American Broadcasting Company television. The fifth-oldest major broadcasting network in the world and the youngest of the Big Three television networks, ABC is often nicknamed as "The Alphabet Network", as its initialism also represents the first three letters of the English alphabet, in order. ABC launched as a radio network on October 12, 1943, serving as the successor to the NBC Blue Network, which had been purchased by Edward J. Noble. It extended its operations to television in 1948, following in the footsteps of established broadcast networks CBS and NBC. In the mid-1950s, ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres, a chain of movie
Edward J. Barcalo Edward J. Barcalo Edward Joel Barcalo (1870–1963) was an American businessman, noted for founding the Barcalo Manufacturing Company, perhaps best known for the Barcalounger. He was born in Mt. Morris, in the state of New York. Living in Buffalo, New York, Barcolo founded the Barcalo Manufacturing Company in 1896: it originally produced tools, but expanded into the furniture market. By the early 1950s the company had over 550 employees. In 1916, he was serving as the president of the Associated Manufacturers of New York State. Barcalo received U.S. Patent no. 719,685 for the invention of a bed spring. In addition,