Fox's launch 25 years back changes American television

MUMBAI: News Corp-owned American television network Fox Broadcasting Network Sunday celebrated 25 years of its existence with a look back at the groundbreaking and irreverent shows that have defined the network since its first signal transmission on 5 April 1987.

Fox changed the American broadcasting landscape ever since it launched by keeping a check on its competitors with path breaking shows prominent among them being The Simpsons, 90210, and American Idol, which proved to be a great gamechanger.

In April 1985, Rupert Murdoch controlled News Corporation bought 50 per cent interest in Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation for $250 million, only to complete the acquisition later in the year by buying the remaining 50 per cent interest in company for $325 million.

The company followed that up with the acquisition of six Metromedia television stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Washington, for $1.9 billion which eventually led to the formation of the Fox Television Stations Group.

The acquisitions marked the beginning of News Corp?s foray in the American broadcast market which was till then dominated by American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and National Broadcasting Company (NBC).

News Corporation and Fox Television Stations completed the acquisition of New World Communications Group for $2.3 billion in January 1997, making Fox the largest and most powerful station operator with 22 stations covering more than 40 per cent of the nation.

In 1999, Fox finished its first-ever broadcast season as the most popular network among Adults 18-34 and Teens, while also ranking second among its target audience of Adults 18-49 by the smallest margin in the network?s history.

According to Associated Press report, Fox proved that there was room for a fourth U.S. broadcast network, three decades after Dumont dissolved in 1955 and left the Big Three networks to slice up an increasingly rich pie.

Horizon Media SVP research Brad Adgate believes Fox hasn?t just met expectations it has exceeded them. "Of the major networks, it?s the only one that can bring in younger audiences on a regular basis," Adgate said. "They have brought out some breakthrough shows ... They?ve really done things that the other three networks wouldn?t have done with their programming," Adgate told AP.

Garth Ancier, Fox?s inaugural programming chief, said the challenge for the network was how to attract audiences in a different way from NBC, ABC and CBS and drag them over to an alternative.