Chronology
This chronology is indicative only. It covers -
- antecedents
- DuMont
- Metromedia and Kluge
- Murdoch and beyond
- WorldCom
Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline on this site.
Antecedents
1901 Foster & Kleiser billboard business founded
1922 John Kluge migrates to US from Germany
1928 Allan DuMont works for Lee De Forest on radio valve manufacturing and research
DuMont
1930 De Forest sells operation to RCA's Sarnoff
1931 DuMont founds DuMont Laboratories electronics company
1937 Kluge serves as vice-president Otten Brothers
1938 Dumont launches all-electronic television set
1938 sells 50% of DuMont Labs to Paramount Pictures for US$200k
1940 licensed to operate experimental tv station in New York
1940 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Report on Chain Broadcasting
1941 Kluge serves in US Army Intelligence
1944 DuMont's NY commercial licence converted to commercial licence
1945 licensed to operate experimental tv station in Washington DC
1945 DuMont forms DuMont Network with NY-DC coaxial link
1946 DuMont Washington station gets commercial license, television network licensed by FCC
1946 Kluge buys Maryland radio station WGAY for US$15,000
1947 becomes president of New England Fritos
1949 US Department of Justice orders major Hollywood studios to spin off their cinema operations
1949 DuMont inaugurates Pittsburgh station
1949 Paramount Pictures establishes United Paramount Theatres (UPT) as vehicle for its cinemas
1951 UPT buys ABC network from Edward Noble
1953 FCC approves UPT-Noble deal
1953 FCC rules that Paramount controls DuMont
Kluge and Metromedia
1951 John Kluge buys Baltimore food brokerage business
1952 Foster & Kleiser acquired by WR Grace conglomerate
1952 gains control of Mid-Florida Radio Corporation
1953 gains control of St Louis Broadcasting Corporation
1954 gains control of Pittsburgh Broadcasting Company
1954 gains control of Capitol Broadcasting Company, Nashville
1954 DuMont Pittsburgh station sold to Westinghouse Broadcasting for US$9.75m
1955 DuMont Television Network separated from DuMont Labs as DuMont Broadcasting Company, later becomes Metropolitan Broadcasting Company
1956 Kluge founds Kluge, Finkelstein and Company wholesale food operation
1956 Kluge increases stake in Metropolitan, gains control when DuMont sells holdings for US$7m
1957 gains control of Associated Broadcasters Dallas Ft Worth
1957 chair of Seaboard Service Systems
1957 becomes partner in Western New York Broadcasting Company, Buffalo
1958 Metropolitan buys WHK Cleveland from Cleveland Plain Dealer
1958 DuMont's television and hifi manufacturing arm sold to Emerson Radio
1959 buys Foster & Kleiser (F&K), US largest billboard operator
1960 remaining DuMont interests absorbed by Fairchild Camera & Instrument
1961 Metropolitan Broadcasting becomes Metromedia
1962 Foster & Kleiser Phoenix and Fresno operations sold to Karl Eller, who forms Eller Outdoor Advertising
1966 Gulf+Western conglomerate buys Paramount
1971 Viacom formed when FCC rules force CBS to spin off some of its cable TV and program-syndication operations
1982 Metromedia sells F&K billboards but retains plant and management operations
1983 Long Distance Discount Service (LDDS) founded
1984 Kluge buys Florida-based Network 1
1984 Kluge buys outstanding Metromedia shares (72%) through US$1.3bn LBO
Murdoch and beyond
1986 Kluge sells Metromedia television stations to Rupert Murdoch as basis for Fox Network
1986 sells Metromedia billboard operations to Patrick media, affiliate of NBC parent GE
1988 increases stake in Orion Pictures to 69%
1989 LDDS merges with Advantage Company
1989 Kluge merges Metromedia Long Distance with long-distance divisions of International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) as Metromedia-ITT
1990 Metromedia sells New York City mobile phone operations for US$1.05bn
1991 GE Capital absorbs Patrick Media
1992 LDDS merges with Advanced Telecommunications
1992 Kluge sells remaining mobile phone operations for US$3.4bn
1993 LDDS buys Resurgens Communications Group and Metromedia-ITT for US$1.25bn to create fourth-largest US long distance phone network, with Kluge as chair
1994 LDDS buys domestic and international network IDB Communications Group
1994 Viacom and Paramount announce US$8.4bn merger after Viacom wins bidding war with USA Networks/QVC
1995 Kluge merges Actava Group, Orion Pictures, MCEG Sterling and Metromedia International Telecommunications as Metromedia International Group (MIG)
WorldCom
1995 LDDS buys Williams Telecommunications Group for US$2.5bn, changes name to WorldCom
1995 Westinghouse Electric buys CBS
1996 WorldCom merges with MFS Communications (MFS), Kluge sells stake for US$1.2bn
1996 WorldCom merges with UUNet Technologies
1996 CBS buys Infinity radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising group for US$4.7bn
1997 sells Orion Pictures, Goldwyn Entertainment and Motion Picture Corp of America to MGM for US$573m
1998 WorldCom buys MCI Communications for US$40bn
1998 WorldCom buys Brooks Fiber Properties for US$1.2bn and CompuServe for US$1.3bn
1998 CBS sells 17% of Infinity Broadcasting for US$2.9 billion
1999 CBS buys King World Productions, leading television program syndicator, for US$2.5bn
1999 Viacom buys CBS for US$50bn
2001 MIG sells MetroStars soccer team to Philip Anschutz
2002 sells Russian broadcasting interests