The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) is an American commercial
broadcast television and radio network owned by ViacomCBS through its
CBS Entertainment Group division. The network is headquartered at the
CBS Building in New York City, with major production facilities and
operations in New York City (at the CBS Broadcast Center) and Los
Angeles (at CBS Television City and the CBS Studio Center).CBS is
sometimes referred to as the Eye Network, in reference to the
company's trademark symbol, in use since 1951. It has also been called
the "Tiffany Network", alluding to the perceived high quality of its
programming during the tenure of William S. Paley. It can also refer
to some of CBS's first demonstrations of color television, which were
held in a former Tiffany & Co. building in New York City in 1950.The
network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc., a
radio network founded in Chicago by New York City talent agent Arthur
Judson in January 1927. In April of that year, the Columbia Phonograph
Company, parent of the Columbia record label, invested in the network,
resulting in its rebranding as the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting
System (CPBS). In early 1928, Judson and Columbia sold the network to
Isaac and Leon Levy, two brothers who owned WCAU, the network's
Philadelphia affiliate, as well as their partner Jerome Louchheim.
They installed Paley, an in-law of the Levys, as president of the
network. With the Columbia record label out of ownership, Paley
rebranded the network as the Columbia Broadcasting System. Under
Paley's guidance, CBS would first become one of the largest radio
networks in the United States, and eventually one of the Big Three
American broadcast television networks. In 1974, CBS dropped its
original full name and became known simply as CBS, Inc. The
Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the network in 1995,
renaming its corporate entity CBS Broadcasting, Inc. two years later,
and eventually adopted the name of the company it had acquired to
become CBS Corporation. In 2000, CBS came under the control of the
original incarnation of Viacom, which was formed as a spin-off of CBS
in 1971. In 2005, Viacom split itself into two separate companies and
re-established CBS Corporation through the spin-off of its broadcast
television, radio and select cable television and non-broadcasting
assets, with the CBS network at its core. CBS Corporation was
controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements, which also
controlled the second incarnation of Viacom until December 4, 2019,
when the two separated companies agreed to re-merge to become
ViacomCBS.CBS operated the CBS Radio network until 2017, when it sold
its radio division to Entercom. Before this, CBS Radio mainly provided
news and features content for its portfolio owned-and-operated radio
stations in large and mid-sized markets, as well as its affiliated
radio stations in various other markets. While CBS Corporation
shareholders own a 72% stake in Entercom, CBS no longer owns or
operates any radio stations directly; however, it still provides radio
news broadcasts to its radio affiliates and to the new owners of its
former radio stations, and licenses the rights to use CBS trademarks
under a long-term contract. The television network has over 240
owned-and-operated and affiliated television stations throughout the
United States, some also available in Canada via pay-television
providers or in border areas over-the-air. CBS was ranked 197th on the
2018 Fortune 500 of the largest American corporations by revenue.
broadcast television and radio network owned by ViacomCBS through its
CBS Entertainment Group division. The network is headquartered at the
CBS Building in New York City, with major production facilities and
operations in New York City (at the CBS Broadcast Center) and Los
Angeles (at CBS Television City and the CBS Studio Center).CBS is
sometimes referred to as the Eye Network, in reference to the
company's trademark symbol, in use since 1951. It has also been called
the "Tiffany Network", alluding to the perceived high quality of its
programming during the tenure of William S. Paley. It can also refer
to some of CBS's first demonstrations of color television, which were
held in a former Tiffany & Co. building in New York City in 1950.The
network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc., a
radio network founded in Chicago by New York City talent agent Arthur
Judson in January 1927. In April of that year, the Columbia Phonograph
Company, parent of the Columbia record label, invested in the network,
resulting in its rebranding as the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting
System (CPBS). In early 1928, Judson and Columbia sold the network to
Isaac and Leon Levy, two brothers who owned WCAU, the network's
Philadelphia affiliate, as well as their partner Jerome Louchheim.
They installed Paley, an in-law of the Levys, as president of the
network. With the Columbia record label out of ownership, Paley
rebranded the network as the Columbia Broadcasting System. Under
Paley's guidance, CBS would first become one of the largest radio
networks in the United States, and eventually one of the Big Three
American broadcast television networks. In 1974, CBS dropped its
original full name and became known simply as CBS, Inc. The
Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the network in 1995,
renaming its corporate entity CBS Broadcasting, Inc. two years later,
and eventually adopted the name of the company it had acquired to
become CBS Corporation. In 2000, CBS came under the control of the
original incarnation of Viacom, which was formed as a spin-off of CBS
in 1971. In 2005, Viacom split itself into two separate companies and
re-established CBS Corporation through the spin-off of its broadcast
television, radio and select cable television and non-broadcasting
assets, with the CBS network at its core. CBS Corporation was
controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements, which also
controlled the second incarnation of Viacom until December 4, 2019,
when the two separated companies agreed to re-merge to become
ViacomCBS.CBS operated the CBS Radio network until 2017, when it sold
its radio division to Entercom. Before this, CBS Radio mainly provided
news and features content for its portfolio owned-and-operated radio
stations in large and mid-sized markets, as well as its affiliated
radio stations in various other markets. While CBS Corporation
shareholders own a 72% stake in Entercom, CBS no longer owns or
operates any radio stations directly; however, it still provides radio
news broadcasts to its radio affiliates and to the new owners of its
former radio stations, and licenses the rights to use CBS trademarks
under a long-term contract. The television network has over 240
owned-and-operated and affiliated television stations throughout the
United States, some also available in Canada via pay-television
providers or in border areas over-the-air. CBS was ranked 197th on the
2018 Fortune 500 of the largest American corporations by revenue.
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