2 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁while ▁ABC ▁was ▁sp un ▁off ▁from ▁N BC ▁to ▁Edward ▁J . ▁No ble ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁as ▁the ▁Blue ▁Network ▁during ▁F CC ▁in qui ries ▁over ▁N BC ' s ▁dominant ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁radio ▁market , ▁although ▁the ▁ABC ▁television ▁network ▁would ▁not ▁reach ▁view ership ▁and ▁distribution ▁par ity ▁with ▁N BC ▁and ▁CBS ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Fox ▁is ▁a ▁relative ▁new com er ▁that ▁began ▁operation ▁on ▁October ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁with ▁a ▁limited ▁schedule ▁of ▁late - night ▁programming ▁( the ▁network ▁would ▁launch ▁a ▁week end - only ▁prime ▁time ▁line up ▁seven ▁months ▁later ▁on ▁April ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 ), ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁built ▁upon ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Du Mont ▁Television ▁Network , ▁an ▁earlier ▁attempt ▁at ▁a ▁" four th ▁network " ▁that ▁operated ▁from ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁to ▁August ▁ 1 9 5 6 ; ▁the ▁Param ount ▁Television ▁Network ▁also ▁fl our ished ▁simultaneously , ▁if ▁less ▁successfully . ▁ ▁The ▁C W ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁when ▁CBS ▁Corporation ▁and ▁Time ▁Warner ▁decided ▁to ▁merge ▁the ▁respective ▁programming ▁assets ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Param ount ▁Network ▁( UP N ) ▁and ▁The ▁W B , ▁both ▁of ▁which ▁launched ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁with ▁The