Fox, sometimes styled as FOX, is one of the four major television networks in the United States. The other three are ABC, CBS, and NBC. The network’s full name is Fox Broadcasting Company. Fox is owned by the Fox Corporation.
The Fox network was established in 1986 by Rupert Murdoch , an Australian-born media executive. Few observers believed that Fox would succeed, because it was competing against the three powerful major networks. ABC, CBS, and NBC had dominated U.S. television for more than three decades. Fox chief executive Barry Diller decided that instead of competing directly for the attention of a mass national audience, the new network would focus on young viewers in major cities.
Fox aired its first original program, the late-night talk show “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers,” in 1986. Early on, the network distinguished itself with humorous programming, including the situation comedy “Married… with Children” and the animated series “The Simpsons.” Both programs poke fun at American popular culture and family life.
Fox helped pioneer reality television in the late 1980’s with the popular crime series “America’s Most Wanted” and “Cops.” In the early 1990’s, Fox introduced prime-time soap operas aimed at teenage and young-adult audiences, including “Melrose Place” and “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
The network also made a strong pitch to African American viewers with “In Living Color,” a variety show produced by the comedian Keenen Ivory Wayans and featuring a predominantly Black cast. The show, which helped launch the careers of performers Jim Carrey , Jamie Foxx , and Jennifer Lopez , made fun of racial stereotypes in American media. Controversy surrounding the show helped to increase its popularity, and it became a cornerstone for a group of Fox programs aimed at Black viewers.
By the mid-1990’s, Fox sought to expand its audience beyond its young-adult market. The science-fiction series “The X-Files,” (1993-2002; 2016; 2018), was extremely popular with many age groups. The singing competition show “American Idol,” broadcast on Fox from 2002 to 2016, attracted some of the biggest audiences in television history. Other popular Fox shows have included the animated comedies “Family Guy,” which began in 1999, and “American Dad!”, which began in 2005; the medical drama “House” (2004-2012); and the musical comedy-drama “Glee” (2009-2015).
