Television in the United States Gray Television, whose 131 stations cover mostly smaller metropolitan areas reaching only 10% of the population. The five major U.S. broadcast television networks are the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), CBS (formerly known as the Columbia Broadcasting System), the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox) and the CW Television Network. The first and elder three (which are colloquially known as the "Big Three") began as radio networks: NBC and CBS respectively began operations in 1924 and 1927, while ABC was spun off from NBC to Edward J. Noble in 1943 as the Blue Network during FCC inquiries over
Robert Noble (company) Robert Noble (company) Robert Noble is a weaving and textiles business based in the Scottish borders town of Peebles at March Street Mills. It is listed amongst the oldest surviving UK businesses During the next two hundred years the company grew and developed. In 1884 it moved to a new purpose built mill at March Street in Peebles; still the home of Robert Noble today. During the twentieth century Ballantyne's formed part of the Dawson International business. However, during the latter part of the twentieth century the UK textiles industry went through various re-structuring and Robert Noble was sold off