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American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
TypeBroadcast radio network and
television network
CountryFlag of the United States United States
Availability   National; also available in Flag of Canada Canada, Flag of Mexico Mexico, and the Caribbean, also distributed in certain other North America countries
Founder(as independent company)
Edward Noble
SloganStart Here
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company
Key peopleRobert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company
Anne Sweeney, co-chair Disney Media Networks and President, Disney-ABC Television Group
Launch dateOctober 12, 1943 (radio network)
April 19, 1948 (television network)
Past namesNBC Blue Network
Websitewww.abc.com

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a US-based television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948. Corporate headquarters are in Manhattan, while programming offices are in Burbank, adjacent to the Walt Disney Studios and the Walt Disney Company corporate headquarters. ABC is among the most successful networks as of 2006.

ABC was the first television network to air programs produced by Walt Disney. In 1954, the Disney anthology television series, under the title Disneyland, began showing not only programs made exclusively for television by the Disney studio, but also edited versions of some of the studio's theatrical films, such as Alice in Wonderland. Occasionally, a full-length film would be shown, such as Treasure Island, but these would be divided into two one-hour episodes. Disneyland, which premiered in conjunction with the impending opening of Disney's theme park of the same name, changed its name to Walt Disney Presents in 1958, and switched from ABC to NBC in 1961, changing its name again—this time to Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. It became one of the longest-running TV series of all time. The 1955 premiere of The Mickey Mouse Club, featuring an ensemble cast of talented yet unspoiled young "Mouseketeers", set a new standard for children's programming. The show included Disney cartoons, newsreels, a talent competition and one of the most beloved TV show themes in history, the "Mickey Mouse March". Several of the original Mouseketeers, such as Annette Funicello and Cubby O'Brien, have enjoyed lifelong success in the entertainment industry.

The formal name of the operation is American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., and that name appears on copyright notices for its in-house network productions and on all official documents of the company, including paychecks and contracts. A separate entity named ABC Inc., formerly Capital Cities/ABC Inc., is that firm's direct parent company, and that company is owned in turn by Disney. The network is sometimes referred to as the Alphabet Network, due to the letters "ABC" being the first three Latin letters.