r ally ▁operated , ▁with ▁no ▁local ▁programming . ▁Two ▁other ▁ownership ▁groups ▁in ▁particular , ▁S inc la ir ▁Broadcast ▁Group ▁and ▁N ex star ▁Media ▁Group , ▁do ▁not ▁produce ▁network ▁programming ▁( S inc la ir ▁has ▁produced ▁original ▁programs ▁for ▁its ▁stations ▁but ▁not ▁on ▁a ▁full - time ▁network ▁including ▁the ▁four ▁mult ic ast ▁services ▁it ▁dist ributes ▁to ▁its ▁own ▁stations ▁and ▁those ▁owned ▁by ▁partner ▁companies ▁and ▁other ▁una ff ili ated ▁group ▁own ers ) ▁but ▁each ▁own ▁over ▁ 1 5 0 ▁stations , ▁each ▁covering ▁over ▁three - e ighth s ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁number ▁of ▁stations , ▁N ex star ▁and ▁S inc la ir ▁run ▁first ▁and ▁second , ▁with ▁third ▁place ▁held ▁by ▁Gray ▁Television , ▁whose ▁ 1 3 1 ▁stations ▁cover ▁mostly ▁smaller ▁metropol itan ▁areas ▁reaching ▁only ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁ ▁Major ▁broadcast ▁networks ▁ ▁The ▁five ▁major ▁U . S . ▁broadcast ▁television ▁networks ▁are ▁the ▁National ▁Broadcast ing ▁Company ▁( N BC ), ▁CBS ▁( former ly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Columbia ▁Broadcast ing ▁System ), ▁the ▁American ▁Broadcast ing ▁Company ▁( ABC ), ▁the ▁Fox ▁Broadcast ing ▁Company ▁( F ox ) ▁and ▁the ▁C W ▁Television ▁Network . ▁The ▁first ▁and ▁elder ▁three ▁( which ▁are ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Big ▁Three ") ▁began ▁as ▁radio ▁networks : ▁N BC ▁and ▁CBS ▁respectively ▁began ▁operations ▁in ▁ 1 9