Today 1952

Overview

Today is a daily American morning television program that airs on the NBC network. The series debuted on January 14, 1952, marking the first show of its genre on American television and in the world. It currently holds the distinction of being the fifth-longest running American television series. Originally launched as a two-hour weekday program, the show eventually expanded its schedule to include Sundays in 1987 and Saturdays in 1992. The weekday broadcast further increased its duration to three hours in 2000 and reached four hours in 2007. For many years, the program maintained a position of dominance that remained virtually unchallenged by other networks. This status changed in the late 1980s when the show was overtaken in viewership by the program Good Morning America, which aired on ABC. Following this period of competition, Today eventually retook the lead in the Nielsen ratings. The program continues to serve as a staple of the morning television landscape in the United States.