List of United States over-the-air television networks

In the United States , for most of the history of broadcasting, there were only three or four major commercial national broadcast networks . From 1946-1956 these were ABC , CBS , NBC , and DuMont . From 1956-1986, the national commercial networks were ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Today, more than 50 nationwide broadcasting networks exist. Other than the non-commercial educational (NCE) Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which is composed of member stations, the largest broadcast television networks are the traditional Big Three Television Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC). Many other large networks exist, however, notably Fox and The CW which air original programming for two hours each night instead of three like the original "Big Three" do, as well as syndication services like MyNetworkTV and ION which feature reruns of recent popular shows with little or no original programs. Fox has just about the same percentage of households reached as the Big Three, and is therefore often considered a peer to ABC, NBC, and CBS since it has also achieved equal or better ratings over the last decade. Most media outlets now include Fox in what they refer to as the "Big Four" television networks.

The transition to digital broadcasting in 2009 has allowed for television stations to offer more programming options through digital subchannels . A number of new commercial networks airing specialty programming have been created from companies like Weigel Broadcasting and Luken Communications . There have also been a number of new Spanish-language networks that have launched as well as some new non-commercial public television channels.

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

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


• Spanish-language broadcasting networks. Examples: Telemundo , Univision


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


• Religious broadcasting networks. Example: Daystar

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

There are an estimated 114.2 million television households in the United States as of the 2012-2013 TV season. [1]

[ edit ] 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.

Table of broadcast television networks [ edit ] Major English-language networks
Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. households reached	# of households viewable	Type of Television network	# of Full-Power Affiliates	# of Low-Power / Class-A Affiliates & Transmitters
NBC	1946 [ 1 ]	97%	110,774,000	Commercial	226	~338
CBS	1948 [ 1 ]	97%	110,774,000	Commercial	215	~299
ABC	1948 [ 1 ]	97%	110,774,000	Commercial	229	~266
Fox	October 9, 1986 [ 2 ]	97%	110,774,000	Commercial	223	~202
The CW	September 18, 2006 [ 3 ]	95%	108,490,000	Commercial	204	~11
[ edit ] Public television networks
Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. households reached	# of households viewable	Type of Television network	# of Full-Power Affiliates	# of Low-Power / Class-A Affiliates & Transmitters
PBS	1969 [ 4 ]	96%	109,632,000	Nonprofit	349	~342
Create	January 10, 2006	74%	84,508,000	Public TV/Instructional	208	0
World	August 15, 2007	54%	61,668,000	News & Documentaries	154	0
V-me	2007	45%	51,390,000	Spanish Educational	50	1
MHz Worldview / MHz Networks	2001	28%	31,976,000	Educational/International	30	0
France 24	December 6, 2006	12%	13,704,000	International News	3	4
MiND (MiND: Media Independence)	May 15, 2007	9%	10,361,000	Multicultural, educational	2	0
DW-TV (Deutsche Welle)	1953	2%	2,284,000	Multicultural	0	2
Minnesota Channel	2005	2%	2,284,000	Educational television , public affairs , ethnic and local programming	17	0
ThinkBright		1.2%	1,370,400	New York Public broadcasting	4	0
Classic Arts Showcase	1994	0.4%	456,800	Non-commercial performance art video clips	1	0
[ edit ] Spanish-language networks
Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. households reached	# of households viewable	Type of Television network	# of Full-Power Affiliates	# of Low-Power / Class-A Affiliates & Transmitters
Univision	1986 [ 5 ]	55%	62,810,000	Spanish Commercial	46	13
Telemundo	1954	48%	54,816,000	Spanish Commercial	45	19
UniMás	2002	47%	53,674,000	Spanish Commercial	35	10
MundoFox	August 13, 2012	44%	50,248,000	Spanish Commercial	25	31
Estrella TV	2009	40%	45,680,000	Spanish Commercial	24	17
Azteca América	2001	38%	43,396,000	Spanish Commercial	14	23
LATV	May 7, 2007	37%	42,254,000	Bilingual(English/Spanish) Entertainment	27	15
SOi TV		24%	27,408,000		15	0
Exitos TV		20%	22,840,000		12	0
Mexicanal	August 23, 2005	12%	13,704,000	Mexican Programming	2	10
Inmigrante TV	2010	12%	13,704,000		6	1
Tele-Romantica	2012	10%	11,420,000		0	9
Mega TV		9%	10,278,000		4	4
Tr3s [ 6 ]	1998	9%	10,278,000	Spanish Music Videos	1	9
Multimedios Television	Unknown	3%	3,426,000	Spanish Commercial	1	3
[ edit ] Genre-based and general entertainment television networks
Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. households reached	# of households viewable	Type of Television network	# of Full-Power Affiliates	# of Low-Power / Class-A Affiliates & Transmitters
MyNetworkTV	September 5, 2006 [ 3 ]	91%	103,922,000	Commercial/Syndication service	162	~40
Me-TV	December 15, 2010 (national)	87%	90,218,000?	Classic TV shows	141	21
This TV	November 1, 2008	85%	97,070,000	Movies & TV shows	134	16
Bounce TV	September 26, 2011	64%	73,088,000	African-American Programming	70	9
Ion Television	August 31, 1998 [ 7 ] [ 8 ]	62%	70,804,000	Commercial/Syndication service	64	22
qubo	2006 [ 7 ] [ 8 ]	61%	69,662,000	Commercial (Children's)	60 [ 9 ]	2
Antenna TV	January 1, 2011	61%	69,662,000	Classic TV shows and movies	63	4
RTV	2005	42%	47,964,000	Commercial, reruns	33	55
Cozi TV	January 1, 2013	30%	34,260,000	Classics/Movies/Lifestyle	20	2
The Country Network	2009	29%	33,118,000	24/7 Country Music videos	38	4
TheCoolTV	2009	20%	22,840,000	Music videos	12	9
Punch TV	2012	53%	59,902,174	Urban & Independent programming	0	>30 [2]
My Family TV	December 2008	12%	13,704,000	Family Entertainment	6	32
PBJ	September 2011	10%	11,420,000	Children's/Classic Cartoons	1	25
AMGTV	Unknown	5%	5,710,000	Commercial, family	1	9
The Nashville Network	November 1, 2012	2%	2,284,000	Country Music & Lifestyle	4	5
[ edit ] News, sports and lifestyle networks
Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. households reached	# of households viewable	Type of Television network	# of Full-Power Affiliates	# of Low-Power / Class-A Affiliates & Transmitters
Live Well Network	April 27, 2009	69%	78,798,000	Health/Lifestyle	67	5
ION Life	2005 [ 7 ] [ 8 ]	61%	69,662,000	Health/Lifestyle Occasional movies	60 [ 9 ]	1
The AccuWeather Channel	2004	25%	28,550,000	Local Weather Information	37	2
Tuff TV	2009	16%	18,272,000	Male interest programming	2	25
WeatherNation TV	June 11, 2011	11%	12,562,000	Weather Forecast	10	7
Biz Television	2008	4%	4,568,000	Business and financial information	2	4
Untamed Sports TV	2008	3%	3,426,000	Sports/Outdoors	4	2
Frost Great Outdoors	2011	2%	2,284,000	Outdoors/Shopping	0	5
Pursuit Channel	2008	0.5%	571,000	Sports and recreation	0	3
[ edit ] Shopping networks
Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. households reached	# of households viewable	Type of Television network	# of Full-Power Affiliates	# of Low-Power / Class-A Affiliates & Transmitters
HSN	1985 [ 7 ]	36%	41,112,000	Commercial/Infomercial	3	50
JewelryTV [ 10 ] [ 11 ]	1993	14%	15,988,000	Commercial/Infomercial	6	14
Corner Store TV	Unknown	5%	5,710,000	Commercial/Infomercial	0	1
ShopNBC	1991	2%	2,284,000	Commercial/Infomercial	2	0
[ edit ] Religious television networks
Television Network	Founded	% of U.S. households reached	# of households viewable	Type of Television network	# of Full-Power Affiliates	# of Low-Power / Class-A Affiliates & Transmitters
Daystar	1982	48%	54,816,000	Religious	22	44
TBN Enlace USA [ 12 ]	2006?	45%	51,390,000	Spanish-Language Religious programming	37	9
TBN	1973	44%	50,248,000	Religious	39	10
Smile of a Child [ 12 ]	December 24, 2005	44%	50,248,000	Religious Children's TV	35	12
JCTV [ 12 ] [ 13 ]	2003	44%	50,248,000	Religious Youth Programming/Music Videos	36	10
The Church Channel [ 12 ]	2002?	43%	49,106,000	Religious	35	9
SonLife Broadcasting Network	2010	24%	27,408,000	Religious	4	18
Almavision	2002	15%	17,130,000	Spanish Religious	0	9
3ABN	1984	14%	15,988,000	Religious	2	64
Cornerstone Television [ 14 ]	1979 [ 15 ]	14%	15,988,000	Religious	2	16
The WALK TV	January 11, 2010	12%	12,969,400	Religious	0	240
3ABN Latino	2003	11%	12,562,000	Spanish Religious	0	58
Peace TV	2006	8%	9,136,000	Religious (Islamic)	0	6
TCT	1977	6%	6,852,000	Religious	8	5
3ABN Proclaim!	2010	5%	5,710,000	Religious	0	44
CTN	1979	5%	5,710,000	Religious	11	5
LeSea " WHTV "	1985 [ 16 ]	5%	5,710,000	Religious	7	4
Tele Vida Abundante		5%	5,710,000	Spanish Religious	1	??
Dare to Dream Network	2010	3%	3,426,000	Religious	0	30
FamilyNet	Unknown	2%	2,284,000	Religious	2	8
GOD TV	1995	2%	2,284,000	Religious	1	2
EWTN	1981	1.5%	1,713,000	Religious (Catholic)	0	2
Hope Channel	October 10, 2003	1.5%	1,713,000	Religious	0	6
The Word Network	2000	1.5%	1,713,000	Religious	2	2
La Familia Network	2002?	1%	1,142,000	Spanish Religious	0	1
TLN	1973	1%	1,142,000	Religious	1	0
Tvida Vision	2005	0.7%	799,400	Spanish Religious	0	2
The Worship Network [ 7 ]	1992	0.6%	685,200	Religious	0	1
GLC	1982	0.25%	285,500	Religious	5	0
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