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
Edward J. Phelan Edward J. Phelan Edward Joseph Phelan (July 25, 1888 – September 15, 1967), frequently E. J. Phelan, was the first appointed international civil servant and fourth Director-General of the International Labour Office, serving from 1941 to 1948, during most of which time the ILO was temporarily relocated to Montréal from Geneva. Phelan was the principal author of the Declaration of Philadelphia. Edward Phelan was born in Tramore, County Waterford, on the south coast of Ireland. His father, Thomas, who came from nearby Cheekpoint was a ship's captain, as was his grandfather. When he was seven years of age his father