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American Broadcasting Company

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The American Broadcasting Company, commonly known as ABC, is a major commercial broadcast network in the United States.

ABC-2021-LOGO
ABC-2021-LOGO

It serves as the flagship property for the Disney Entertainment Television division. This means it is a primary part of the Walt Disney Company. ABC is recognized as one of the "Big Three" American television networks. Some people call it the Alphabet Network because its initials are the first three letters of the English alphabet. The network delivers a wide variety of content, including news, sports, and entertainment, to millions of viewers.

ABC operates through a massive system of television stations. It owns and operates eight stations directly. Additionally, it has more than 230 affiliated stations throughout the United States and its territories.

ABC HD logo
ABC HD logo

Some of these affiliated stations are also viewable in Canada through pay-television providers. In Canada, most prime-time programming is subject to simultaneous substitution regulations. These rules are set by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC. These regulations help protect the rights held by domestic Canadian networks. The network provides an average of 89 hours of programming every week.

The network's programming is organized into several distinct time blocks. Prime-time programming runs from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, prime-time runs from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Daytime programming occurs from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays. This daytime block includes talk shows like The View and the soap opera General Hospital. General Hospital is notable because it has been running since 1963. This makes it the longest-running entertainment program on the network. ABC News also provides many scheduled programs, such as Good Morning America and Nightline.

ABC has a long history of corporate changes and ownership. It originally launched as a radio network in 1943. It was the successor to the NBC Blue Network, which was purchased by Edward J. Noble. ABC expanded into television in 1948. In the mid-1950s, the network merged with United Paramount Theatres. Leonard Goldenson led that company and helped ABC become profitable. He did this by developing many successful television series. In 1986, the company merged with Capital Cities Communications to form Capital Cities/ABC Inc. Finally, the Walt Disney Company acquired the company in 1996.

Sports programming is a major part of the ABC identity today. Since 2006, ABC has produced sports in association with the cable network ESPN. This branding is known as ESPN on ABC. ABC is unique because it is the only major broadcast network that carries games from all four traditional big sports leagues. These leagues include Major League Baseball (MLB), the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL.

ABC and Hulu streaming lockup
ABC and Hulu streaming lockup

For example, ABC broadcasts the NBA Finals and the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. It also carries Saturday Night Football during the college football season. In the future, ABC will air Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and Super Bowl LXV in 2031.

Beyond sports, ABC is a home for many famous special events. The network holds the broadcast rights to the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards. For many years, it was also the home for Peanuts television specials. These included classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas. The network also broadcasts the annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. Another long-running tradition is Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. This special features music and festivities from New York City's Times Square. These specials help the network connect with viewers during major holidays.

The network is managed from two primary locations. Its main headquarters is on Riverside Drive in Burbank, California. This office is located directly across from Walt Disney Studios. It is also next to the Team Disney – Roy E. Disney Animation Building. ABC also maintains secondary offices in New York City. The headquarters for ABC News is located at 7 Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan. This building serves as the network's broadcast center. Until early 2025, the East Coast operations were based at 77 West 66th Street on the Upper West Side. These facilities allow the network to manage its vast programming library and global reach.

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