NBC

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

NBC
Stands forNational Broadcasting Company
Meanings2
CategoriesOrganizations & Companies, Military

NBC has two meanings. It stands for National Broadcasting Company (media and broadcasting) or Nuclear, biological and chemical (military term).

Meanings of NBC at a glance

#NBC stands forContext
1National Broadcasting CompanyOrganizations & Companies › Media and Broadcasting
2Nuclear, biological and chemicalMilitary › Military Term

1. National Broadcasting Company

Organizations & Companies · Media and Broadcasting Abbreviations

Oldest major US broadcast network, airing NBC News, Today, Saturday Night Live, Sunday Night Football and the Olympics in the United States. It is part of Comcast's NBCUniversal.

Example: NBC holds the US broadcast rights to the Olympics through 2036.

Founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) as the first permanent national radio network. Its three-note chimes were the first audio trademark registered in the US, and the peacock logo was introduced in 1956 to promote color broadcasts. Comcast took control of NBCUniversal in 2011.

2. Nuclear, biological and chemical

Military · Military Term Abbreviations

Older military term for weapons and defensive measures involving nuclear devices, disease agents and toxic chemicals, as in "NBC defense" or "NBC suits." It has largely been replaced by CBRN.

Example: Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War remember sleeping in their NBC suits during Scud alerts.

NATO and the US military expanded the term to CBRN in the 2000s to include radiological threats such as "dirty bombs." Much older equipment and manuals still carry NBC markings. In broadcasting, NBC is the US television network, the dominant meaning.

More media and broadcasting abbreviations

  • LAT – Los Angeles Times
  • MGM – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • MSNBC – MSNBC (Microsoft-NBC)
  • MTV – Music Television
  • NHK – Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
  • NPR – National Public Radio
  • NYT – The New York Times
  • PBS – Public Broadcasting Service

See all 53 media and broadcasting abbreviations →

More military term abbreviations

  • MRE – Meal, Ready-to-Eat
  • MSR – Main supply route
  • MTF – Military treatment facility
  • MWR – Morale, Welfare and Recreation
  • NCO – Noncommissioned officer
  • NCOER – Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report
  • NCOIC – Noncommissioned officer in charge
  • NDAA – National Defense Authorization Act

See all 248 military term abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.