Before Metromedia the company was the DuMont Television Network, the first commercial television network in the world, beginning its operations in 1946. By 1955 DuMont became convinced that he could not compete successfully with CBS, NBC or ABC television networks and decided to close down shop. In 1957 the name was changed to Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation, and later that year Washington-based investor John Kluge purchased shares in the company. Later Kluge became chairman and gained a 75 percent controlling interest in the company. In 1961 Kluge changed the company’s name to Metromedia after a series of acquisitions broadened the company’s interest base. Metromedia owned radio and TV stations across the US from 1956 until 1986, and then owned Orion Pictures from 1986 until 1997.
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John Kluge