General Electric
Headquarters: Universal City, CA (NBC Universal)
Website: www.ge.com
NBC Universal
 • Owns 14 stations nationwide including two local stations: NBC-10 WCAU, Telemundo-62 WWSI
• Has 230+ affiliates nationwide
• Owns 10 cable networks
• Has a 32% stake in Pax Network
QUICK FACT In Aug. 2004, NBC-10 and the Philadelphia Inquirer formed a working partnership as a way to combine resources and collaborate on stories.
 
CBS Corporation
Headquarters: New York, NY
Website: www.cbscorporation.com
Other Properties In: Radio, Billboards
• Owns 39 stations nationwide including two local stations: CBS-3 KYW, UPN-57 WPSG
• Owns 16 cable networks (now owned by split-off Viacom)
• Has 200+ affiliates
 
Disney
Headquarters: Burbank, CA
Website: www.disney.com
• Owns 10 stations nationwide including one local station: ABC-6 WPVI
• Owns four cable networks and has part ownership in seven others
• Has 190+ afffiliates nationwide
QUICK FACT Disney and Viacom both have news radio branches. ABC News Radio provides news to nearly 4,000 radio stations and Viacom manages Westwood One, Inc., a reporting service that works with over 5,000 radio stations.
 
News Corporation
Headquarters: New York, NY
Website: www.newscorp.com
FOX Broadcasting
• Owns 35 stations nationwide including one local station: FOX-29 WTXF
• Has 200+ affiliates
• Owns 13 cable networks
 
Tribune
Headquarters: Chicago, IL
Website: www.tribune.com
• Owns 29 stations nationwide including one local station: WB-17 WPHL
 
PAXSON
Headquarters: West Palm Beach, FL
Website: www.paxson.com
• Owns 60 stations nationwide including one local station: PAX-61 WPPX
 

 

 


Since 1995, the number of companies owning commercial TV stations has declined by 40%.

A 2003 study of 45 local TV stations found that in 7,560 hours of programming over one week, only 13 hours (less than 0.5%) was devoted to local public affairs shows examining issues of governance or politics.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed companies to own TV stations reaching up to 35% of the national audience. That cap has since been raised to 39%.
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