Fox Broadcasting Company

Fox is a group for TV.

It started in 1986. It wanted to be a new choice for TV. Before Fox, there were only three big groups. Fox made many new shows. One famous show is called The Simpsons. It has been on TV for a long time.

Many people like to watch it. Fox has offices in New York and Los Angeles too. It is a big part of TV today.

Fox is a large American TV network.

It began on October 9, 1986. At that time, only three big networks existed. Fox wanted to be a fourth choice for viewers.

To build the network, a man named Rupert Murdoch bought many stations. These stations were in big cities like New York and Los Angeles.

The network first showed a late-night talk show. It also started shows in the evening in 1987. One of these shows was called The Tracey Ullman Show.

Fox had a hard start. Some shows did not do well. Many stations did not want to show Fox programs. But things changed in 1989. A new show called The Simpsons began to air. It was a huge hit. It became the first Fox show to reach the Top 30. The Simpsons is very famous today. It has been on TV for many years. Fox does not have its own news team. Instead, it uses other channels like Fox News to get news stories. The main offices are in New York City.

The Fox Broadcasting Company is a major American television network.

It serves as the main brand for the Fox Corporation. For a long time, only three big networks existed in America. These were ABC, CBS, and NBC. Fox was created to be a fourth choice for people watching TV. It has since become a very successful network. It was even the most-watched American network during the 2007–08 season.

Building a new network is a big job that requires many parts. To start, a company must own or partner with local stations. In 1985, News Corporation bought many stations from a company called Metromedia. These stations were located in big cities like New York and Los Angeles. They also bought stations in Houston, Chicago, and Dallas. These stations became the core group for the new network. The network also works with other local stations called affiliates. These affiliates help carry Fox programs to viewers everywhere.

Creating Fox took many years of planning by different leaders. Barry Diller was a key person who helped create the network. He wanted to make his own shows instead of just making shows for others. In 1985, Rupert Murdoch bought a large part of 20th Century Fox. This gave him the tools to build the new network. The network officially launched on October 9, 1986. Its very first program was a late-night talk show called The Late Show. It was hosted by the comedian Joan Rivers.

The early years of the network were quite difficult. Many of the first shows did not have many viewers. Because of this, some local stations stopped working with Fox. In 1987, the network changed its name to the shorter "Fox." They also used a new logo with searchlights. This helped link the network to the famous 20th Century Fox film studio. The network finally found big success in 1989. A new animated show called The Simpsons began to air. It became a huge hit and was the first Fox show to reach the Top 30.

Today, Fox is a very large and well-known company. It is based in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It also has offices in Los Angeles and Tempe, Arizona. Unlike the other big networks, Fox does not have its own news division. Instead, it gets news from other channels like Fox News and Fox Weather. You might recognize the Fox name from many different places. It provides entertainment to many people in the United States and around the world. Many viewers in Canada can also watch Fox programs through their TV providers.

The Fox Broadcasting Company, often stylized as FOX, is a major American commercial broadcast television network.

It serves as the flagship property of the Fox Corporation and is operated through Fox Entertainment. For decades, American television was dominated by the "Big Three" networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. Fox was launched to act as a fourth competitor to these established giants. It has since become a highly successful network in television history. Between 2004 and 2012, it was the highest-rated free-to-air network for the 18–49 age demographic. It also held the title of the most-watched American network in total viewership during the 2007–08 season.

Building a national network requires a complex system of stations and affiliations. To create a way to distribute shows, the founders needed to own or partner with local stations. In 1985, News Corporation agreed to pay $2.55 billion to acquire several independent stations from Metromedia. These stations were located in major U.S. cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Houston, Chicago, and Dallas. These original stations are known as "owned-and-operated" stations, or O&Os. Aside from one station in Dallas, all of these original O&Os remain part of the Fox network today.

The network also relies on a system of affiliates to reach more viewers. An affiliate is a local station that agrees to carry the network's programming. In the early days, Fox often had to partner with second-tier independent stations. This happened in markets like Denver, Phoenix, and St. Louis when more established stations declined to join. Because many of these were UHF stations, Fox faced challenges similar to the DuMont Television Network from forty years earlier. This connection exists because the current Fox Television Center in Manhattan was once the former base for DuMont operations.

The creation of Fox was driven by several key leaders and massive financial deals. Barry Diller was a primary architect of the network's concept. While running Paramount Pictures, Diller wanted to create his own content rather than just meeting the demands of other networks. In March 1985, Rupert Murdoch, an Australian publishing magnate, paid $255 million for a 50% interest in TCF Holdings. This was the parent company of the 20th Century Fox film studio. Later, in December 1985, Murdoch paid $325 million to acquire the remaining equity in TCF Holdings. This gave the new network the resources and the "Fox" heritage needed to compete.

The network officially debuted on October 9, 1986, with a "soft launch." Its very first program was a late-night talk show called *The Late Show*, hosted by Joan Rivers. The early years were difficult for the company. Many programs struggled to find an audience, and some local affiliates, such as those in Minneapolis and Portland, actually left the network. To improve its image, the network underwent a rebranding in April 1987. It changed its name from Fox Broadcasting Company to the shorter "Fox." An advertising expert named Jay Chiat suggested using the 20th Century Fox searchlight iconography to link the new network to the famous film studio.

A major turning point occurred on April 5, 1987, during the network's "grand opening." This was when Fox expanded its programming into prime time. The Sunday night lineup included the sitcom *Married... with Children* and the sketch comedy *The Tracey Ullman Show*. While some shows failed, the network found massive success starting in the 1989–90 season. This turnaround was led by the debut of *The Simpsons*. Originally a series of shorts on *The Tracey Ullman Show*, this animated series became a breakout hit. It was the first Fox series to break into the Top 30 in the Nielsen ratings.

Today, Fox operates as a massive media entity with a unique organizational structure. Unlike the other major commercial networks, Fox does not have its own news division. Instead, it relies on its own 24-hour news channels to supply programming. These include Fox News, Fox Business Network, and Fox Weather. The company is headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. It also maintains significant offices at the Fox Network Center in Los Angeles and the Fox Media Center in Tempe, Arizona. Through its various channels, Fox reaches international markets and viewers across North America.