MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

As the pioneer in late night television, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) forever changed the relationship between comedy and the American notions of space and place. The intimacy of television is often cited for changing the family dynamic and the internal design of American homes in the 1950s. When late night television emerged in 1954, with Steve Allen’s Tonight!, these public figures were suddenly in our bedrooms, the most intimate place in the home. More interestingly, the cities that these programs broadcast from, usually New York City or Los Angeles, are also brought into our homes each night at 11:35. The concepts surrounding space and place in American culture provide a new framework in which to examine the importance and impact of NBC’s late night television line up. NBC was the first, and until the 1990s and the defection of David Letterman, it was the undisputed leader in post-primetime programming.

This presentation is a case study from my larger dissertation project, in which I examine three American media institutions (The New York Times, NBC, and the Walt Disney Company) at the intersection of popular culture, media, and corporate culture. I question what sets these corporations apart from others in their fields to become the iconic figures in American life. Using case studies that explore aspects of each company that make it unique, I am discovering a framework and a methodology that could inform the future study of American corporations from both American studies and popular culture perspectives.