List of United States Over-the-air Television Networks - English-language American Commercial Over-the-air Television Networks

English-language American Commercial Over-the-air Television Networks

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC; originally formed from the NBC Blue Network of radio, which the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) forced NBC to sell in 1943) - The nation's third-largest commercial network, Disney-owned ABC has over 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming, sports, and news seven days a week. Almost all ABC stations air local newscasts.
• CBS (originally Columbia Broadcasting System) - The nation's second-largest commercial network and owned by CBS Corporation, CBS has over 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming, sports and news seven days a week. Almost all CBS stations air local newscasts. For most of its existence, CBS has been the nation's most watched network.
• NBC (originally National Broadcasting Company, and formerly the television sister of the NBC Red Network from the broadcaster's radio days) - The nation's largest and oldest commercial network, owned by NBCUniversal, NBC has over 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming, sports and news seven days a week. Almost all NBC stations air local newscasts.
• Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox) - The nation's fourth-largest commercial network, the News Corporation-owned Fox has nearly 200 affiliate stations and airs original programming and sports seven days a week, programming two hours each night in primetime (three hours on Sundays), along with political talk program Fox News Sunday on Sunday mornings and the optional infomercial block Weekend Marketplace on Saturday mornings. Almost all Fox stations air local newscasts, with some producing newscasts in-house and others airing newscasts produced by another station in the market. Several of the network's owned-and-operated stations formed the hub of the DuMont Network, which existed from the late 1940s to the mid 1950s.
• The CW (originally formed from The WB and UPN networks, both of which folded in September 2006 after 11 years of existence) - The nation's fifth-largest commercial network, The CW has approximately 100 affiliate stations in the top 100 television markets; it also has approximately 90 additional affiliates operated as cable-only and digital subchannel services in smaller television markets through The CW Plus. The network airs two hours of original programming in primetime and one hour in daytime on Monday through Fridays, and a five-hour children's program block called Vortexx on Saturday mornings. Unlike its four larger major network competitors, The CW does not have owned-and-operated stations in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, the affiliates in those markets are owned by Tribune Broadcasting; despite joint ownership by CBS Corporation and Time Warner, CBS Corporation serves as the network's de facto O&O station group (Time Warner owns one station in Atlanta through its Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary, however it does not serve as the CW affiliate for the market). Some CW affiliates air local newscasts, most of which are produced by another station in the market though eight of its affiliates (all but one are owned by Tribune Broadcasting) produce local newscasts in-house.
• MyNetworkTV is a network owned by News Corporation, which also owns Fox. It was hastily formed to provide programming for stations left empty-handed by the merger of The WB and UPN. The network launched with English-language telenovelas, but switched to a mix of low-budget programming within the first year. Currently, MyNetworkTV fills two hours of primetime Monday through Fridays with reruns of shows that originated on other broadcast and cable networks. Some MyNetworkTV affiliates air local newscasts, most of which are produced by another station in the market, though New York City O&O WWOR-TV and San Francisco affiliate KRON-TV are the only affiliates that produce their local news programming in-house.
• This TV is a large network airing mostly on digital subchannels. It was launched on November 1, 2008 by the MGM studios and Chicago based Weigel Broadcasting. This TV airs a 24/7 schedule consisting mostly of movies but also a few TV shows. Based on coverage of about 85% and over 140 affiliates, This TV is currently the seventh-largest commercial broadcast network in the United States. However the network may not have the same access to many cable and satellite systems that other broadcast networks would.
• Me-TV (Memorable Entertainment Television) is another large digital network from Weigel Broadcasting that airs reruns of classic television shows. Me-TV airs mostly on digital subchannels but they also have several affiliates in which they are the stations' primary network. Currently covering about 74% of broadcast homes with over 135 affiliates Me-TV is the nations eighth-largest commercial broadcast network.
• Ion Television is a mid-sized network, which airs off-network repeats of shows from other networks and feature films for thirteen hours every day. It is the largest English-language network to wholly handle programming responsibilities for its affiliates, though some affiliates are allowed to run some locally-produced public affairs and religious programming. Affiliates number around 70, though most of the stations are owned by parent company Ion Media Networks. It aired original programming in the past, and was known as PAX TV from 1998–2005, and i: Independent Television from 2005-2007.
• America One (a successor to Channel America) is a small network of about 40 affiliates. It airs general entertainment programming (wholly scheduled by the network for its affiliates) with a heavy emphasis on primetime sports programming and events, including the Canadian Football League.

Additionally, several of the cable-oriented theme channels (e.g. music or shopping channels) have obtained broadcast clearances, usually on low-power stations, in many markets. Among these are MTV2, Home Shopping Network, and ShopNBC.

Several of the religious broadcasting networks have out-of-pattern clearance arrangement with their broadcast affiliates, notably FamilyNet, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Three Angels Broadcasting Network, Hope Channel and World Harvest Television. And, of course, the Public Broadcasting Service also allows its member stations to run their programs out of pattern.

Nicknames of major American networks (most established by the industry publication Daily Variety as "slanguage") are as follows:

• ABC: "Alphabet network" or "Circle network" (its name is also the first three letters of the alphabet)
• CBS: "Tiffany network" or "Eye network" (for the network's high-toned reputation and eye logo, respectively)
• Fox Broadcasting Company is referred to by media and by the network itself by the all-capitalized FOX, and the legal name is only used in industry media and legal documents
• NBC: "Peacock network" (after its multi-colored logo)
• The CW: "Green network" (the network's launch color scheme was (and is) dominated by the color green)
• MyNetworkTV: "Fox mini-network" (like Fox, the network was formed by News Corporation).
• PBS: "Head Network" for their educational programming, mascot, and logo
• UPN : "Used Parts Network" for its purchase of new episodes of series formerly seen on other networks, "Shapes network" or "Disc network" (after the network's 1995-2002 and 2002-2006 logos)
• The WB : "Frog network" or the network's secondary branding "The Frog" (after the network's frog mascot)
• DuMont Television Network : "The Forgotten Network" (due to its modern-day obscurity, considering it was a major network during the 1940s to 1950's)

Additionally, both The WB and UPN were referred to as weblets by Variety because of their smaller audiences and fewer programs. CW and MyNet have more often been called netlets, which has the same definition.