NBC is a big TV group. 

NBC is a very old TV group. 

NBC is a very old television and radio group. 

NBC shows many kinds of programs. It has news shows like "Today" and "Meet the Press." "Meet the Press" is the longest-running show on American TV. The network also shows big sports events. It has shown the Summer Olympics since 1988. It has shown the Winter Olympics since 2002.
There are also many shows for kids. In the past, they showed cartoons like "The Smurfs." Later, they had a group of shows called TNBC. These shows were made for teenagers. Some shows, like "Saved by the Bell," became very popular. Today, NBC is part of a large company called NBCUniversal. Comcast owns most of that company.
NBC is a famous American company for radio and television. 

This network works by sending signals to many different places. It has twelve stations that it owns and runs itself. It also has affiliates in almost every TV market in the U.S. Some of these stations can even be seen in Canada and Mexico. The network provides 87 hours of scheduled shows every week. Most of this happens during prime-time hours in the evening. It also has many news programs during the day. This way, people can watch at different times.
NBC has a very long history that began a long time ago. The Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, founded it in 1926. Later, companies like General Electric and AT&T helped own it. In 1932, the U.S. government made GE sell its part. Many years later, GE bought RCA back for $6.4 billion. In 2004, GE and Vivendi Universal joined to make NBCUniversal. Finally, Comcast bought a controlling interest in 2011. They bought the rest of the shares in 2013.
There are many famous names and numbers in NBC history. The network uses a colorful peacock as its logo. This logo started in 1956 to show off color TV. Some shows have been on the air for a very long time. Meet the Press started in 1947 and is still running. Today began in 1952 and The Tonight Show began in 1954. Saturday Night Live has been around since 1975. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is also a very long-running drama. It started in 1999 and has many seasons.
You might recognize NBC from the big events it shows. It has the rights to the Summer Olympic Games since 1988. It has also shown the Winter Olympic Games since 2002. The network also has many shows just for kids and teens. In the past, they showed cartoons like The Smurfs. Later, they had a block of shows called TNBC for teenagers. One of those famous shows was Saved by the Bell. NBC helps bring these stories into homes all over the world.
The National Broadcasting Company, commonly known as NBC, is a major American commercial broadcast television and radio network. It serves as the flagship property of NBC Entertainment, which is a division of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is itself a subsidiary of the large telecommunications company Comcast. As one of the oldest major broadcast networks in the United States, NBC plays a massive role in American media. It is often called the "Peacock Network" because of its stylized peacock logo. This logo was first introduced in 1956 to promote new innovations in color broadcasting. 
NBC operates through a complex system of stations to reach viewers. The network owns and operates twelve of its own stations directly. Beyond these, it has affiliates in almost every television market across the United States. Some of these broadcast signals can even be reached in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The network provides 87 hours of regularly scheduled programming every single week. Much of this includes 22 hours of prime-time programming from Monday through Saturday. This prime-time block typically runs from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time. 
The history of NBC is a long journey of changing ownership. It was founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America, or RCA. Shortly after its founding, it was co-owned by several companies, including General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, and AT&T Corporation. In 1932, the U.S. government forced GE to sell RCA and NBC due to antitrust violations. Decades later, GE regained control of RCA by purchasing the company for $6.4 billion in late 1986. In 2004, GE merged its entertainment assets with Vivendi Universal to form NBCUniversal. Finally, Comcast purchased a controlling interest in NBCUniversal in 2011 and bought the remaining stake in 2013.
NBC is the home of many programs that have run for decades. The news program Meet the Press debuted in 1947 and is the longest-running program in American television history. Other long-running shows include Today, which started in 1952, and The Tonight Show, which debuted nationally in 1954. Saturday Night Live has also been a staple since 1975. In the world of drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a major success. It debuted in 1999 and began its 26th season in October 2024. This makes it the longest-running live-action series in American prime-time history.
The network provides a wide variety of news and specialized content. Daytime news includes programs like NBC News Daily and the nightly editions of NBC Nightly News. In 1989, the news division expanded into cable with the launch of CNBC. Later, NBC formed other cable services, such as MSNBC, which was created in 1996. The network also acquired The Weather Channel in 2008. Sports are also a huge part of the schedule, especially during the weekends. NBC has held the American broadcasting rights for the Summer Olympic Games since 1988. It has also held the rights to the Winter Olympic Games since 2002.
Children's and teenage programming has evolved significantly over the years. In the mid-1960s, NBC aired many animated shows like Looney Tunes and The Smurfs. In 1989, the network premiered the popular teen sitcom Saved by the Bell. This success led to a new block called TNBC in August 1992. TNBC focused on live-action series for teenagers, such as City Guys and Hang Time. This block was designed to meet the educational guidelines of the Children's Television Act. Today, weekend morning children's programming is managed through a time-lease agreement with Litton Entertainment. This block is known as The More You Know.
NBC's physical presence is centered in major American cities. Its longtime headquarters are located in New York City at the Comcast Building in Rockefeller Center. The network's predecessor companies were actually very important to the construction of the Rockefeller Center area. NBC also maintains significant offices in other locations. These include the NBC Tower in Chicago, Illinois, and an office at 10 Universal City Plaza in Los Angeles, California. These hubs allow the network to manage its vast array of news, sports, and entertainment services across the country.
🖼️ Images & Media (2)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.