ABC

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is one of the four major television networks in the United States. (The other three are CBS, NBC, and Fox.)

History[]

Founding[]

ABC was established on October 12, 1943 by Edward J. Noble following his purchase of the NBC Blue Network.

Disney acquisition[]

It was acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 1996 through their acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. As of 2008, it is the most-watched television network in the United States.

In 1997, ABC picked up the rights to the Walt Disney anthology series and revamped it to The Wonderful World of Disney, which aired from then until 2008. The series aired various Disney films and even some non-Disney, such as The Mask.

On August 20, 2011, ABC showed Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, notably the first Disney Channel Original Movie to air on the network.

On October 23, 2011, ABC premiered the popular show Once Upon a Time.

On December 12, 2015, The Wonderful World of Disney returned on ABC.

On October 5, 2018, ABC brought back the TGIF block (which aired in 1989-2000 and later 2003-2005) until it ended on September 27, 2019.

The channel has also run various animated television series by Disney on Saturday mornings from 1987 to 2011. In 1996, their Saturday morning lineup transitioned into a mostly-Disney-owned lineup, and became One Saturday Morning in 1997. ABC Kids replaced One Saturday Morning in 2002, but unlike the previous block, it eventually only aired reruns of Disney Channel series. The block was replaced by Litton's Weekend Adventure in 2011. In 2007, Touchstone Television was re-branded as ABC Studios, and became the main source for ABC's programming.

ABC also aired the Marvel Comics superhero television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the mini-series Agent Carter in January 2015.

In 2016, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded it, along with the other three major US networks, with a Cornerstone Award, to celebrate 70 years of television in America.

Those named Disney Legends, whose biggest contributions were to the Disney-owned ABC, include Leonard H. Goldenson (debatable as he helped finance Disneyland), Roone Arledge, Peter Jennings, Barbara Walters, Regis Philbin, Dick Clark, Diane Sawyer, and Robin Roberts.

ABC stations owned by the network[]

The ABC network affiliates include the following owned-and-operated stations:

KABC-TV (Los Angeles, California)
KFSN-TV (Fresno, California)
KGO-TV (San Francisco, California)
KOMO 4 (Seattle, Washington)
KTVX 4 (Salt Lake City, Utah)
KTRK-TV (Houston, Texas)
WABC-TV (New York City, New York)
WLS-TV (Chicago, Illinois)
WPVI-TV (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
WTVD (Durham, North Carolina)
WJXX 25 (Jacksonville, Florida)
WFTV 9 (Orlando, Florida)
KATV 7 (Little Rock, Arkansas)

Disney shows that premiered on ABC[]

Original Disney programs[]

The Wonderful World of Disney
- Disneyland
- Walt Disney Presents
- The Disney Sunday Movie
Mickey Mouse Club
Zorro
Sidekicks
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Darkwing Duck (premiered simultaneously in syndication)
Goof Troop (premiered simultaneously in syndication)
Brand Spanking New Doug
Mighty Ducks
Jungle Cubs
Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles
Nightmare Ned (TV series)
101 Dalmatians: The Series (premiered simultaneously in syndication)
Recess
Pepper Ann
Hercules: The Animated Series
Mickey Mouse Works
The Weekenders
Teacher's Pet
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (premiered simultaneously in syndication)
House of Mouse
Lloyd in Space
Teamo Supremo
Fillmore!
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz