Westinghouse Electric Corp.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

U.S. television and radio broadcasting company, formerly an electrical equipment manufacturer. It was founded in 1886 as the Westinghouse Electric Co. by George Westinghouse to make and sell alternating-current electrical systems. The company became a major supplier to the electric-utility industry, producing machinery used to generate and distribute electricity. It adopted the name Westinghouse Electric Corp. in 1945. After World War II Westinghouse also manufactured nuclear reactors and defense electronics. In the 1990s it bought television and radio stations throughout the U.S., including the television network CBS Inc. in 1995 and Infinity Broadcasting Corp. in 1996. After selling its defense electronics unit to Northrop Grumman Corp. in 1996, the company changed its name to CBS Corp. in 1997 and sold its nuclear operations to British Nuclear Fuels PLC in 1998. CBS was purchased by media conglomerate Viacom Inc. in 1999 and renamed CBS Television Network.

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