2020 election "fair and square".
2020: McDaniel's False Claims of Voter Fraud in the 2020 Election
In 2020, Ronna McDaniel, as RNC chairwoman, made false claims of voter fraud after Joe Biden won the presidential election, seeking to overturn the results.
March 2024: Ronna McDaniel Hired by NBC News
In March 2024, NBC News hired Ronna McDaniel, the former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2017 to 2024, stirring controversy due to her history as a staunch Donald Trump loyalist.
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