List of United States over-the-air television networks

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In the United States, for most of the history of broadcasting, there were only four major national broadcasting networks. From 1946-1956 these were ABC, CBS, NBC, and the DuMont Television Network. After that and until 1969, the national networks were ABC, CBS, NBC, and NET. From January, 1970 until September, 1986, the four main national networks were ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS.

Today, more than 20 nation-wide broadcasting networks exist, although some of these are admittedly quite small. Other than PBS, which has the largest number of member stations, the largest broadcast networks remain the traditional Big Three Television Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC). Many other large networks exist, however, notably Fox, Univision, UPN, and The WB. Fox in fact has just a fraction of a percentage point fewer households reached than the Big Three, and is therefore often considered a "major" network among ABC, NBC, and CBS. Some media outlets refer to the "Big Four" television networks, which includes Fox.

Broadcast networks in the United States can be divided into four categories:

Commercial broadcasting networks (which air English-language programming to a general audience).

Educational and other non-commercial broadcasting networks (which air English- and some foreign-language programming, intended to be educational or otherwise of a sort not found on commercial television).

Religious broadcasting networks.

Spanish-language broadcasting networks.

Each network sends its signal to many local TV stations across the country. These local stations then air the "network feed," and 103,000,000 households across the country tune in. In the case of the largest networks, the signal is sent to over 200 TV stations. In the case of the smallest networks, the signal may be sent to just a dozen or fewer stations.

Analog over-the-air television channels are numbered 2 through 68, and occupy the following frequencies:

54–88 MHz (Channels 2-6) VHF
174–216 MHz (Channels 7-13) VHF
470–800 MHz (Channels 14-68) UHF

See list of local television stations in North and Central America.

Contents

1 Table of Broadcast Networks
2 English-language American commercial over-the-air
3 Non-English language American commercial over-the-air television networks
4 American non-commercial television networks

4.1 Public/cultural/educational noncommercial
4.2 Religious

5 Defunct American television networks
6 See also

Table of Broadcast Networks

All of the networks listed below operate a number of terrestrial television stations. In addition, several of these networks are also aired on cable and satellite services.

Television Network Founded % of U.S. Households Reached # of Households Viewable Type of Network # of full-power affiliates # of low-power affiliates & transmitters
PBS 1969 ~99.00 ~105,579,120 Educational 349 ~342
ABC 1946* 96.75 103,179,600 Commercial 229 ~266
NBC 1946* 97.17 103,624,370 Commercial 226 ~338
CBS 1946* 96.98 103,421,270 Commercial 215 ~299
UPN¹ 1995 85.98 91,689,290 Commercial 208 ~116
FOX 1986 96.18 102,565,710 Commercial 203 ~202
The WB¹ 1995 84.66 90,282,480 Commercial 177 ~72
Shop at Home** 1987 Commmercial/Infomercial >100 ~22?
i (formerly Pax) 1998 74.25 79,185,730 Commercial/Religious 92 ~43
A1 2003 ~20.63 22,000,000 Commercial 72 58
UATV² 2001 ~20.63 22,000,000 Commercial 60 14
TBN 1973 ~21.85 ~23,300,500 Religious 52 252
CTN 1979*** ~18.49 ~19,715,810 Religious 44 58
WHTV 1985**** ~16.81 ~17,923,460 Religious 40 >1
Daystar 1982 ~15.13 ~16,131,120 Religious 36 ~25?
Cornerstone Television 1979 ~11% ~15,400,300 Religious 33 44
Univisión 1986***** ~14.71 ~15,683,030 Spanish Commercial 35 ~72?
FamilyNet ~9.24 ~9,857,910 Religious 22 52[link]
Telemundo 1986 ~7.56 ~8,065,560 Spanish Commercial 18 ~29?
TeleFutura 2002 ~5.46 ~5,825,130 Spanish Commercial 13 ~36?
TLN 1973 ~3.78 ~4,032,780 Religious 9 ~4?
Azteca América 2001 ~3.36 ~3,584,690 Spanish Commercial 8 ~36?
The Tube 2006 ~5.85 ~7,240,000 Music Videos 29********
Classic Arts Showcase 1994 Commercial >9
MTV2 1996******* ~14.85 ~20,800,300 Music Videos 7 ~14?
GLC 1982 ~2.52 ~2,688,850 Religious 5 22
UBN 1993****** Religious 5 ~7?
ShopNBC 1992? ? Unknown Commmercial/Infomercial 4?
HSN 1985 ? unknown Commmercial/Infomercial 11?
JewelryTV 1993 Commmercial/Infomercial 3?**********
America's Store 1989 Commmercial/Infomercial 3
Almavision 2002 ~2.5% ~1,420,000 Spanish Religious 3 ~18?
3ABN 1984 Religious 2 >16
ImaginAsian 2004 ? Multicultural 1 2
OBN 2003 Commercial 0 1+
Telenoticias Spanish News >8
TCT 1977 ~8% ~11,500,000 Religious 8 11
EWTN 1980 Religious >1
GEB 1987 Religious 1
Mas Musica Spanish Music Videos >1
Bloomberg Television ~8% ~11,500,000 Commercial/Stock Market
RTN ~8% ~11,500,000 Commercial 10
Word Network ~2% ~3,210,000 Religious >3
JCTV********* ~2% ~3,210,000 Religious Music Videos >5
Resort Sports Network 1986 ~2% ~2,450,000 Sports and Resort Information >1
NBC Weather Plus 2004 ~76% ~145,450,000 Local Weather Information 97
AsiaVision Unknown ~6% ~9,450,000 Multicultural 3

Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. Households Reached	# of Households Viewable	Type of Network	# of full-power affiliates	# of low-power affiliates & transmitters
PBS	1969	~99.00	~105,579,120	Educational	349	~342
ABC	1946*	96.75	103,179,600	Commercial	229	~266
NBC	1946*	97.17	103,624,370	Commercial	226	~338
CBS	1946*	96.98	103,421,270	Commercial	215	~299
UPN¹	1995	85.98	91,689,290	Commercial	208	~116
FOX	1986	96.18	102,565,710	Commercial	203	~202
The WB¹	1995	84.66	90,282,480	Commercial	177	~72
Shop at Home**	1987			Commmercial/Infomercial	>100	~22?
i (formerly Pax)	1998	74.25	79,185,730	Commercial/Religious	92	~43
A1	2003	~20.63	22,000,000	Commercial	72	58
UATV²	2001	~20.63	22,000,000	Commercial	60	14
TBN	1973	~21.85	~23,300,500	Religious	52	252
CTN	1979***	~18.49	~19,715,810	Religious	44	58
WHTV	1985****	~16.81	~17,923,460	Religious	40	>1
Daystar	1982	~15.13	~16,131,120	Religious	36	~25?
Cornerstone Television	1979	~11%	~15,400,300	Religious	33	44
Univisión	1986*****	~14.71	~15,683,030	Spanish Commercial	35	~72?
FamilyNet		~9.24	~9,857,910	Religious	22	52[link]
Telemundo	1986	~7.56	~8,065,560	Spanish Commercial	18	~29?
TeleFutura	2002	~5.46	~5,825,130	Spanish Commercial	13	~36?
TLN	1973	~3.78	~4,032,780	Religious	9	~4?
Azteca América	2001	~3.36	~3,584,690	Spanish Commercial	8	~36?
The Tube	2006	~5.85	~7,240,000	Music Videos	29********
Classic Arts Showcase	1994			Commercial	>9
MTV2	1996*******	~14.85	~20,800,300	Music Videos	7	~14?
GLC	1982	~2.52	~2,688,850	Religious	5	22
UBN	1993******			Religious	5	~7?
ShopNBC	1992?	?	Unknown	Commmercial/Infomercial	4?
HSN	1985	?	unknown	Commmercial/Infomercial	11?
JewelryTV	1993			Commmercial/Infomercial	3?**********
America's Store	1989			Commmercial/Infomercial	3
Almavision	2002	~2.5%	~1,420,000	Spanish Religious	3	~18?
3ABN	1984			Religious	2	>16
ImaginAsian	2004	?		Multicultural	1	2
OBN	2003			Commercial	0	1+
Telenoticias				Spanish News		>8
TCT	1977	~8%	~11,500,000	Religious	8	11
EWTN	1980			Religious		>1
GEB	1987			Religious		1
Mas Musica				Spanish Music Videos	>1
Bloomberg Television		~8%	~11,500,000	Commercial/Stock Market
RTN		~8%	~11,500,000	Commercial	10
Word Network		~2%	~3,210,000	Religious	>3
JCTV*********		~2%	~3,210,000	Religious Music Videos	>5
Resort Sports Network	1986	~2%	~2,450,000	Sports and Resort Information	>1
NBC Weather Plus	2004	~76%	~145,450,000	Local Weather Information	97
AsiaVision	Unknown	~6%	~9,450,000	Multicultural	3

(*) Although ABC, NBC, and CBS were founded prior to 1946, those companies did not begin continuous over the air TV broadcasting until that year.

(**) Shop at Home only broadcasts programming overnights, and thus full affiliates of the network carry Jewelry Television during the day.

(***) Although founded in 1970, the Cornerstone Television Network did not begin even limited broadcasts until 1979.

(****) Date at which WHTV acquired two additional stations. World Harvest Television is a product of LeSea Broadcasting.

(*****) Date at which the Spanish International Network (originally founded in 1961) was reorganized and became Univision.

(******) Though the company was founded prior to 1993, the Unity Broadcasting Network operated just one O&O station and had no affiliates. In 1993, the company added 3 additional low-power stations and became a "network."

(*******) MTV2 is owned by Viacom, who, before the 2006 split, also owned CBS and UPN. It is largely broadcast at night over low-power television stations, or Independent Stations.

(********) The Tube is aired on 29 digital subchannels only.

(*********) JCTV is carried on some analogue and digital television stations, digital subchannels, and cable providers.

Jewelry Television has around 3 direct affiliates. Most other stations carrying its programming are indirectly affiliated with the network through Shop at Home.

¹: On January 24, 2006, CBS and Time Warner announced the merger of The WB and UPN, forming one larger network, The CW in late 2006. In markets with both the WB and UPN stations, usually the stronger of the two networks' affiliates would get the CW affiliation, and the other might go independent, or possibly join the newly-announced My Network TV. See The CW for more information.

²: On May 1, 2006, UATV suspended its operations while searching for a new satellite distributor. Its stations have been left to search for programming elsewhere until its operations are resumed. The date for resumed operations has not been set.

[TVRadioWorld] depicts a few other networks also being broadcast, however, these are not confirmed.

English-language American commercial over-the-air
America One (a successor to Channel America) A small network comprised of 76 local stations, A1 airs many older films and a few original shows, some of which are available to non-A1 stations through syndication.
American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (originally formed from the NBC Blue radio network, which the FCC forced NBC to sell in 1943) The nation's third-largest commercial network, ABC has over 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming seven days a week.
NBC (originally National Broadcasting Company) (sprung from what was once the NBC Red radio network) The nation's largest commercial network, NBC has over 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming seven days a week.
CBS (originally Columbia Broadcasting System) The nation's second-largest commercial network, CBS has over 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming seven days a week.
Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX/FBC) The nation's fourth-largest commercial network, Fox has nearly 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming seven days a week. Fox broadcasts to a younger audience than the "Big Three". Some FOX stations broadcast news (usually a 10pm/9pm news, others air AM news)
Omni Broadcasting Network (OBN) A very small network composed of low-power TV stations in around 20 markets.
i A mid-sized network which has aired original family-oriented programming as well as repeats from other networks, seven days a week. i's affiliates number around 100.
The WB Television Network (WB) A mid-sized network, the WB offers programming six days a week. It has around 150 affiliate stations, and has a popular children's daytime block. Some WB Stations broadcast news.
Urban America Television (UATV) (a successor to the American Independent Network, AIN) A small network with 60 affiliate stations, UATV airs original programming mixed with older films, rather similarly to America One.
UPN (originally Paramount Television Service and the United Paramount Network) A mid-sized network, UPN offers the largest number of predominantly African-American programs of the US broadcast networks. The network has over 150 affiliate stations. Some UPN stations air news. In September, 2006, UPN is expected to merge with the WB to form the The CW Network.
My Network TV A projected (for September, 2006) start-up network project of News Corporation, which already owns Fox/FBC. Announced in part to fill the void that the merger of the WB and UPN will leave, particularly for Fox-owned stations which had been UPN affiliates in a number of large markets. Its programming initially is to consist primarily of English-language telenovelas, which had been readied for the syndication market, when the need and opportunity for a new network was determined.
...additionally, several of the cable-oriented theme channels (e.g. music or shopping channels) have obtained broadcast clearances, usually on low-power stations, in many markets. Among these are MTV2, Home Shopping Network, and ShopNBC.
The WB, UPN and i are sometimes called "netlets" because they do not currently have the affiliate reach of the larger networks. UATV and America One are even smaller networks, many of whose affiliates take their program offers out of pattern, which is to say they schedule them at their own convenience. Several of the religious broadcasting networks also have out-of-pattern clearance arrangement with their broadcast affiliates, notably FamilyNet, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and World Harvest Television. And, of course, the Public Broadcasting Service also allows its member stations to run their programs out of pattern.
Nicknames of major American networks are as follows:
ABC: "Alphabet network"
NBC: "Peacock network" (after the network's peacock logo)
CBS: "Tiffany network" or "Eye network" (for the network's high-toned reputation and eye logo, respectively)
WB: "Frog network" (after former network mascot Michigan J. Frog)

Non-English language American commercial over-the-air television networks

Azteca America (AZT) (Spanish language network)

ImaginAsian (Asian-oriented network)

TeleFutura (TFT) (Spanish language network)

Telemundo (TDO) (Spanish language network)

Univisión (UVN) (Spanish language network)

American non-commercial television networks

Public/cultural/educational noncommercial

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (the largest public broadcasting network, somewhat decentralized, in the U.S.) PBS also has 24-hour/7-day program feeds that some broadcast (both analog and digital) stations subscribe, for some or all of their dayparts: PBS-X (which has Eastern and Pacific Time feeds, and was originally conceived as a cable channel for areas not served by PBS stations), PBS-XD (created for carriage on home satellite services, such as DirecTV and Dish Network, with primetime programming largely delayed by one day so as not to compete too directly with local PBS member stations), PBS YOU or "Your Own University" (devoted largely to adult education, crafts, and public-affairs programming, which ceased operations at the end of January 2006), PBS Kids Channel (devoted to PBS's very popular children's programming; discontinued in favor of a commercial-partnership service called PBS Kids Sprout on October 1, 2005 and likely to be succeeded by a new service PBS Kids Go!, in September 2006), and PBS DT2, PBS's HDTV feed of high-definition and letterboxed standard-definition programming.

Annenberg/CPB Channel A 24-hour/7-day feed of mostly adult-educational programming that is offered to broadcast stations and cable systems for carriage; many of the broadcast affiliates play its programming in overnights. It shared some programming with PBS YOU,

Deutsche Welle (DW TV) A German noncommercial television service which provides some English-language news programming to public broadcasting stations, and whose programming feed can be seen on a small number of independent public-broadcasting stations for part of their broadcast day.

Create (sometimes given as Create!), a 24-7 digital-signal network run by syndicator American Public Television in partnership with WGBH, WNET, WLIW, NETA, and PBS, offering crafts and travel programming in part to fill the void left by the shuttering of PBS YOU. The network began transmission in January, 2006, primarily with a number of digital broadcast stations around the U.S.

Religious

Cornerstone Television

Daystar Television Network

Eternal Word Television Network(Roman Catholic, primarily cable-based)

FamilyNet

Golden Eagle Broadcasting (Oral Roberts University)

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) (ecumenical Christian)

Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) (Seventh-day Adventist)

Total Living Network (TLN)

Unity Broadcasting Network (5 low-power stations)

World Harvest Television (WHT)/LeSEA Broadcasting (Family & religious over-the-air and satellite broadcasting)

God's Learning Channel (Hebrew and Jewish roots of the Christian Faith)

Defunct American television networks

American Independent Network - Commercial network, predecessor to UATV
The Box - Music Video network in the 1980s to around 1997, was bought out by Viacom/CBS and became part of MTV2.
Channel America - First commercial network intentionally made up of low-power stations, a model for Pax and AIN/UATV, and the predecessor of America One.
DuMont Television Network - Commercial network, 1946–1956
Hughes Television Network (HTN) - Started by billionaire Howard Hughes - Active in the '60s and '70s.
Mizlou Television Network - An occasional over the air broadcast network from 1961 to 1991.
National Educational Television (NET) - Educational network, 1952–1969, predecessor to PBS
Network One (N1) - A small independent network, similar to PAX/i and America One. Unknown startup date, but it was gone by 1996.
Overmyer Network (ON) - Commercial network, 1967; also the United Network, not to be confused with UPN.
PBS Kids - late 1990's-2005. Some of its functions are being taken up by successor PBS Kids Sprout, a commercial cable venture, and a new successor service, PBS Kids Go!, is promised for September, 2006.
PBS YOU - late 1990's-2006. "Your Own University," this service offered a mix of crafts, college-credit and Standard Deviants instructional programs, and news, commentary, and documentary programming. Many of its affiliates joined Create, a similar if more craft- and travel-focused service administered by American Public Television, as YOU went dark in early 2006.
Prime Time Entertainment Network (1993-1997)
Spanish International Network (SIN) - Non-English language commercial network, 1961–1986, predecessor to Univisión
TVS Television Network - From 1960s to the 1990s
UPN (formerly intialism for "United Paramount Network") - From January 16, 1995 to September, 2006, merged with WB to make The CW.
Urban America Television (UATV) (a successor to the American Independent Network, AIN) A small network with 60 affiliate stations, UATV airs original programming mixed with older films, rather similarly to America One.
The WB Television Network - From January 18, 1995 to September, 2006, merged with UPN to make The CW.

Superstations in List_of_television_stations_in_North_America_by_media_market>North American markets
United States: KTLA \| KWGN \| WAPA \| WGN \| WKAQ \| WPIX \| WSBK \| WTBS \| WWOR
Mexico: Multimedios Television \| XEFB \| XEW \| XHDF \| XHGC \| XHIMT
See Also: \| List of American Over-The-Air Networks \| Local American TV Stations (W) \| Local American TV Stations (K) \| \| Local Canadian TV Stations \| \| Local Mexican TV Stations \| \| North American TV \|