Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Type
Television network
(defunct radio network)
Country
United States
First airdate
Availability
National
Slogan
Headquarters
Parent
Key people
Zachary Blanche
Anne Sweeney
David Westin
Paul Lee
John Skipper
Launch date
October12,1943 (radio)
April19,1948 (television)
Former
names
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Broadcasting_Company
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Contents
1 History
1.1 19271945: Blue Network
1.2 19451949: Entry into television
1.3 1950s: Merger with United Paramount Theatres
1.3.1 Hollywood begins to produce television
series
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History
19271945: Blue Network
In the 1930s, radio in the United States was dominated by three companies: the Mutual Broadcasting
System, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the
last of which was owned by the electronics manufacturer Radio Corporation of America (RCA). RCA
owned two networks which each ran different varieties of radio programming, and were named NBC
Blue and NBC Red. NBC Blue was created in 1927 primarily to test new programs on less important
markets than those served by NBC Red, which served the major cities,[1] and to test drama series.[2]
In 1934, Mutual Broadcasting filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
regarding its difficulties in establishing new stations, in a radio market that was already being saturated
by NBC and CBS.[2] In 1938, the FCC began a series of investigations into the practices of radio
networks[2] and published its report on the broadcasting of network radio programs in 1940. The report
recommended that RCA separate either NBC Red or NBC Blue from its control.[1] At that time, NBC
Red was the principal radio network in the United States and, according to the FCC, RCA was using
NBC Blue to eliminate any hint of competition. Having no power over the networks themselves, the
FCC established a regulation forbidding licenses to be issued for radio stations if they were affiliated
with a network which already owned multiple networks[1] that were of interest to the public.[2]
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Once Mutual's appeals against the FCC were rejected, RCA decided to sell NBC
Blue in 1941, and gave the mandate to do so to Mark Woods.[3] In January 1942,
RCA converted the NBC Blue Network into an independent subsidiary,[2] and
NBC Red and NBC Blue became two separate companies, dividing their
respective assets. Between 1942 and 1943, Woods offered the entire NBC Blue
Network on sale for a price of $8 million.[4][5] This package included leases on
land lines, three pending television licenses (WJZ-TV in New York, KGO-TV in
San Francisco and WENR-TV in Chicago, all eventually established on channel
7), sixty affiliates, four facilities (in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and
Washington D.C.), contracts with actors, and the brand associated with the Blue
Network. The investment bank Dillon, Read & Co. (acquired in 1997 by the
Swiss Bank Corporation) offered $7.5 million, but Woods and RCA president
Edward Noble,
founder of ABC
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its conquest, to pre-record its programming.[11] With the help of the Magnetophon tape recorder, ABC
was able to provide its stars with greater freedom in terms of time, and also attract several big names,
such as Bing Crosby[11] at a time when NBC and CBS did not allow pre-taped shows.
While its radio network was undergoing reconstruction, ABC found it difficult to avoid falling behind on
the new medium of television.[13] To ensure a space, in 1947 ABC submitted five applications for
licenses, one for each market where it owned and operated a radio station.[14] These applications
requested the allocation of frequency 7, as Frank Marx, then ABC's vice-president of engineering,
thought that the lower frequencies would be requisitioned and reallocated for the U.S. Army.[14]
On April 19, 1948, the ABC television network began its broadcasts and picked up its first primary
affiliate, WFIL-TV in Philadelphia[15] (later renamed WPVI-TV). The first program on the network was
On the Corner, featuring Henry Morgan. Other stations carrying it were WMAR-TV, Baltimore,
Maryland; WMAL-TV, Washington, D.C.; and WABD, New York City.[16]
In August 1948, the network's flagship owned-and-operated station, WJZ-TV in New York City (later
renamed WABC-TV), began its broadcasts.[15] The first broadcast ran for two hours in the evening of
August 10, 1948.[17] ABC's other owned-and-operated stations launched over the course of the next 13
months.[15] WENR-TV in Chicago launched on September 17, 1948,[18] while WXYZ-TV in Detroit
went on the air October 9, 1948.[19] In October 1948, the FCC realized that it had issued too many
licenses for TV stations, so it froze applications for new stations.[20] However, KGO-TV in San
Francisco, which had received its license prior to the freeze, went on the air May 5, 1949.[21][22] On May
7, 1949, Billboard revealed that ABC had proposed an investment of $6.25 million, of which it would
spend $2.5 million to convert 20 acres (80,937m2) of land in Hollywood into what would become The
Prospect Studios, and construct a transmitter on Mount Wilson, in anticipation of the launch of KECATV, which was scheduled to launch August 1,[23] but would not actually go on the air until September
16.[24][25]
In the fall of 1949, ABC found itself in the position of an outsider, with less coverage than two of its
competing networks, CBS and NBC, even though it was on par with them in some of the major cities
and had a head start over its third rival at the time, the DuMont Television Network.[26] Before the
freeze ended in 1952, there were only 108 existing television stations in the United States; a few major
cities such as Boston had only two television stations, many other cities such as Pittsburgh and St. Louis
had only one, and still many others, such as Denver and Portland, had no television service at all.[26] The
result was a strange period where television flourished in certain areas and network radio remained the
main source of broadcast entertainment and news in others.
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1951, Noble held a 58% stake in ABC,[30] giving him $5 million with which to prevent ABC from going
bankrupt; as banks refused further credit,[31] that amount was obtained through a loan from the
Prudential Insurance Company of America.[32]
Leonard Goldenson, the president of UPT (which sought to diversify itself at the time), approached
Noble in 1951 and proposed that UPT purchase ABC.[31] Noble received further offers, including one
from Bill Paley of CBS, but that would have forced CBS to sell
at least its New York and Los Angeles stations.[33] Goldenson
and Noble reached a tentative agreement in the late spring of
1951[31] that ABC would become a subsidiary of UPT, but
would remain autonomous in its management.[34] On June 6,
1951, UPT's board of directors validated their tentative
agreement.[34] However, the transaction had to be approved by
the FCC because of the presence of television networks and the
recent separation between Paramount and UPT. Insofar as the
Paramount Pictures film studio was already a shareholder of the
DuMont Television Network, the FCC conducted a series of
hearings to ensure whether Paramount was truly separated from
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However, a problem emerged regarding the directions taken by ABC and UPT. In 1950, Noble
appointed Robert Kintner to be ABC's president while he himself served as its CEO, a position he would
hold until his death in 1958.[13] Despite the promise of non-interference between ABC and UPT,
Goldenson had to intervene in ABC's decisions because of financial problems and the FCC's long period
of indecision. Goldenson added to the confusion when, in October 1954,[41] he proposed a merger
between UPT and DuMont Television Network, which was also in financial trouble.[13] As part of this
merger, the network would have been renamed ABC-DuMont for five years, and DuMont would have
received $5 million in cash, room on the schedule for existing DuMont programming, and guaranteed
advertising time for its receivers.[13] Also, to satisfy the FCC's constraints, it would have been required
to sell either WABC-TV or WABD-TV (DuMont's New York station) and two other stations with it.[13]
The merged ABC-DuMont would have had the resources to compete with CBS and NBC.[41]
Goldenson sought to develop the ABC network in the U.S. by trying to convince local stations to
become affiliated with the ABC network.[13] For this, he contacted local entrepreneurs who owned TV
stations themselves, many of whom had previously invested in Paramount cinemas and had worked with
him when he undertook the responsibility for restructuring United Paramount Theatres.[13] Goldenson
also tried international investing; for example, he acquired a 5% stake in two new Japanese networks,
Mainichi Broadcasting System in 1951 and Nihon Educational Television in 1957.[42]
Hollywood begins to produce television series
At the same time that he made his attempts at the network's growth, Goldenson had been trying since
mid-1953 to provide content for the network by contacting his old acquaintances in Hollywood, with
whom he had worked when UPT was a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures.[13] ABC's merger with UPT
led to the creation of relationships with Hollywood's film production studios, breaking a quarantine that
had existed at that time between film and television,[43] the latter of which had previously been more
connected to radio. ABC's flagship productions at the time were The Lone Ranger (19491957), based
on the same-titled radio program, and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (19521965).
Goldenson's efforts paid off, and on October 27, 1954, the network was able to launch a "New ABC"
campaign with the productions of several studios, including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros., and
20th Century Fox.[44]
Warner tried with mixed success to adapt some of its most successful films as ABC television series, and
showcase such adaptations in a programming block known as Warner Bros. Presents. The wheel series,
which aired during the 195556 season, showcased television adaptations of the 1942 films Kings Row
and Casablanca; Cheyenne, adapted from the 1947 film Wyoming Kid; Sugarfoot, a remake of the 1954
film The Boy from Oklahoma; and Maverick, which helped to attract the network's audiences.[43]
However, the most iconic of ABC's relationships with Hollywood producers was its agreement with
Walt Disney; after the start of the network's bond with the Disney studio, James Lewis Baughman, who
worked in the press at that time, observed that "at ABC's headquarters in New York, the secretaries
[were now] wearing hats with Mickey Mouse ears."[43]
First bonds with Disney
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Walt Disney and his brother Roy contacted Goldenson at the end of 1953[45] to allow ABC to finance
part of the Disneyland project in exchange for Disney's
production of a television broadcast.[46][47][48] Walt wanted ABC
to invest $500,000 and accrued a guarantee of $4.5 million in
additional loans, a third of the budget intended for the
park.[46][49] Around 1954, ABC agreed to finance Disneyland in
exchange for the broadcasting of a new Sunday television
program, Disneyland, which debuted on the ABC network on
October 27, 1954[46][47][48] as the first of many anthology TV
programs that Disney would broadcast over the course of the
next fifty years.
The budget for the construction of the park, upon its completion
in July 1955, totaled $17 million,[50] while ABC owned 35% of
Disneyland, Inc., the company that had been created to build and
manage thepark.[47] When the park opened on July 17, 1955, a
special live broadcast, Dateline: Disneyland, was aired on
ABC.[51] Shortly thereafter, on October 3, 1955, a second regular
program produced by Disney was launched: The Mickey Mouse
Club, designed as a weekday children's program aired Monday
through Friday, which starred the "Mouseketeers," a group of 24
children.[47][52]
Syndication division and phonographic labels
By 1954, all U.S. networks had regained control of their programming, with higher advertising revenues:
ABC's increased by 67% with $26 million, NBC's went up by 30% with $100 million, and CBS's rose by
44% with $117 million.[53] On March 27, 1954, ABC created a subsidiary named ABC Films
Syndication Division, which specialized in syndication and in-house production of broadcasts, and was
headed by George Shupert.[54] However, ABC had only 14 primary affiliates as opposed to CBS's 74
and NBC's 71. Most markets outside the largest ones weren't large enough to support three full network
affiliates. In some markets that were large enough for a third full affiliate, the only available commercial
allocation was on the less-desirable UHF band. Until the All-Channel Viewing Act mandated the
inclusion of UHF tuning, most viewers needed a converter to watch UHF stations. Even with a
converter, the picture was marginal at best. Additionally, UHF stations have never gotten good reception
in rugged terrain. These factors made many prospective station owners skittish about investing in a UHF
station, especially one that would have had to take on an affiliation with a weaker network. As a result,
in most markets outside the largest ones, ABC was relegated to secondary status on one or both of the
existing stations, usually via off-hours clearances. (A notable exception during this time was WKST-TV
in Youngstown, Ohio, now WYTV, despite Youngstown's small market size and close proximity to
Cleveland and Pittsburgh even decades before the city's economic collapse.) According to Goldenson,
this meant that an hour of programming on ABC reported five times less than its competitors.[55]
However, the network's intake of money at the time would allow it to accelerate its production of
content. Still, ABC's limited reach would continue to hobble it for the next two decades; several smaller
markets would not grow large enough to support a full ABC affiliate until the 1960s, with some very
small markets having to wait as late as the 1980s or even the advent of digital terrestrial television,
which allowed stations like WTRF-TV in Wheeling, West Virginia to begin airing ABC programming
on a digital subchannel after airing it in off-hours decades before.
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In 1955, ABC founded a record company, the AmPar Record Corporation,[56] which launched the record
label ABC-Paramount Records. Several other labels would be established or purchased by ABC in the
following years. DuMont Television Network ceased broadcasting on September 15, 1955,[41] and went
bankrupt the next year. ABC then found itself as the third U.S. television network, but still continued to
look for successful programming. That same year, Kintner was forced to resign because of
disagreements between Noble and Goldenson,[13] a consequence of Goldenson's many interventions in
ABC's management. In 1959, ABC International created a company called WorldVision Enterprises for
overseas syndication.[57]
Counterprogramming: successful, but criticized
It was not until the late 1950s that the ABC network became a
serious contender for NBC and CBS, and this was thanks to its
diverse range of programming meeting the expectations of the
public, such as westerns and detective series, but despite an
almost 500% increase in advertising revenues between 1953 and
1958, the network remained able to cover only between 10% and
18% of the total U.S. population, due to still having a relatively
low number of affiliates compared to NBC and CBS.[58] In 1957,
Ollie Treiz discovered that the variety show Bandstand, aired on
WFIL-TV in Philadelphia, had very good ratings, and taking that
into account, he managed to introduce that show to a national
audience, re-titling it American Bandstand;[59] the show quickly
became a social phenomenon by presenting new talent and new
dances to the American youth.[59] On September 3, 1958, the
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During the 1960s, ABC continued on the same path that it began to take in the mid-1950s, consolidating
the network to gain loyalty from the public. The network's finances improved and allowed it to invest. In
May 1960, ABC bought the WLS radio station in Chicago, which had shared airtime with WENR since
the 1920s.[65] This acquisition allowed ABC to consolidate its presence in the market. On May 9, 1960,
WLS launched a new lineup of programming related to ABC.[66] In 1960, the Canadian John Bassett,
who was trying to establish a television station in Toronto, sought the help of ABC.[67] Goldenson
agreed to acquire a 25% stake in CFTO-TV, but Canadian legislation denied this participation, so ABC
withdrew from the project before the launch of the channel.[67]
19601965: Children's programming and the debut of ABC Sports
On September 30, 1960, ABC began broadcasting The
Flintstones, another example of counterprogramming; although
that show was filmed in color from the beginning, it was initially
broadcast in black-and-white, because ABC technically would
not show its programming in color at the time.[68] The
Flintstones allowed ABC to present a novelty, that of children's
programming, but it also allowed the network to begin replacing
the family orientation that had been the flagship of Disney's
programming.[68]
The contract allowing ABC to air Walt Disney Presents was due
to expire in 1961.[69] In 1959, the Disney company, having
regained a better financial situation, had purchased ABC's shares
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Due to pressure from film studios wanting to maximize their production, U.S. networks were beginning
to broadcast films on television.[77] In 1962, ABC joined CBS and NBC in broadcasting films on the
Sunday night slot, though its Sunday night movie program debuted a year behind its competitors, and
was initially broadcast in black and white instead of color.[77] However, ABC remained in third place
despite a significant increase, with a 33% audience rate as opposed to the 15% rate from 1953, and
revenues of $15.5 million which represented a third of CBS's total revenues.[77] To catch up, ABC
followed up The Flintstones with another animated series from Hanna-Barbera, The Jetsons, which
debuted on September 23, 1962 as the first TV series to be broadcast in color on the network.[78] On
April 1, 1963, ABC debuted its long-running soap opera General Hospital,[79] and on September 17 of
the same year, it premiered a drama series titled The Fugitive.[80]
The 19641965 season was marked by the debuts of several classic series including Bewitched on
September 17[81] and The Addams Family on September 18. Arledge's success was confirmed in 1964
when he became vice-president of ABC Sports.[82]
19661969: New regulations and the radio network's recovery
It was not until the 19651966 season that color became
dominant over black and white for the three television networks.
ABC remained in third place among the three networks and still
needed money to grow. However, ABC's issues with color
became secondary compared to the network's financial problems,
because in 1964 the network found itself, as Goldenson later
wrote, "in the middle of a war [where] the battlefield was Wall
Street".[83] Many companies sought to take control of ABC,
including Norton Simon,[77] General Electric, International
Telephone and Telegraph,[84] and Litton Industries.[85]
In this context, the company was renamed from American
Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres to American Broadcasting
Company in 1965,[86] while its cinema division became ABC
Theatres, and its recording division was renamed ABC Records
in 1966.[87] After the death of David O. Selznick on June 22,
1965, his assigns sold the catalog of the films he produced after
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expressed doubts related to such things as the emerging market for cable broadcasting.[91] Another doubt
concerned the journalistic integrity of ABC and how it could be influenced by the overseas ownership of
ITT.[92] The ITT management promised that their company would allow ABC to retain autonomy in the
publishing business.[91] The merger was suspended, and a complaint was filed by the Department of
Justice in July 1967. After a trial that began in October 1967 and ended on January 1, 1968, the merger
was canceled.[93]
On January 12, 1966, ABC began broadcasting the highly successful series Batman, starring Adam
West.[94] In 1967, Ralph Beaudin, CEO of WLS, was appointed as the head of ABC Radio.[95] Under
his leadership, ABC Radio was divided into four "networks", each one devoted to one of four different
types of programming: newscasts, informative series, pop music, and talk shows.[96] Two other
networks were later created for rock and traffic news.
In 1968, ABC took advantage of new regulations to buy the radio stations KXYZ-AM and KXYZ-FM in
Houston for $1 million in shares and $1.5 million in bonds,[97] reaching its limit of seven owned-andoperated stations. Roone Arledge was named president of ABC Sports, and the company also founded
its own film studio, ABC Pictures (renamed ABC Motion Pictures between 1979 and 1985[98]), whose
first production was Charly, a 1968 film directed by Ralph Nelson. There are two subsidiaries, Palomar
Pictures International, and Selmur Pictures. In July 1968, ABC continued its acquisitions in the
amusement parks sector by opening ABC Marine World in Redwood City, California;[99] that park was
sold in 1972 and demolished in 1986, and its area later became home to the headquarters of Oracle
Corporation.
In July 1968, ABC Radio launched a special programming project for its FM stations, entrusted to Allen
Shaw,[100] a former program manager at WCFL (AM) in Chicago.[101] Shaw was commissioned by
Harold L. Neal, president of ABC Radio, to compete with the new progressive rock and DJ stations.[102]
The new program called LOVE Radio, with selected music, was launched on the seven FM stations
owned by ABC in late November 1968; it replaced nearly all of the programming for these stations, but
several affiliates retained the majority of their programming, such as KXYZ in Houston.[102] From
August 1970, Shaw confirmed that ABC FM's music choice policy should be reviewed to allow listeners
access to many styles of music.[103]
As far as television is concerned, since the early 1960s, the American broadcasting industry regularly
offered made-for-TV movies; to satisfy its fans, in September 1969 ABC launched its Movie of the Week
program, a weekly program with dramas produced on an average budget of $400,000$450,000 by
talented filmmakers.[104] It featured productions by such directors as Aaron Spelling, David Wolper, and
Steven Spielberg (the last of whom gained early success for his 1971 film Duel, which was shown on the
program).
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In 1970, ABC debuted the sports program Monday Night Football[106] (which moved to ESPN in 2006),
and several soap operas such as All My Children. According to Goldenson, broadcasting Monday Night
Football allowed ABC regular audience ratings of 15%16%, with a budget managed by ABC Sports
for Monday nights to reallocate the weekly budget for ABC Primetime to just six days, as opposed to
seven on competing networks.[107]
In 1970, the FCC imposed its Financial Interest and Syndication
Rules, a set of regulations that aimed to prevent the Big Three
networks from monopolizing the broadcast landscape, by
preventing them from owning any of the programming that they
aired in the primetime.[108] This decision caused ABC Films to
split in 1972 into two separate companies: WorldVision for
syndication, and ABC Circle Films for production.[109][110]
WorldVision, which had existed since 1959, was sold to ABC
officials for nearly $10 million.[110]
In April 1970, Congress passed the Public Health Cigarette
Smoking Act which banned cigarette advertising from all
television and radio networks, including ABC, when it took
show centered on the Justice League of America.[112] Eisner left ABC in 1976 to become president of
Paramount Pictures.[115]
In the spring of 1975, Fred Pierce, the newly named president of ABC Television, convinced Fred
Silverman to become the first president of an independent television production subsidiary named ABC
Entertainment, created from the namesake division responsible for the network's programming.[116] In
1974, ABC started broadcasting the detective series S.W.A.T. The same year, the network made the
decision to compete with NBC's morning news program Today. Its first attempt at such competition was
a program called AM America, but that show's success was not straightforward.[117] Before the end of
1975, ABC discovered that another news program, The Morning Exchange, produced for the local
Cleveland market through its affiliate WEWS-TV, seemed to appeal to its viewers;[117] in November
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1975, that show's concept was adopted for the network's national morning newscast, which was renamed
Good Morning America.[117] Meanwhile, ABC News sought to become a global leader in television
newscasts.[118]
In 1977, the southern division of ABC Theatres, known as ABC Southern, was sold to Henry Plitt, who
at the time was associated with Thomas Klutznick, a real estate entrepreneur in Chicago.[109] With this
sale, ABC was stripped of control over its theaters because of changes in the theater operation sector,
mainly the fact that the population was investing in the suburbs and moving away from old cinemas in
the larger cities.[109] In 1987, Plitt Theatres was bought by Cineplex Odeon Corporation.[109]
For its part, the television network produced many programs, and in 1977 several series were launched:
January saw the debut of Roots, a miniseries based on an Alex Haley novel that was published the
previous year; and September saw the premiere of The Love Boat. Roots went on to become one of the
highest-rated programs in all of American television, with unprecedented Nielsen ratings for its
finale.[119][120] The success of Roots, Happy Days, and The Love Boat allowed the network to become
first in the ratings among U.S. networks for the first time in the 19761977 season. On the international
level, however, many governments wanted to increase their independence and strengthen their
legislation, so ABC was forced to sell all of its interests in international networks, mainly in Japan and
Latin America.[67]
In 1977, Arledge was named president of the new ABC News division in addition to being president of
ABC Sports.[121] Also in 1977, ABC launched an expansion program for its offices in New York. On the
corner of Columbus Avenue and West 66th Street, it demolished an abandoned warehouse and built in
its place a 10-floor building which is nicknamed 7 Lincoln Square, but is actually located at 149
Columbus Avenue. Meanwhile, the former parking lot, located at 30 West 67th Street, was transformed
into an impressive 15-story building. Both buildings were completed in June 1979. WABC-TV moved
its offices from 77 West 66th Street to 149 Columbus Avenue, freeing up space for the ABC network
itself.
On January 20, 1978, the series Fantasy Island debuted on ABC. In June 1978, Arledge created the
news magazine 20/20.[122] In February 1979, ABC sold its recording division to MCA Inc. (MCA
standing for the company's former name, Music Corporation of America) for $20 million; by March 5 of
that same year, the label had disappeared and all of its 300 employees had been laid off.[123] The rights
to the works of ABC Records and all of MCA's other labels have since been acquired by Universal
Music Group.
For ABC, the 1970s were highlighted by several successful series including Kung Fu (an actionadventure western drama starring David Carradine, which ran from 1972 to 1975), The Six Million
Dollar Man (19741978), Happy Days (19741984), Wonder Woman (19751979), Starsky & Hutch
(1975-1979), Charlie's Angels (19761981), The Bionic Woman (19761978), Three's Company (19771984), Fantasy Island (19781984), and Battlestar Galactica (19781979). Many of these series were
approved by Fred Silverman, who was appointed in 1975 as the network's director of programming via
its ABC Entertainment division,[124] but left his post in 1978 to become CEO of NBC.
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ABC dominated the American television landscape during the 1970s and early 1980s. Several flagship
series debuted on ABC during this time; for example, Dynasty premiered on January 12, 1981, five
months before the 1970s hit Charlie's Angels ended its run. Also in 1981, ABC launched the Alpha
Repertory Television Service (ARTS), a cable television service that offered cultural programming such
as ballet and opera.[125]
On August 9, 1982, ABC purchased a 10% stake in the
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (later known by
its abbreviated name, "ESPN") for the sum of $20 million, and in
return, ESPN gained the U.S. broadcast rights to the British
Open, which ABC had not been able to broadcast
completely.[126] This purchase provided ABC the opportunity to
purchase additional shares of up to 49% under certain
conditions.[127] One of them was the purchase of at least 10% of
the shares of Getty Oil before January 2,
1984.[127]
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ABC Communications, a subsidiary that specialized in community service programming, such as shows
related to literary education.[118] At that time, NBC regained the lead in the ratings among the Big
Three. To counteract NBC, ABC decided to focus on comedy and family series with titles such as Mr.
Belvedere, Roseanne, Who's the Boss?, Just the Ten of Us, The Wonder Years, Full House, Home
Improvement, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Step by Step, Boy Meets World, and Perfect Strangers. The
latter two programs both spawned successful follow-ups, Girl Meets World and Family Matters
respectively. Following the initial success of these series, ABC reprogrammed Friday nights for this type
of programming in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, on a programming block known as "TGIF"
("Thank God It's Funny").[135]
The ABC/Capital Cities merger went into effect on January 3, 1986, and several changes occurred in the
management at that time:[136] Frederick S. Pierce became president of ABC's broadcasting division,
Michael P. Millardi became vice president of ABC Broadcasting and president of ABC Owned Stations
and ABC Video Enterprises, John B. Sias became president of the ABC Television Network, Brandon
Stoddard became president of ABC Entertainment (a position to which he had been appointed in
November 1985), and Roone Arledge became president of ABC News and ABC Sports. In February
1986, Thomas S. Murphy, who had been CEO of Capital Cites since 1964, was appointed chairman and
CEO emeritus of ABC.[137] In 1988, a new headquarters was built for ABC, just off the WABC-TV
studios on West 66 Street. The television network's restructuring program, launched in 1974, helped
with the purchases and exchanges of nearly 70 stations in the late 1980s, adding more than 2 million
viewers.[118]
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withdrew from ABC and was replaced as president and CEO by Robert Iger.[146] Around the time of
their merger, ABC and Disney produced such shows as Home Improvement and the multiple Emmy
Award-winning comedy series Sports Night.
On May 10, 1999, Disney reorganized its publishing division, the Buena Vista Publishing Group, and
renamed it Disney Publishing Worldwide; the rechristened division became a subsidiary of Disney
Consumer Products while Hyperion Books became affiliated with ABC.[147] On July 8, 1999, Disney
consolidated Walt Disney Television Studio, Buena Vista Television Productions, and ABC's primetime
division into the ABC Entertainment Television Group. On December 31, 1999, ABC's contract with
Time Warner Cable officially ended, but it was renewed on time for the parties to reach an
agreement.[141]
During the 19992000 season, thanks to the unexpected success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,
which premiered as a special occasional series in August 1999 and became a regular program on January
18, 2000,[148] ABC became the first network to move from third to first place in the ratings for a single
season. Based on the same-titled British program, the show was a wild ratings success throughout its
first year, but nearly three years after its debut, the U.S. version of Millionaire left the network's
primetime lineup and was switched to syndication. In spite of Millionaire'
s departure from ABC
Primetime, The Practice, My Wife and Kids, NYPD Blue and The Wonderful World of Disney managed
to help the network stay ahead of the competition in the ratings.
group into ABC Entertainment under the name ABC Family[150] for $5.3
The ABC HD Logo
company.[150] The group's youth-oriented channel was later renamed Jetix and fell under the control of
the Disney Channel. The deal was finalized on October 24, 2001.[150]
In 2004, ABC's audience went down by ten points, and the network found itself in the fourth place in
terms of market shares. However, during the 20042005 season, the network experienced an unexpected
success with new series such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy, which helped ABC
rise to the rank of second place in terms of viewership, behind only NBC, while CBS remained in third
place. On April 21, 2004, Disney announced a restructuring of its Disney Media Networks division with
George Bodenheimer as its co-CEO, and Anne Sweeney as the president of the DisneyABC Television
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Group (owner of ABC and Disney Channels Worldwide); Bodenheimer, who had already been president
of ESPN, also became president of ABC Sports.[152] On September 27, 2004, ABC announced the
launch of ABC1, a channel owned by the ABC Group in the United Kingdom.[153]
Between May and September 2005, rumors circulated about DisneyABC selling ABC Radio, with
Clear Channel Communications and Westwood One (which had bought NBC, CBS, and Mutual's radio
divisions) as potential buyers. On October 19, 2005, ABC announced the restructuring of the group into
six divisions: Entertainment Communications, Communications Resources, Kids Communications,
News Communications, Corporate Communications, and International Communications. On December
7, 2005, ABC Sports and ESPN signed an agreement with NASCAR for eight years of broadcasts of the
Nextel Cup, i.e., 17 of the 36 races held each season.[154]
On February 6, 2007, Disney and Citadel Broadcasting announced that the ABC Radio Network would
merge with Citadel. The new entity was named Citadel Communications,[155] and its ownership was as
follows: 52% owned by Disney, 32% by Forstmann Little, and 16% by former shareholders of Citadel
Broadcasting. On October 10, 2006, the DisneyABC Television Group entered into an agreement to
broadcast ABC News Now in India via Dish TV.[156]
In February 2007, Disney announced that it would rename the production studio Touchstone Television
as ABC Television Studio.[157] In May 2007, ABC unveiled a new imaging campaign, revolving around
the slogan "Start Here", which signifed the multi-platform availability of ABC content.[158] On
September 8, 2007, Disney announced that it would discontinue ABC1 in October because of the
channel's inability to attain a suitable audience.[159] On September 28, 2007, ABC's Hyperion division
moved its offices located in the ABC headquarters (at 77 West 66th Street) to invest two floors of 114
Fifth Avenue, the home of Disney Publishing Worldwide, during the course of a partial move to White
Plains, New York.[160]
The writer's strike of 20072008 affected the network in the 20082009 season, as various shows that
premiered in 2007, such as Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, and Samantha Who?, did not
live to see a third season on the network; and more series such as Boston Legal and the U.S. version of
Life on Mars suffered from low viewership, despite the former being a once-highlighted breakout
show.[161] On August 15, 2008, Disney denied rumors started by Caris & Co. that it would be selling
ABC's ten owned-and-operated stations.[162]
In early 2009, DisneyABC Television Group merged ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios into a new
division called ABC Entertainment Group, which would be responsible for both production and
broadcasting.[163][164][165][166][167] The group planned to reduce its workforce by 5% during this
reorganization.[168] On April 2, 2009, Citadel Communications decided to rename ABC Radio as
Citadel Media;[169] however, ABC News continued to provide press service for Citadel. On July 6,
2009, the website Hulu broadcast ABC programming for the first time,[170] following an April 2009
agreement giving Disney a 27% stake in Hulu. On 22 December 2009, DisneyABC Television Group
announced a partnership with Apple Inc. for pay-TV on iTunes, with content from Disney Channel and
ABC.[171]
2010s: Decline
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In March 2010, Disney considered spinning ABC off into an independent broadcasting company
because "it [did not] add a lot of value to Disney's other divisions".[172] It entered advanced negotiations
with two private equity firms to sell ABC; however, the sale was canceled because of an attempted
insider trade to the FBI by an ex-employee.[173]
In 2010, Lost ended after six seasons, the last of which was its lowest rated since its debut in 2004. The
once-instant hit Ugly Betty collapsed dramatically in ratings due to its move to the Friday night death
slot. Even after an attempt to boost ratings by moving it to Wednesdays, the show was ultimately
canceled, resulting in negative reactions from the public, and particularly from the show's fanbase.[174]
With the network's two former hit shows now out of the picture, the network's remaining top two veteran
shows Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, and another hit show Brothers & Sisters, then
recorded their lowest ratings ever, a trademark that still continued into the network's 20102011
schedule. Similarly, ABC's dramas during that season continued to fail, with only Body of Proof being
renewed for a second season.[175] The network also struggled to establish new comedies to go with the
previous year's debuts, with only late-season premiere Happy Endings earning a second season.[175]
Meanwhile, the new lows hit by Brothers & Sisters led to its cancellation,[176] and the previous year's
only drama renewal, V, also failed to earn another season after a low-rated mid-season run.[176] Despite
this and another noticeable ratings decline, ABC would manage to outrate NBC for third by a larger
margin than the previous year.[177]
With relatively little buzz surrounding its 20102011 pilots, compounded by a sexual harassment suit
against him, Stephen McPherson resigned as ABC Entertainment Group president on July 27, 2010. His
replacement, Paul Lee (previously the president of sister cable channel ABC Family), was announced
the same day.[178][179]
With the cancellation of Supernanny in 2011, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was the only series on
the network's schedule to be broadcast in 4:3 standard definition until the program ended its run as a
regular series in January 2012. On April 14, 2011, ABC canceled the long-running soap operas All My
Children and One Life to Live after a combined 84 years on the air.[180] The talk/lifestyle show that
replaced One Life to Live, The Revolution, failed to generate satisfactory ratings and was in turn
canceled. The 201112 season saw ABC drop to fourth place in the 18-49 demographic despite
renewing a handful of new shows for second seasons.[181]
In 2012, Spanish-language network Univision and ABC News announced a partnership to launch an
English-language news channel primarily aimed at Hispanic audiences; in February 2013, it was
revealed that the new network would be known as Fusion, and would launch later that year.[182][183]
The 2012-13 season failed to live up to the previous year, with only one drama, Nashville, and one
comedy, The Neighbors, earning a second season renewal. The 2013-14 season was a slight
improvement for ABC with three new hits in The Goldbergs, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Resurrection
all being renewed, but saw the cancellations of The Neighbors and Suburgatory as NBC, which had
lagged behind ABC for eight years would finish the season #1 in the 18-49 demographic for the first
time since 2004, and finish second place overall behind long-dominant CBS. Fortunately, ABC would
finish the season in third place as Fox had crashed to fourth in both demos.
In May 2013, ABC launched its Watch ABC player apps, which allow viewers to access live streams
from a local ABC affiliate from within the app, making ABC the first U.S. broadcast network to offer
this ability. Similarly to its sister WatchESPN app, the live streaming capability is only available to
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authenticated pay television subscribers in certain markets; the service launched with WABC-TV and
WPVI-TV in New York City and Philadelphia (with a free preview for non-subscribers running through
June), and is expected to launch across the remaining ABC O&Os (including markets such as Chicago,
Los Angeles, Houston, and San Francisco) by the start of the 201314 season. Hearst Television also
reached a deal to offer the service across its ABC-affiliated stations, which include outlets in Boston,
Kansas City and Milwaukee.[184][185]
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Entrance of ABC's
WABC-TV buildings at
headquarters at 77 West 149155 Columbus
66 Street
Avenue and behind 157
Columbus Avenue
ABC also owns the Times Square Studios at 1500 Broadway on land owned by a development fund for
the 42nd Street Project; it is in this studio that Good Morning America is aired. ABC News has premises
a little further on West 66 Street, in a 6-story building occupying a plot of 196 feet (60m) 379 feet
(116m) at 121135 West End Avenue. The block of West End Avenue housing the ABC News building
was renamed Peter Jennings Way in 2006 in honor of one of ABC News' most well-known
newscasters.[187]
Economic data
ABC's employees, like all employees of Disney and its subsidiaries, are eligible for membership in the
ABE Federal Credit Union, a cooperative savings and loan service founded in 1967.[188] With the
acquisition by Disney, this union became associated with Disney's Partners Federal Credit Union. The
acquisition of Marvel Entertainment allowed Marvel employees to join ABE-FCU.[189]
Main offices
New York:
77 West 66th Street, New York[190] (in the ABC headquarters)
125 West End Avenue, New York[190] (in the ABC News headquarters)
115 West 18th Street, New York (South Manhattan)[190]
California:
2300 Riverside Drive, Burbank[190] (in the ABC Studios Building at the Disney
headquarters)
2312 West Olive Avenue, Burbank[190] (north of the Burbank complex, near the Partners
FCU)
4151 Prospect Avenue, Los Angeles[190] (at The Prospect Studios)
190 N. State Street, Chicago, Illinois[190] (at the WLS-TV studios)
680 Birch Street, Bristol, Connecticut[190] (at the ESPN headquarters)
383 Middle Street, Bristol, Connecticut[190] (at the ESPN North Campus)
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1717 DeSales St. NW, Washington D.C.[190] (at ABC News' Washington Bureau)
Financial results
Annual financial statements of Capital Cities/ABC
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Year
Revenues
TV/Radio
Press
Total
Net income
TV/Radio Press Total
1983[139]
302,785
459,510
762,295
1984[139]
348,106
591,616
939,722
1985[139]
378,297
1986[139]
1987[139]
3,433,749
1988[139]
3,749,557
1989[139]
3,899,898
1990[139]
4,283,633
1991[139]
4,329,743
1992[139][191]
4,265,561
1993[139]
4,663,215
1994[192]
5,277
1,102.1
6,379.7
1,127
155
1,239
5,727.5
1,151.1 6,878.5
1,164.8
139 1,238.8
1995[193]
Since 1996, ABC's financial results are included in those of Disney Media
Networks.
1. ^ Following the acquisition of ABC
Corporate management
19431953: Edward Noble
19531986: Leonard Goldenson
19861990: Thomas Murphy (chairman/CEO)[137]
19901994: Thomas Murphy (chairman), Daniel Burke (CEO)[137]
19941996: Thomas Murphy (chairman),[137] Bob Iger (CEO)
19962000: Bob Iger, president
20002004: Anne Sweeney, president of ABC Cable Networks Group and Disney Channels
Worldwide[194] with George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN
2004present: Anne Sweeney and George Bodenheimer, co-CEOs of Disney Media Networks
Television programming
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The ABC Television Network provides a schedule of 89 regular weekly hours of network programming.
The network provides 22 hours of prime time programming to affiliated stations: 811 p.m. Monday to
Saturday (all times ET/PT) and 711 p.m. on Sundays.
Daytime programming is also provided from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays (with a one-hour break at noon
ET/PT for local stations to air news or other programming such as syndicated shows) featuring the
talk/lifestyle shows The View and The Chew and the soap opera General Hospital. ABC News
programming includes Good Morning America from 7 to 9 a.m. weekdays (along with one-hour
weekend editions); nightly editions of ABC World News Tonight (whose weekend editions are
occasionally subject to abbreviation or preemption due to sports telecasts overrunning into the program's
timeslot), the Sunday political talk show This Week, early morning news programs World News Now and
America This Morning and the late night newsmagazine Nightline. Late nights feature the weeknight talk
show Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The network's Saturday morning children's programming timeslot, consisting of three hours, is filled by
syndicator Litton Entertainment, which produces the Litton's Weekend Adventure block of programming
under an arrangement where the programming is syndicated out exclusively to ABC stations, rather than
being leased out directly by the network to Litton.
Sports programming is also provided on some weekend afternoons at any time from 3 to 6 p.m. ET (12
to 3 p.m. PT) and, during college football season, during prime time on Saturday nights through
Saturday Night Football. Due to the erratic and (outside of college football season) inconsistent
scheduling of sports programming on weekend afternoons, ABC carries the ESPN Sports Saturday block
on Saturdays, and on Sunday either encores of primetime reality series, burned off series which had no
room in the primetime schedule, occasional theatrical films which were acquired in the early to mid2000s that no longer have a primetime slot to air in or more recently, skating specials supplied by Disson
Skating, when no sports telecasts are scheduled, usually airing between 46 p.m. ET/PT. During the
summer season, ABC airs two highlight compilation programs for ESPN involving golf's The Open
Championship and The Wimbledon Championships from the United Kingdom to provide some
broadcast presence for both events on American television. Various X Games events are also carried
during their weekend events on ABC.
ABC holds the broadcast rights to the Academy Awards, American Music Awards, Disney Parks
Christmas Day Parade, Tournament of Roses Parade, Country Music Association Awards and the CMA
Music Festival. Since 2000, ABC has also owned the television rights to most of the Peanuts television
specials. Since 1974, ABC has generally aired Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on New Year's Eve
(the only exception being in 1999, when ABC pre-empted the special for its own coverage of the
international millennium festivities). ABC has also aired the Miss America pageant from 1954 to 1956,
1997 to 2005, and since 2011. The pageant will return to Atlantic City in 2013 after being held in Las
Vegas since 2006, ABC will continue to broadcast the pageant through 2016.[195]
The network's daytime programming block, ABC Daytime, currently airs the soap opera General
Hospital, and talk shows The View and The Chew. General Hospital is the longest-running entertainment
program in the entire history of the ABC television network, having aired since 1963. ABC also
broadcasts the morning news program Good Morning America and has done so since 1975, though that
program is not considered to be part of the ABC Daytime block. Notable soap operas seen on the block
in the past include All My Children, One Life to Live, Ryan's Hope, Dark Shadows, Loving, The City and
Port Charles. ABC also aired the last nine years of the Procter & Gamble-produced The Edge of Night.
ABC Daytime has also aired a number of game shows, including The Dating Game, The Newlywed
Game, Let's Make a Deal, Password, Split Second, The $10,000/$20,000 Pyramid, Family Feud, The
Better Sex, Trivia Trap, All-Star Blitz and Hot Streak.
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Programming library
ABC owns nearly all its in-house television and theatrical productions made from the 1970s onward,
with the exception of certain co-productions with producers (for example, The Commish is now owned
by the estate of its producer, Stephen Cannell). Worldwide video rights are currently owned by various
companies, for example, MGM Home Entertainment via 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment owns
U.S. video rights to many of ABC's feature films.
When the FCC imposed its fin-syn rules in 1970, ABC proactively created two companies: Worldvision
Enterprises for syndication, and ABC Circle Films for production. However, between the publication
and implementation of these regulations, the separation of the network's catalog was made in 1973. The
broadcast rights to pre-1973 productions were transferred to Worldvision, which became independent in
the same year. The company has been sold several times since Paramount Television acquired it in 1999,
and has most recently been absorbed into CBS Television Distribution, a unit of CBS Corporation.
Nonetheless, Worldvision sold portions of its catalog, including the Ruby-Spears and Hanna-Barbera
libraries, to Turner Broadcasting System in 1990. With Disney's 1996 purchase of ABC, ABC Circle
Films was absorbed into Touchstone Television, a Disney subsidiary which in turn was renamed ABC
Studios in 2007.[157]
Also part of the library is the aforementioned Selznick library, the Cinerama Productions/Palomar
theatrical library and the Selmur Productions catalog that the network acquired some years back, and the
in-house productions it continues to produce (such as America's Funniest Home Videos, General
Hospital, and ABC News productions), although DisneyABC Domestic Television (formerly known as
Buena Vista Television) handles domestic television distribution, while DisneyABC International
Television (formerly known as Buena Vista International Television) handles international television
distribution.
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Analysis
Since its inception, the American Broadcasting Company has evolved with the development of various
assets, many of which have been sold. The company originates from a radio network that went on the air
in 1927, was forced by law to separate from its parent company, and then became an independent
company. The new company diversified rapidly in the emerging medium of television.
Thanks to two mergers, one with United Paramount Theatres in 1950 and the other with Capital Cities in
the 1980s, the company diversified again. Under UPT, ABC was sister company to a large theater chain,
while under Capital Cities, it was sister company to various publications. However, ABC was separated
from its theaters by the time of the Capital Cities merger, and from its sister newspapers during Disney's
purchase of the network in the 1990s.
The 1993 annual report indicates that 70% of the Capital Cities/ABC media group's revenue came from
the sale of advertising space, and for the rest, the two main positions were subscriptions to pay-TV
channels and direct sales of books and journals.[139]
Visual identity
The ABC logo has
evolved many times since
the network's creation in
the mid-1940s. The first
ABC logo, introduced in
1946, was a television
screen containing the
letters T and V, with a
vertical ABC microphone
in the center,[196]
Early logo of the ABC television
referencing the network's
network, used in 1946
roots in radio. When the
ABC-UPT merger was
finalized in 1953, the network introduced a new logo based on
the FCC seal, with the letters "ABC" enclosed in a circular shield
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representing the circle with glossy gold letters, and as such, was the first ABC identification card to have
a three-dimensional appearance.[196]
In 1983, for the fortieth anniversary of the network's founding, the logo appeared in a gold CGI version
on a blue background, accompanied by the script slogan "That Special Feeling".[196] Ten years later,
with ABC's acquisition by Disney only a few years away, the "ABC Circle" logo returned to its classic
white-on-black color scheme, but with gloss effects on both the circle and the letters, and a bronze
border surrounding the circle.[196]
In 1997, the network began using a minimalist identification card featuring a small black-and-white
ABC Circle logo on a yellow background.[196] A new four-note theme tune was introduced alongside the
package, creating a sound signature on par with the NBC chimes, CBS's three-note sound mark, and the
Fox Fanfare was introduced at the same time, and has been updated with every television season
thereafter (though variants of the four-note signature used since the 1997-98 season remain in use during
the production company cards that follow the closing credits of most programs).
In 2000, ABC launched a web-based promotional campaign focused around its circle logo, also called
"the dot", where comic book character Little Dot prompted visitors to "download the dot", a program
which would cause the ABC logo to fly around the screen and settle in the bottom-right corner.[198] The
network hired the Troika Design Group to design and produce its 200102 identity, which continued
using the black-and-yellow coloring of the logo and featured dots and stripes in various promotional and
identification spots.[199]
On June 16, 2007, ABC began to phase in a new imaging campaign for the upcoming season, "Start
Here". Also developed by Troika, the on-air design was intended to emphasize the availability of ABC
content across multiple platforms (in particular, using a system of icons representing different devices,
such as television, computers, and mobile devices), and "simplify and bring a lot more consistency and
continuity to the visual representation of ABC." The ABC logo was also significantly redesigned as part
of the transition, featuring a glassier appearance; on-air, the logo was accompanied by animated water
effects and ribbon effects. Red ribbons were used to represent the entertainment division, while blue
ribbons were used for ABC News.[158][200]
In 2013, a new ABC logo was introduced for promotions for the 201314 season during the network's
upfront presentation on May 14, 2013, and officially introduced on-air on June 17, 2013 (although some
affiliates implemented the new design prior to then), as part of an overhaul of ABC's identity by the
design agency LoyalKaspar. The new logo carries a simpler gloss design than the previous logo, and
contains lettering closer resembling Paul Rand's original version of the circle logo. The logo is used in
gold, steel blue, dark gray, and red color schemes on-air. The gold version is primarily used on
entertainment-oriented outlets (such as ABC.com, Watch ABC, and by ABC Studios) and the on-screen
bug; blue and dark grey versions are used primarily by ABC News; the red version is used for ESPN on
ABC, while all four colors are used selectively in advertising and by affiliates. A new custom typeface,
"ABC Modern", was also created for use in advertising and other promotional materials.[201]
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In terms of programming, ABC found itself in the position of an outsider in the 1950s, counterprogramming against its competitors, and managed to launch a number of detective shows and
westerns.[202] The 1960s were marked by family-oriented series in the vein of this counterprogramming, but a slow transition to color.[69]
The 1970s marked a turning point for ABC, as it became first in the ratings with such shows as Monday
Night Football, ABC Movie of the Week, and the miniseries Roots.[203]
In 1980, 90% of viewers watched the prime-time shows on the three major networks.[204] In 1993, ABC
represented 23.63% of American households, just below the limit of 25% imposed by the FCC.[139] In
2005, on the same slot, the Big Three's season-ending average audience share represented only 32% of
American households, in competition with public television, satellite, and cable.[204]
International development
The first attempts to internationalize the ABC Television Network date from the 1950s, after Leonard
Goldenson, following the United Paramount Theatres model, tried to use on ABC the same strategies he
had made in expanding UPT's theater operation to the international market.[205] Goldenson said that
ABC's first international activity was broadcasting the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953;
CBS and NBC were unable to cover the coronation live due to technical problems and flight delays,
respectively.[206] NBC's plane landed in Latin America, leading ABC to learn of subsidiaries in that
region.[206] ABC then invested in Latin America, reaching 51% of a network covering Central
America.[207] Goldenson also cited interest in Japan in the early 1950s[42] and in Beirut in the mid1960s.[208]
The idea was to create a network of wholly and partially owned channels, and affiliates to rebroadcast
the network's programs. In 1959, this rerun activity was completed with program syndication, with ABC
Films selling programs to networks not owned by ABC.[209] The arrival of satellite television ended the
need for ABC to hold interests in other countries;[109] thus, all the network's international interests were
sold in the 1970s.[67]
A second period of international expansion is linked to that of the ESPN network in the 1990s, and
policies enacted in the 2000s by Disney Media Networks. In contrast to Disney's other channels, ABC is
broadcast in the United States, although the network's programming is syndicated in many countries.
The policy regarding wholly owned international networks was revived in 2004 with the creation of
ABC1 in the UK,[153] but due to poor viewership, the attempt to develop ABC International was
discontinued in 2007.[159]
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References
Footnotes
1. ^ a b c d Goldenson & Wolf 19911993, p.96.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sterling 2004, p.291.
3. ^ a b Cox 2009, p.91.
4. ^ a b c d Goldenson & Wolf 19911993, p.97.
5. ^ Barnouw 1968, p.190.
6. ^ "Golden Age of Radio Spotlight on Networks - National Broadcasting Company (NBC)"
(http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/LookAround/la_networkspot_nbc.htm). The Digital Deli Online
(http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/home.html). Retrieved May 30, 2011.
7. ^ Cox 2009, p.93.
8. ^ The Billboard, March 17, 1945, p. 6.
9. ^ "Hall of Fame 1986 - Don Searle" (http://www.ne-ba.org/about_us-hall_of_fame.asp?id=54). Nebraska
Broadcasters Association. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
10. ^ Sterling 2004, p.88.
11. ^ a b c Sterling 2004, p.89.
12. ^ a b Sterling 2004, p.292.
13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Goldenson & Wolf 19911993, p.104.
14. ^ a b c Murray 1997, p.6.
15. ^ a b c Cox 2009, p.98.
16. ^ "ABC TV Network" (http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-04-19-BC.pdf).
Broadcasting. April 19, 1948. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
17. ^ The Billboard, August 21, 1948, p. 3.
18. ^ The Billboard, September 27, 1952, p. 5.
19. ^ Kiska 2009, p.22.
20. ^ a b "Encyclopedia of Television - "Freeze" of 1948" (http://www.museum.tv/eotv/freezeof1.htm). Museum
of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
21. ^ Lasar 2000, p.78.
22. ^ The Billboard, April 23, 1949, p. 120.
23. ^ The Billboard, May 14, 1949, p. 13.
24. ^ The Billboard, July 30, 1949, p.8.
25. ^ The Billboard, September 16, 1950, p. 5.
26. ^ a b Macdonald, J. Fred. "One Nation Under Television: The Rise and Decline of Network TV"
(http://jfredmacdonald.com/onutv/freeze.htm). Retrieved November 16, 2013.
27. ^ Legrand, Lherminier & Mannoni 1992, p.422.
28. ^ Weinstein 2006, p.28.
29. ^ a b Quinlan 1979, p.17.
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67. ^
Goldenson & Wolf 19911993,
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p.232.
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137. ^ a b c d e f "Columbia/HCA Appoints Thomas S. Murphy, Chairman and CEO Emeritus of ABC, Inc. as
Fifth New Director" (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=63489&p=irolnewsArticle&ID=561143&highlight=). Hospital Corporation of America. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
138. ^ Hagstrom 19941997, p.69.
139. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Annual report, Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405 Acc-no: 0000950130-94000530 Size: 406 KB (http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/17109/0000950130-94-000530.txt)
140. ^ "DIC Entertainment Studio Directory (19712008)"
(http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/D/DiC_Entertainment/). Big Cartoon DataBase. Retrieved
January 22, 2010.
141. ^ a b c Emergency Petition of ABC, Inc. for Declaratory Ruling
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/Orders/2000/da000987.pdf), Federal Communications Commission,
retrieved November 16, 2013
142. ^ a b c The Walt Disney Company (February 17, 1998), Disney Factbook 1997: Disney Through the Decades
(http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/fact_books/1997/Disneyfactbook.pdf), p.4, retrieved January 22,
2010
143. ^ Celebrating 50 years in Mid-Michigan (http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/feature?
section=resources/inside_station/station_info&id=5769141)
144. ^ The Walt Disney Company (February 17, 1998), Disney Factbook 1997: Disney Through the Decades
(http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/fact_books/1997/Disneyfactbook.pdf), p.5, retrieved January 22,
2010
145. ^ The Walt Disney Company (February 17, 1998), Disney Factbook 1997: Disney Through the Decades
(http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/fact_books/1997/Disneyfactbook.pdf), p.6
146. ^ Principal Businesses With Chief Executives
(http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/annual_reports/1996/boardof.htm#CorporateExecutiveOfficers)
147. ^ Disney Reorganizes Buena Vista, Hyperion Publishing
(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BDW/is_19_40/ai_54616747/)
148. ^ Walt Disney Company (February 5, 2001), Disney Factbook 2000 - Year in Review, p.7
149. ^ Disney Annual Report 2000
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External links
Official website (http://abc.com/)
ABC Live Stream Online
(http://www.webstreams.tv/videos/abc-live-stream-online-
watch-abc-streaming-feed-live/)
ABC (http://www.museum.tv/eotv/americanbroa.htm) at the Museum of Broadcast
Communications Encyclopedia of Television
ABCNetwork's channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/ABCNetwork) on YouTube
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=American_Broadcasting_Company&oldid=648455913"
Categories: American Broadcasting Company American television networks
Companies established in 1943 RCA Disney Media Networks Disney acquisitions
Disney television networks
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