The original four broadcast networks were ABC, CBS, DuMont
and NBC. How have they evolved as networks over the years?

well, Dumont died a fast death.

Any of their shows make it to reruns?

ABC was started in 1953. Unlike CBS and NBC, whose networks go back to the golden age of radio (hence their diamond, i.e., 75th, anniversary specials even though TV hasn't been around that long! :) ), ABC was a haphazard startup dismissed as the Almost Broadcasting Company. Right now they're returning to their roots! :p

Originally posted by Steve M.
ABC was started in 1953.

I think ABC actually started in the late 1940s by broadcasting on stations owned by other companies before they managed to pull together a "foundation" New York station to call their own. It was in 1953 that things really picked up, however.

Hmm, you may be right. All I know is that ABC had their golden anniversary special in 2003, so I did the math. :)

ABC started in 1948. They also had a radio network although it wasn't as old as NBC and CBS. I believe it was started in 1944. I don't think today's ABC executives can do math. Maybe thats why their programming is so bad.

The first notable show which aired on ABC was The Lone Ranger,
which ran from 1949-57. Disneyland, which ran from 1954-58, was
the first ABC program to make the Nielsen top ten. Marcus Welby,
M.D.(1969-76), was the first ABC show to be number one for an
entire season(1970-71), and then from 1976-79, ABC was the
number one network on television thanks to its drama shows,
Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. ABC was bought out by the
Walt Disney Company in late 1995.

Originally posted by mr roper
ABC started in 1948. They also had a radio network although it wasn't as old as NBC and CBS. I believe it was started in 1944. I don't think today's ABC executives can do math. Maybe thats why their programming is so bad.

Although it did start in 1948, the execs consider it's birth-year 1953 due to the deal ABC made with United Paramount Theatres (?) in that year. The deal pretty much helped save the network and sealed DuMont's demise. Ever since then it seems like they consider 1953 their start year -- for instance, they aired their 25th anniversary special in 1978 even though technically their 25th anniversary was in 1973.

Originally posted by webwarrior762004
The first notable show which aired on ABC was The Lone Ranger,
which ran from 1949-57. Disneyland, which ran from 1954-58, was
the first ABC program to make the Nielsen top ten. Marcus Welby,
M.D.(1969-76), was the first ABC show to be number one for an
entire season(1970-71), and then from 1976-79, ABC was the
number one network on television thanks to its police dramas,
Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. ABC was bought out by the
Walt Disney Company in late 1995.

1995, eh? That's pretty much when ABC started its long, steady decline - still in progress. Since then, ABC has, among other things:

Given a sitcom to Arsenio Hall, which proved to be an even dumber idea than giving Jackie Mason a sitcom;

Completely mishandled "Sports Night," which was of the air after a year and a half;

Been trying to find a credible format and/or host for "This Week" since David Brinkley retired;

Fired Bill Maher and canceled "Politically Incorrect" after a remark he made about terrorism that lived up to the show's title, only to see him go to bigger success on HBO, where Maher now makes fun of his former bosses;

Overexposed us to Regis Philbin and his stupid prime-time game show;

Publicly embarassed Ted Koppel by trying to bring David letterman over from CBS to do a late-night talk show, only to have Letterman decline the offer and salute Koppel on the air;

Fallen to fourth place behind Fox, and;

Canceled "I'm With Her," the only ABC sitcom I even bothered to watch this past season and practically the only sitcom with a male heterosexual character who wasn't a stupid jerk.

Where did ABC go wrong? They sold out to a company whose corporate mascot is, appropriately enough, a rodent. :p

His name is Michael Eisner, and he is the devil.
Plain and simple.

Originally posted by barwars88
His name is Michael Eisner, and he is the devil.
Plain and simple.

I agree, although some say that music mogul Tommy Mottola is in serious contention for the title. :lol:

Originally posted by Steve M.
Completely mishandled "Sports Night," which was of the air after a year and a half

well, Sports Night was great, but I suppose I'm happy ABC did that show wrong. Had it run that third season, Peter Krause would've never gotten the role of Nate on Six Feet Under

Well, anyway, getting back to WebWarrior's original question. . .

Originally posted by webwarrior762004
The original four broadcast networks were ABC, CBS, DuMont
and NBC. How have they evolved as networks over the years?

CBS hasn't really evolved at all. It remains the gold standard of American television. The gold, however, has gotten a little tarnished, thanks to reality progamming, but except for a rough patch in the early nineties, CBS has defined television. "I Love Lucy," "60 Minutes," Ed Sullivan, Murrow, Cronkite, "Gunsmoke," the Smothers Brothers, "M*A*S*H," "All In the Family," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," both Bob Newhart sitcoms, "The Jeffersons" (for its racially mixed cast and interracial couple aslone, that took guts to put on the air!), "The Waltons," "Kojak," David Letterman, "Everybody Loves Raymond," "CSI. . . ," Yeah, that sums it up! :D

True, CBS has had many great series.
The 90s were a rough spot for them though.... Murphy Brown was their only real sitcom success throughout the entire decade.

ABC had the following sitcoms on BEFORE 1953:

The Ruggles
That Wonderful Guy
The Stu Erwin Show
Mama Rosa
Beulah
Actors Hotel
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
A Date With Judy

ABC started with the break-up of NBC's Blue and Red networks (radio) which were previously part of AT&Ts network. the FCC (then the FCR) forced them to break up and the Red and blue networks were formed, the red network became ABC radio and the blue became NBC radio.

The birth of ABC tv came after NBC and CBS. the disney merger has KILLED ABC! along w/ bad programming choices and bad programs (I'm W/Her anyone? married to the kellys).

Originally posted by factsoflife
The birth of ABC-TV came after NBC and CBS. The Disney merger has KILLED ABC! along w/ bad programming choices and bad programs (I'm W/Her anyone?).

Them's fightin' words, Factsoflife-person! "I'm With Her" was the only ABC sitcom I bothered to watch this year, and I enjoyed it a lot! It was refreshing to watch a show where the lead male character was a nice guy who got the girl! IWH rocked!!

I totally agreed that ABC started in the late 40's. To go back in time, here is a description from the book "Old Time Radio Comedy Favorites":

In 1941, the FCC ordered NBC to sell one of the two networks it operated, stating that RCA excercised a "practical monopoly of network broadcasting" because 25% of all radio stations in the country were affiliated with NBC. The Supreme Court upheld its ruling in 1943, and NBC sold the Blue Network for $8,000,000 to Edward J Noble, a wealthy candy manufacturer, who renamed it the American Broadcasting Company. At first ABC experimented with public-affairs shows but soon changed to commercial programming to compete NBC and CBS.

I was listening to the history of NBC on the internet for Reelradio called "WNBC: The First 66 Years" since it was aired back in 1988 that on the whole story that in 1922, the first predesesors of WNBC took to the air as W2XY which is a commercial licensed to the station a few months later known as WBAY and then several months later, the station was changed to WEAF during a 3-hour gala broadcast featuring news reports, music programming, sporting events and radio's first commercial for Harthone Court in Jackson Heights, Queens. By the mid-20's David Sarnoff convinced the RCA board of directors to create the National Broadcasting Company and RCA purchased WEAF from AT&T for $1,000,000 and the station became the flagship for NBC in 1926. I listened to the whole thing and I know everything about history.

the capital cities meger is what made ABC. too bad Disney had to but in.

Originally posted by barwars88
His name is Michael Eisner, and he is the devil.
Plain and simple.

He looks scary too.:eek: :lol:

In the late 40's, NBC was the number one network because they had Milton Berle. Then I Love Lucy debuted, and CBS gained the lead. From then until the mid seventies, CBS was the Tiffany Network. It was number one in ratings and quality and ABC and NBC tried to play catch up. In the mid 70's ABC gained the lead with kid oriented shows and jiggle programming. CBS was number one again in the early 80's because of Dallas and 60 Minutes. When Cosby came on board, NBC grabbed the title and held on to it pretty much through the 90's. Now, CBS is the number one network again.

Gee thinking about the original 4 when did PBS come into the time frame?" Then what was the first so called cable station. I remember TBS?

I believe PBS came in sometime in the mid-60's. it started out w/ a different name. I think it was WEEN. Anyway it was meant as an educational network for children, at some point the government got involved and it became PBS i wish i could be more help. I believe that TBS or WGN were the first cable networks but i'm not sure.

National Educational Television (NET) was the forerunner to PBS. I think that it started in 1951 with a grant from the Ford Foundation. It became PBS in 1967.

Although Cable TV started in Pennsylvania in 1948, it only had local stations for people who couldn't get reception in the mountains. HBO started in Wilkes-Barre PA in 1972. Turner didn't go to cable with WTBS until 1976.

Originally posted by ramuno
National Educational Television (NET) was the forerunner to PBS. I think that it started in 1951 with a grant from the Ford Foundation. It became PBS in 1967.

Yes that is correct! I couldn't remember. I believe that the founding of some bill helped the change from NET to PBS, when the CPB (Corparation for public broadcasting) was founded. I'm shaky on details about this, but i do have an great knowlege on the founders of TV, Marconi, De Forest

Originally posted by ramuno
National Educational Television (NET) was the forerunner to PBS. I think that it started in 1951 with a grant from the Ford Foundation. It became PBS in 1967.

Yes that is correct! I couldn't remember. I believe that the founding of some bill helped the change from NET to PBS, when the CPB (Corparation for public broadcasting) was founded. I'm shaky on details about this, but i do have an great knowlege on the founders of Radio (and later tv), Marconi, De Forest, Armstrong and Sarnoff.