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Columbia Broadcasting is founded.
Columbia Broadcasting Founded In the late 1920s Arthur Judson, the impresario of the Philadelphia and New York Philharmonic orchestras, approached the Radio Corporation of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), then the only radio broadcaster in the United States, with an idea to promote classical music by airing orchestra performances; NBC declined. Undaunted, Judson founded his own broadcasting company, which he named United Independent Broadcasters, Inc. (UIB), in 1927.
Lacking the strong capital base NBC was afforded b -
William Paley invests in the radio broadcaster and becomes president of the company.
William S. Paley BiographyWilliamColumbia Phonograph sold UIB's operating rights back to the broadcasting company in 1928, however, apparently because the phonograph company was frustrated by a lack of advertiser loyalty. The broadcasting company's name was then shortened to the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and its finances were greatly enhanced that year when William Paley--the son of a Russian cigar company owner who eventually helped CBS earn its reputation as a classy network--invested $400,000 in the company's stock -
The Columbia News Service, the first radio network news operation, was formed.
Although CBS fared well, NBC continued to dominate the entertainment-oriented broadcasting industry. Paley, viewing news and public affairs as a quick way for CBS to gain respectability, decided to explore the potential for establishing its own network news. In 1930 he hired Ed Klauber to institute a news and public affairs section, and in 1933 the Columbia News Service, the first radio network news operation, was formed. By 1935 CBS had become the largest radio network in the United States. -
1938: Edward R. Murrow goes to work for CBS.
Edward R. Murrow Lasting Impact1938 Edward R. Murrow began his career at CBS as head of the network's European division. The first international radio news broadcast was initiated later that year with Murrow in Vienna, Austria, William L. Shirer in London, and others reporting from Paris, Berlin, and Rome. With these newsbreaks, CBS began the practice of preempting regular programming. Interruptions were planned for prime listening time--8:55 to 9:00 p.m.--and were intended to give the network a "statesmanlike" image.
CBS e -
The world's first experimental color television broadcast was made
1940 First Experimental Broadcast By the beginning of World War II, CBS employed more than 2,000 people, had annual sales of nearly $36 million, and boasted more than 100 affiliate stations throughout the United States. In 1940 the world's first experimental color television broadcast was made from a CBS transmitter atop the Chrysler Building in New York City and was received in the CBS Building at 485 Madison Avenue. The following year marked the beginning of CBS's weekly broadcasts of black-and-white television programs. -
Stars leave NBC for CBS
Jack Benny Easter Parade 1949 on CBSJack Benny Leaves NBC</a>Although CBS continued to expand after World War II, NBC was still the industry leader. Under Paley's direction, CBS lured stars away from NBC by devising a plan in which the celebrities could be taxed as companies rather than as individuals, greatly reducing the amount of income they were required to turn over to the government. Jack Benny was the first major star to leave NBC -
james Aubrey hired as CBS President
Beverly Hillbillies Season 1In the late 1950s, Paley hired James Aubrey as president of CBS. Aubrey, who purportedly thought that television programming had become too "highbrow," introduced such shows as The Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Ed, and The Munsters. These series were extremely popular; in his first two years with CBS, Aubrey doubled the network's profits. -
Company begins an acquisition spree.
CBS buys YankeesDuring the early 1960s, CBS embarked on a diverse acquisitions campaign. Before 1964 CBS had made only two acquisitions in its history, but from that year on the company made acquisitions almost every year. In 1964 the network purchased an 80 percent interest in the New York Yankees baseball team, which it sold ten years later. Acquisitions in the fields of musical instruments, book publishing, and children's toys were made throughout the 1960s. -
60 Minutes debuts on CBS
60 Minutes debutThe network's most notable programming innovation of the decade came in 1968 with the debut of 60 Minutes, a television news magazine. -
Successful Primetime Programming Begins
1971 All in the Family Theme SongThe 1970s were a period of successful prime-time programming. In 1971 All in the Family debuted on CBS, and in 1972 both M*A*S*H and The Waltons were televised for the first time. -
Company begins divesting diverse holdings.
In 1979 CBS finally began to divest itself of some of its diverse holdings, selling at least one business every year for the next few years. The following year CBS regained dominance in the prime-time TV ratings, a position held by ABC since 1976. One week after CBS took the lead, however, President Backe was forced to resign. He was replaced by Thomas H. Wyman, who had been a vice-president at Pillsbury. -
CBS comes in last in Nielsen Ratings
CBS's prime-time hits were getting old; in 1987 the network came in last in the Nielsen ratings. To make matters worse, CBS viewers tended to be older than the audience advertisers were trying to reach. -
CBS Outbids NBC for NFL Rights
CBS outbid NBC—by a lot—to win the broadcast rights to the 1992 Winter OlympicsAlthough the network continued to attract an older audience, CBS's television ratings were encouragingly high during the late 1990s, eclipsing all rival networks. As the broadcaster prepared for the 21st century, ready to begin an eight-year, $4 billion contract with the NFL (having outbid NBC for the rights), the company's new management hoped to engineer a return to the past, back to the years when CBS dominated the industry. -
CBS Jumps in Ratings
In 1991, CBS ratings jumped to number one, the most dramatic recovery in television history. CBS boasted five of the top ten programs, including the number one 60 Minutes, which became the only show ever to rank first in three separate decades. -
CBS Loses Rights to NFC Football Games
Fox Outbids CBS for NFC Football GamesCBS lost the rights to NFC football games in 1993. This loss, combined with mounting financial losses and the lack of a move into cable, led to a vote of no confidence from one of CBS's top two institutional investors. -
Westinghouse acquires CBS.
Westinghouse Buys CBSCBS lost the rights to NFC football games in 1993. This loss, combined with mounting financial losses and the lack of a move into cable, led to a vote of no confidence from one of CBS's top two institutional investors. In response, the beleaguered Tisch sold CBS to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1995 for $5.4 billion, marking the beginning of a dramatic era of change for the broadcasting company's new parent company. -
Westinghouse changes name to CBS Corporation and headquarters to New York City
Westinghouse Electric to rename itself CBSOn December 1, 1997, with much of Jordan's major transformation work completed, Westinghouse changed its name to CBS Corporation and moved its headquarters from Pittsburgh to New York City. -
Viacom acquires CBS.
Viacom Buys CBSIn 2000 CBS was acquired by Sumner Redstone's media giant Viacom Inc. for $45 billion. Under Viacom, CBS's cable networks and radio holdings were transferred to other Viacom divisions. CBS gained a new CEO, Leslie Moonves, as former CEO Mel Karmazin went on to take that position at Viacom. Within two years, Viacom had acquired and added to the CBS division the United Paramount Network (UPN), known for such programs as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and America's Next Top Model. -
New CBS forensics show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation helps accelerate CBS to top of Ratings
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation IntroAlso instrumental in accelerating CBS's race to the top of the ratings was the show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The forensics show was a hit, edging the NBC medical drama ER away from the top of the Nielsen ratings. During the 2003-04 television season, CBS introduced some shows that performed well, including Joan of Arcadia, and Cold Case. The network's most successful show, however, remained CSI, primetime's most-watched show (averaging 26.3 million viewers per week). -
Reality TV pushes CBS into first place in ratings
Survivor IntroThe ensuing success of CBS was, in part, due to the fact that "reality TV" rocked the television industry. These unscripted shows, featuring ordinary people in sometimes-extraordinary, unrehearsed situations, were a huge hit among viewers, and promised to become a cultural phenomenon with staying power. CBS's reality show Survivor was one of the most successful in the genre. Survivor, which placed a group of people from all walks of life in a secluded location and charged them with outwitting an
