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RCA (Radio Corporation of America) was
founded in October 1919, as a subsidiary company by
General Electric, after the US government urged General
Electric to take over the American branch of the
British Marconi Company. For some time
American Telephone &
Telegraph
(AT & T),
Westinghouse Electric
Company and United Fruit Company were co-owners of this
company.
Its original purpose was to protect US interests and patents in
radio technology from foreign companies. |
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Led by Owen D. Young, but especially by
David Sarnoff (who led RCA for 50 years), the company
was a major producer in the field of radio and later on
television. Sarnoff
was one of the first who saw the unlimited possibilities
of radio as a public communication tool and as a source
of entertainment.
For this, a new company was created by RCA in 1926, the
National Broadcasting Company (NBC), providing radio
broadcasts. |
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In 1928, RCA was the driving force
involved in the creation of the film company RKO
Pictures in order to create a market for their
sound-on-film system, RCA Photo Phone.
In 1929 RCA bought the Victor Talking Machine Company,
manufacturer of the Victrola, for $ 154 million, and
began with the production of radios and radio phonograph
combinations under the name RCA Victor. |
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In the early 1930s, RCA continued as an
independent company, after GE, AT & T and Westinghouse
were forced by the US justice to sell their common
interests in the company.
RCA retained full control of NBC and of her patents.
The headquarters were located at Rockefeller Center (the
present GE Building) shortly thereafter.
Under the leadership Sarnoff, radio sales boomed.
After several years RCA dominated the radio and music market in
the United States. |
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Despite the crisis years of the 1930s,
RCA spent millions of dollars on the development of
television, including buying patents.
Under the leadership of Russian immigrant Vladimir
Zworykin, a television system was developed.
In 1939, visitors at the World Fair in New York City saw
television for the first time. Because of the
outbreak of World War II, the first television sets were
sold in 1946.
RCA had a leading role in the development of colour TV.
In March 1954 RCA started the production of the first colour TVs in their
factory in Bloomington. |
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In
the 1950 RCA, in addition to developments in the field
of radio and television, the military and defense
activities that it had been involved in during the
Second World War, continued.
In the late 1950s/early 1960s, RCA also focused on satellite
technology and space travel. |
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In June 1986, RCA and NBC were acquired
by General Electric (GE), the company from which it was
originally formed.
GE maintained the trade name RCA and NBC was set up as
an independent company.
Most record labels from RCA were sold and are now owned
by Sony BMG.
The remaining components of RCA were merged in the
various divisions of General Electric.
In 1987 the French group Thomson acquired
RCA along with the consumer division of General
Electric. Text based on Wikipedia |
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