Media and Broadcasting Abbreviations
53 abbreviations · part of Organization & Company Abbreviations
Television networks, cable channels, public broadcasters, news agencies, newspapers and film studios that are known by their initials, from the BBC and CNN to the AP, NYT and MGM. Many networks were named for corporate parents or original formats, such as Home Box Office or Music Television, and some no longer use the expansion at all. Entries give the full name, launch date, ownership history and what each outlet is known for.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | American Broadcasting Company | One of the "Big Three" US commercial broadcast television networks, airing ABC News, Good Morning America, World News Tonight and entertainment series. |
| AFP | Agence France-Presse | French international news agency, one of the three largest in the world with the AP and Reuters, distributing news in French, English, Arabic, Spanish, German and… |
| AMC | American Movie Classics | American cable network known for acclaimed original dramas such as Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, along with movies. |
| AP | Associated Press | American nonprofit news cooperative and one of the world's largest news agencies, supplying text, photos, video and election results to thousands of news outlets. |
| ARD | Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland | Joint organization of Germany's regional public broadcasters, which together run the national TV channel Das Erste, the Tagesschau news and many radio stations. |
| BBC | British Broadcasting Corporation | United Kingdom's national public service broadcaster, running television channels such as BBC One, national and local radio, the BBC News website and the iPlayer… |
| BET | Black Entertainment Television | Cable network aimed at Black audiences, airing music, comedy, dramas, award shows and news. |
| C-SPAN | Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network | American nonprofit network that broadcasts US House and Senate proceedings, congressional hearings and public affairs programs without commentary. |
| CBC | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | Canada's national public broadcaster, operating English-language television, radio and digital services, with French-language services under the Radio-Canada name. |
| CBS | Columbia Broadcasting System | One of the "Big Three" US broadcast television networks, home of 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News, The NFL Today and long-running dramas and sitcoms. |
| CCTV | China Central Television | China's state television broadcaster, operating dozens of channels and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda apparatus. |
| CMT | Country Music Television | Cable channel devoted to country music videos, specials and lifestyle programming. |
| CNBC | Consumer News and Business Channel | American business news cable channel covering financial markets, companies and the economy, with programs such as Squawk Box, Mad Money and Closing Bell. |
| CNN | Cable News Network | American cable news channel and news website, the first television channel to provide 24-hour news coverage in the United States. |
| CTV | CTV Television Network | Canada's largest private English-language television network, owned by Bell Media, carrying CTV News and Canadian and American entertainment programs. |
| CW | The CW Television Network | American broadcast television network formed by combining The WB and UPN, known for young-adult dramas and superhero series and later for sports and unscripted shows. |
| DPA | Deutsche Presse-Agentur | Germany's largest news agency, providing news, photos and graphics in German, English, Spanish and Arabic to media outlets around the world. |
| DW | Deutsche Welle | Germany's international public broadcaster, providing television, radio and online news in about 30 languages for audiences outside Germany. |
| ESPN | Entertainment and Sports Programming Network | American multinational sports media brand operating cable channels, ESPN on ABC broadcasts, a streaming service, radio and the ESPN website and app. |
| FT | Financial Times | British daily newspaper focused on business, economics and international affairs, printed on distinctive salmon-pink paper. |
| GMA | Good Morning America | ABC's weekday morning news and talk program, broadcast live from Times Square in New York, combining news, interviews, weather and lifestyle segments. |
| HBO | Home Box Office | American premium television network and streaming brand known for prestige original series such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Game of Thrones, Succession and The Last of… |
| HGTV | Home & Garden Television | Home-improvement cable channel featuring renovation, real estate and design shows such as Fixer Upper, Property Brothers and House Hunters. |
| IGN | Imagine Games Network | Video game and entertainment media website publishing news, reviews, guides and videos, and running the IGN Live showcase. |
| ITV | Independent Television | Britain's oldest commercial television network, broadcasting ITV1, ITVX streaming and programs such as Coronation Street, Love Island and Britain's Got Talent. |
| KBS | Korean Broadcasting System | South Korea's national public broadcaster, running television channels KBS1 and KBS2, radio and the international service KBS World. |
| LAT | Los Angeles Times | Largest daily newspaper in the western United States, based in El Segundo, California, covering Los Angeles, California, entertainment and national news. |
| MGM | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | American film and television studio known for Leo the Lion roaring in its logo and franchises such as James Bond and Rocky. |
| MSNBC | MSNBC (Microsoft-NBC) | American cable news channel known for progressive opinion programming in prime time, which was renamed MS NOW in November 2025 after it was separated from NBC News. |
| MTV | Music Television | American cable channel that launched the music-video era and later shifted toward reality programming such as The Real World, Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. |
| NBC | National Broadcasting Company | Oldest major US broadcast network, airing NBC News, Today, Saturday Night Live, Sunday Night Football and the Olympics in the United States. |
| NHK | Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) | Japan's national public broadcaster, funded by receiving fees from households with TVs, operating domestic television and radio and the international service NHK… |
| NPR | National Public Radio | American nonprofit media organization that produces and distributes news and cultural programs, such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered, to hundreds of… |
| NYT | The New York Times | American daily newspaper based in New York City, one of the most influential in the world, with a large digital subscription business that also includes Wordle… |
| PBS | Public Broadcasting Service | American nonprofit public television network distributing programs to about 330 member stations, including Sesame Street, Nova, Frontline, PBS NewsHour and Masterpiece. |
| PTI | Press Trust of India | India's largest news agency, a nonprofit cooperative owned by Indian newspapers, supplying news in English and Hindi to media across the country. |
| RAI | Radiotelevisione italiana | Italy's national public broadcaster, running television channels such as Rai 1, radio networks and the RaiPlay streaming service. |
| RT | RT (formerly Russia Today) | Russian state-funded international television network broadcasting in English, Spanish, Arabic and other languages. |
| RTÉ | Raidió Teilifís Éireann | Ireland's national public broadcaster, operating television channels, radio stations and the RTÉ Player streaming service. |
| SBS | Seoul Broadcasting System | South Korean commercial television and radio network, one of the country's three major broadcasters with KBS and MBC, known for dramas, variety shows and music program… |
| TBS | Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) | American cable network airing comedy reruns, sports including Major League Baseball and NCAA tournament games, and reality competition shows. |
| TCM | Turner Classic Movies | Commercial-free movie channel showing classic Hollywood films uncut and without commercials, often with introductions by film historians. |
| TLC | The Learning Channel | American cable channel originally devoted to educational programming that now focuses on reality series about families and relationships, such as 90 Day Fiance and Say… |
| TMZ | Thirty Mile Zone | American celebrity news website and TV show known for breaking entertainment and sports stories, often through paparazzi footage and tips. |
| TNT | Turner Network Television | American cable network showing dramas, movies and live sports, long home of the award-winning NBA studio show Inside the NBA. |
| UPI | United Press International | American international news agency, once one of the two great US wire services alongside the AP, that declined after the 1980s and now operates on a much smaller scale. |
| VH1 | Video Hits One | American cable channel originally created to show music videos for an older audience than MTV, later known for pop-culture and reality programming such as Behind the… |
| VOA | Voice of America | US government-funded international broadcaster providing news on radio, TV and online in dozens of languages, overseen by the US Agency for Global Media. |
| WaPo | The Washington Post | American daily newspaper based in Washington, DC, known for political and national coverage, including its reporting on the Watergate scandal. |
| WB | Warner Bros. | American film and television studio, one of the major Hollywood studios, behind the Harry Potter, DC, Lord of the Rings and Looney Tunes franchises. |
| WBD | Warner Bros. Discovery | American media company that owns the Warner Bros. studio, HBO and HBO Max, CNN, TNT, TBS, Discovery Channel, HGTV and other networks. |
| WSJ | The Wall Street Journal | American business-focused daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, covering markets, companies, politics and economics. |
| ZDF | Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen | German national public television broadcaster, airing news programs such as heute and drama, sports and entertainment. |