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Television networks HBO, BBC, and CNN lead the global media industry, each emerging at distinct moments in broadcasting history.
The BBC was established in 1922.
Its reputation rests on balanced reporting and cultural landmarks like Doctor Who.
Behind its public face, the broadcaster maintained secret ties with MI5, who screened staff for political leanings from the 1930s to 1990s.
During World War II, the BBC actively censored music, blocking 175 German, Austrian, and Italian composers from broadcast.
NBC launched in 1926 as a radio network before pioneering television broadcasting.
The network created enduring hits like The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and Friends.
In 1975, NBC president Herbert Schlosser commissioned Dick Ebersol to develop a replacement for Carson's weekend Tonight Show segments.
The result—Saturday Night Live—has shaped American comedy for nearly five decades.
CBS began as a radio network in 1927 before becoming a major television broadcaster.
After brief ownership by Paramount Pictures in the 1930s, CBS later merged with Viacom in 2000, split in 2005, and rejoined in 2019 to form what is now Paramount Global.
The network made broadcasting history by airing the first high-definition NFL game in 1998.
ABC began as NBC's Blue Network successor in 1943 and launched television operations in 1948.
United Paramount Theatres acquired ABC in 1953, and Disney purchased the network in 1996.
CNN launched in 1980 as the world's first 24-hour news channel.
Beyond its core news operation, the network ventured into grocery store broadcasting with its short-lived Checkout Channel in the early 1990s, and in 2016 established CNN AIR to gather news footage via drones.
HBO launched in 1972, airing a hockey game and "Sometimes a Great Notion" as its first broadcasts.
The network's early programming featured unexpected sports content, including rodeo championships, soccer matches, and team tennis.
MTV debuted in 1981 with The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," transforming how audiences consumed music.
By 2020, the network had abandoned its music video roots—its schedule dominated by the show "Ridiculousness," which filled 113 of 168 weekly programming hours.
PBS emerged in 1969 as America's public television network, replacing National Educational Television.
In a notable legal dispute, PBS lost a video distribution rights case to former Monkee Michael Nesmith's Pacific Arts company, resulting in a $49 million jury award.
Fox News, launched by Rupert Murdoch in 1996, rose to become America's most-watched cable news network by positioning itself as a conservative voice in media.
In 2023, the network paid $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit after broadcasting false election fraud claims about the 2020 election—claims their executives and hosts privately dismissed while continuing to air them.
ESPN launched in 1979 as a dedicated sports network and grew into a $40 billion media empire, helped by Anheuser-Busch's early $1 million investment for exclusive beer advertising rights when few believed a 24-hour sports channel could succeed.
Discovery Channel evolved from a 1985 educational science network into reality entertainment programming by the 2010s.
In 2010, an armed man took hostages at Discovery headquarters and was killed by police after firing shots.
Nickelodeon, launched in 1979, pioneered children's cable television.
The network transformed from an educational, ad-free channel into a global entertainment brand, creating iconic shows like SpongeBob SquarePants.
Its expansion included international broadcasts, theme parks, and a distinctive partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line that brought character encounters and signature slime activities to the seas.
The History Channel went from a 1995 documentary network focused on historical content into a platform dominated by reality shows and pseudoscience.
While initially drawing mockery as "The Hitler Channel" for its World War II fixation, it later faced scholarly criticism for promoting unsubstantiated theories about ancient aliens and UFOs.
Founded in 1926, NHK modeled itself after the BBC and grew from radio roots into Japan's pioneering public broadcaster.
The network sparked controversy through its mandatory TV license fees—a policy so contentious it spurred a protest party that won seats in Japan's parliament.
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