ABC News

===20th-century origins===
ABC began in 1943 as the [[Blue Network|NBC Blue Network]], a [[radio network]] that was [[Corporate spin-off|spun off]] from [[NBC]], as ordered by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) in 1942.<ref>{{cite news|author=Thomas P. Swift|date=January 9, 1942|title=Red and Blue Networks of NBC To Be Split; WJZ May Be Sold|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> The reason for the order was to expand competition in radio broadcasting in the [[United States]], specifically news and political broadcasting, and broaden the projected [[point of view (philosophy)|points of view]]. Only a few companies, such as NBC and [[CBS]], dominated the radio market. NBC conducted the split voluntarily in case its appeal of the ruling was denied, and it was forced to split its two networks into separate companies.

Regular [[News broadcasting|television news broadcasts]] on ABC began soon after the network signed on its initial [[owned-and-operated station|owned-and-operated television station]] (WJZ-TV, now [[WABC-TV]]) and production center in [[New York City]] in August 1948. Broadcasts continued as the ABC network expanded nationwide. Until the early 1970s, ABC News programs and ABC in general consistently ranked third in viewership behind [[CBS News|CBS]] and [[NBC News|NBC]] news programs. ABC had fewer [[network affiliate|affiliate stations]] and a weaker prime-time programming slate to support the network's news operations compared to the two larger networks, each of which had established their radio news operations during the 1930s.