History of NBC in Timeline
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is a major American commercial broadcast television and radio network. It is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States. NBC is the flagship property of NBC Entertainment, which is a division of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal itself is a subsidiary of Comcast, making NBC part of a large media conglomerate. Alongside Universal Studios, NBC is one of NBCUniversal's two flagship subsidiaries.
1952: Today Series Created
In 1952, Weaver created the series Today for the NBC network.
1953: Official American Broadcaster of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 1953, NBC became the official American broadcaster of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
1954: Tonight Starring Steve Allen Created
In 1954, Weaver created Tonight Starring Steve Allen, the first program in the Tonight Show franchise, for the NBC network. He also created Home in 1954.
1955: Wide Wide World Series Created
In 1955, Weaver created the series Wide Wide World for the NBC network. Weaver also gave NBC Radio a shot in the arm in 1955, when he developed NBC Monitor.
1956: KUAM-TV Becomes NBC Affiliate in Guam
In 1956, KUAM-TV in Hagåtña, Guam became an NBC affiliate and has been carrying the entire NBC programming lineup since then.
1966: WMGM-TV affiliation with NBC
From 1966, WMGM-TV based in Atlantic City affiliated with NBC.
1973: Rights to Pre-1973 NBC programming Library
Paramount Skydance currently owns the rights to the pre-1973 NBC's in-house programming library.
1975: Michaels Assembles Cast for Saturday Night
By 1975, Michaels had assembled a talented cast for the show originally called NBC's Saturday Night.
1975: NBC Monitor Ended
NBC Monitor, a weekend-long magazine-style block that featured an array of news, music, comedy, drama and sports, with rotating advertisers and some of the most memorable names in broadcast journalism, entertainment and sports that ran until 1975.
1976: NBC Purchases Rights to Saturday Night Live Name
NBC purchased the rights to the name Saturday Night Live in 1976.
March 26, 1977: NBC Officially Adopts Saturday Night Live Title
On March 26, 1977, NBC officially adopted the new title Saturday Night Live.
1979: Real People Debuts
Silverman pioneered the reality television genre with the 1979 debut of Real People.
1979: Peacock Reintroduced as NBC's Logo
Silverman reintroduced the peacock as NBC's corporate logo in 1979.
1981: The Smurfs Animated Series Launched
In 1981, Silverman oversaw the development of an animated series based on The Smurfs.
1982: Tartikoff and Tinker Turn Around NBC's Fortunes
By 1982, Tartikoff and network president Grant Tinker gradually turned the network's fortunes around. Tartikoff's successes as President of Entertainment included The Cosby Show, Miami Vice and Knight Rider.
1985: NBC Back on Top
During his NBC tenure, Silverman also brought in an entirely new divisional and corporate management team, which remained in place long after Silverman's departure (among this group was Brandon Tartikoff, who as President of Entertainment, would help get NBC back on top by 1985).
1986: Current NBC logo in use
Since 1986, NBC has been using its current logo, which incorporates stylized peacock designs.
1989: The Smurfs Animated Series Ended
The Smurfs series ran from 1981 to 1989, well after Silverman's departure, making it one of his longest-lasting contributions to the network.
February 1991: Johnny Carson Announces Retirement
In February 1991, Johnny Carson informed Brandon Tartikoff of his retirement plans during a lunch meeting. Tartikoff and Bob Wright were the only individuals aware of this decision before it was publicly disclosed.
1993: NBC Launches Canal de Noticias NBC
In 1993, NBC launched Canal de Noticias NBC, a 24-hour Spanish-language news channel serving Latin America.
1993: General Electric acquires Super Channel
In 1993, then-NBC parent General Electric acquired Super Channel, relaunching the Pan-European cable network as NBC Super Channel.
1994: NBC Asia Launches
In 1994, NBC Asia launched and was distributed to various countries in Asia, featuring news programs as well as 'The Tonight Show', 'Late Night' and 'Saturday Night Live'.
1996: NBC Super Channel Renamed NBC Europe
In 1996, the channel NBC Super Channel was renamed NBC Europe, but was almost always referred to on-air as simply "NBC".
February 2, 1997: First HD broadcast of Meet the Press
On February 2, 1997, Meet the Press became the first regular series on a major television network to produce a high-definition broadcast.
July 1998: NBC Asia Replaced by National Geographic Channel
In July 1998, NBC Asia was replaced by a regional version of the National Geographic Channel.
April 26, 1999: Launch of NBC HD
On April 26, 1999, NBC officially began its conversion to high definition with the launch of its simulcast feed, NBC HD, with The Tonight Show becoming the first HD program on the network.
1999: Canal de Noticias NBC Shut Down
In 1999, Canal de Noticias NBC shut down due to the channel's inability to generate sustainable advertising revenue.
1999: NBC Europe Changes Focus to German Technology Channel
In 1999, NBC Europe ceased broadcasting in most of Europe outside of Germany and was relaunched as a German-language technology channel aimed at a younger demographic, with the new series NBC GIGA as its flagship program.
1999: Launch of NBCi
In 1999, NBC launched NBCi, an online venture to create a web portal, partnering with companies like Xoom.com and Snap.com.
April 2000: NBC purchased GlobalBrain
In April 2000, NBC purchased GlobalBrain, a company specializing in search engines that learned from searches initiated by its users, for $32 million.
2002: NBC gradually converted much of its existing programming to high definition
Beginning with the 2002–03 season, NBC gradually converted much of its existing programming from standard-definition to high definition.
2003: NBC acquires rights to Miss Universe and Miss USA
In 2003, NBC assumed the rights to the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants as part of a deal with Donald Trump, owner of the Miss Universe Organization, giving NBC half-ownership of the pageants.
2004: NBC Programming Available in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Since 2004, NBC programming has been available in the U.S. Virgin Islands on WVGN-LD in Charlotte Amalie.
2005: Holiday specials in SD
As of 2005, certain holiday specials produced prior to this year, such as the annual broadcast of "It's a Wonderful Life", continue to be presented in 4:3 SD format, despite the network's overall conversion to HD.
2005: NBC Affiliates with KKHJ-LP in American Samoa
In 2005, NBC affiliated with KKHJ-LP in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
2005: NBC GIGA Relaunched as Das Vierte
In 2005, the channel NBC GIGA was relaunched again as the free-to-air movie channel Das Vierte.
February 2007: Reilly Signs New Contract
In February 2007, Kevin Reilly signed a new three-year contract with NBC.
May 2007: Reilly Terminated as President
In late May 2007, Kevin Reilly was terminated from his position as president of NBC.
October 29, 2007: Hulu Launches in Private Beta
On October 29, 2007, Hulu launched in private beta testing, offering full-length episodes of most of NBC's programming through the streaming service as NBCUniversal was a part-owner of Hulu.
2007: Acquisition of the rights to the National Dog Show
In 2007, NBC acquired the rights to the National Dog Show, which is broadcast annually following the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
2007: NBC declines to renew Miss Teen USA contract
In 2007, NBC declined to renew its contract to carry Miss Teen USA, effectively discontinuing televised broadcasts of the event until 2023.
2007: NBCi.com mirrors NBC.com
In mid-2007, the NBCi.com website began to mirror the main NBC.com website.
2008: Knight Rider Reboot
In 2008, a short-lived reboot of Knight Rider aired on NBC.
2009: Solar TV Broadcasts The Jay Leno Show
From 2009 to 2010, Solar TV in the Philippines broadcast The Jay Leno Show.
2009: GIGA Television Shuts Down
In 2009, GIGA Television, which was spun off as a separate digital channel, shut down as a TV station.
2009: NBC and Seven Network Use Same Song in Promos
In 2009, NBC and the Seven Network in Australia both used the Guy Sebastian single "Like it Like That" in image promos for their respective summer schedules.
2009: Same-Day Rebroadcast of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 2009, NBC began airing a same-day rebroadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, replacing its annual Thanksgiving afternoon airing of the movie "Miracle on 34th Street".
2009: Digital television transition affects signal coverage
In 2009, signal coverage of NBC affiliates in Canada was somewhat reduced after the digital television transition due to the lower radiated power required to transmit digital signals.
May 2, 2010: Meet the Press converts to HD
On May 2, 2010, Meet the Press became the last NBC News program to convert to HD.
2010: Solar TV Ends Broadcast of The Jay Leno Show
From 2009 to 2010, Solar TV in the Philippines broadcast The Jay Leno Show, ending the broadcast in 2010.
2010: NBCi.com redirects to NBC.com
In 2010, the NBCi.com website was eventually redirected to the NBC.com domain.
July 2011: Netflix loses rights to newer episodes of NBC programs
In July 2011, Netflix lost the right to carry newer episodes of NBC programs during their current seasons.
September 2012: NBC Completes Conversion to High Definition
In September 2012, NBC completed its conversion to high definition with the launch of NBC Kids, making all the network's programming presented in full HD since then.
2012: Macy's parade rerouted
In 2012, Macy's rerouted the Thanksgiving Day Parade to avoid CBS' cameras, as NBC holds exclusive rights to broadcast Broadway and music performances during the parade.
2012: NBC Affiliation Ends with KKHJ-LP in American Samoa
In 2012, NBC's affiliation with KKHJ-LP in Pago Pago, American Samoa ended.
2013: Das Vierte Shuts Down
In 2013, the free-to-air movie channel Das Vierte shut down after being acquired by Disney, which replaced it with a German version of Disney Channel.
2013: Live musical adaptations
Since 2013, NBC has aired live musical adaptations featuring major stars in lead roles, becoming a rating success and a nostalgic tribute to early television.
2014: NBC holding rights to Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants
From 2003 to 2014, NBC held rights to the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.
2014: End of WMGM-TV affiliation with NBC
In 2014, WMGM-TV, based in Atlantic City, ended its affiliation with NBC.
2014: NBC Programming Ceases on VSB-TV in Bermuda
Until it ended operations in 2014, NBC's entire program lineup was carried by VSB-TV in Bermuda. Bermuda currently receives NBC service from WTVJ Miami via cable.
February 18, 2015: Live programming streams of local NBC stations
On February 18, 2015, NBC began providing live programming streams of local NBC stations in select markets, exclusively for authenticated subscribers of participating pay television providers.
June 29, 2015: NBCUniversal Relinquishes Rights to Miss Universe and Miss USA
On June 29, 2015, NBCUniversal relinquished the rights to Miss Universe and Miss USA due to controversial remarks made by Donald Trump, leading to the severance of business ties with him and the Miss Universe Organization.
February 2016: WRAL-TV rejoined NBC
In February 2016, WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, rejoined NBC and began broadcasting at 1080p via WNGT-CD, also serving as an ATSC 3.0 multiplex.
2016: Trump's remarks and presidential campaign
In 2016, Donald Trump launched his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, during which he made controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants that led to NBCUniversal cutting ties with him and the Miss Universe Organization in 2015.
2016: NBC Affiliation in Aruba Ends
Until its bankruptcy and cessation of operations in 2016, NBC maintained an affiliation in Aruba with Oranjestad station PJA-TV. Aruba currently receives NBC service from network flagship WNBC via cable.
2017: NBC Affiliates Cease Distribution in Specific Region
In late 2017, NBC affiliates stopped being distributed in a region due to concerns about broadcasting rights outside their original local coverage area. This coincided with similar actions by ABC and CBS.
2018: WRAL-EX went off-air
In 2018, the experimental station WRAL-EX, which transmitted limited NBC programming in UHD, went off-air as part of the FCC's repacking process.
2018: Purchase of Nashua station
In early 2018, NBC purchased the Nashua station (formerly WYCN-CD) after the FCC spectrum auction.
2018: NFL game telecasts streamed
In the 2018 season, a change to the NFL's mobile rights agreement allowed NBC's NFL game telecasts to be streamed through network websites and apps.
April 2019: NBC Paid Firm to Improve Reputation on Wikipedia
In March and April 2019, it was reported that NBC had paid a firm to improve its reputation by lobbying for changes to its Wikipedia articles.
2019: Relocation of WYCN-LD
In 2019, NBC relocated WYCN-LD to Providence, Rhode Island, to serve as a Telemundo station for that market.
2023: Televised broadcasts of Miss Teen USA resume
In 2023, televised broadcasts of Miss Teen USA effectively resumed after NBC discontinued broadcasting the event in 2007.
2024: Pat Sajak Retirement
Silverman oversaw, while simultaneously objecting to, the hiring of Pat Sajak as the new host of Wheel (Sajak stayed with the show, mostly as host of its syndicated incarnation, through to his 2024 retirement).
December 31, 2024: KXGN-TV drops NBC affiliation
On December 31, 2024, KXGN-TV in Glendive, Montana, dropped NBC from its DT2 subchannel.
2025: NBCUniversal part-ownership of Hulu
From 2007 to 2025, NBCUniversal was a part-owner of Hulu (along with majority owner The Walt Disney Company, owner of ABC).
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