Editing RCA (section)

{{Short description|American electronics company (1919–1988)}}
{{About|the former RCA Corporation|information on use of the RCA trademark since 1986|RCA (trademark)|the electrical connector from RCA commonly used to carry audio and video signals|RCA connector|other uses|RCA (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = RCA Corporation
| logo = [[File:RCA Records (logo).svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| logo_caption = Final logo, used from 1968 to 1987
| image = File:Rockefeller Center Feb 2022 40.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| image_caption = RCA's former headquarters at [[30 Rockefeller Center]], 1933-1987
| predecessor = [[Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America]]
| successors = [[General Electric]]<br />[[RCA (trademark)|RCA]] (owned by Talisman Brands)<br />[[RCA Records]] (owned by [[Sony Music Entertainment]])<br />[[NBC]] (owned by [[Comcast]])
| defunct = {{end date and age|1987}}
| fate = Acquired by [[GE]] in 1986, various divisions sold or liquidated, and trademark rights sold to [[Thomson SA]] in 1988.
| founder = 
| key_people = [[Owen D. Young]] (first board chairman)<br>[[David Sarnoff]] (first general manager and third president)
| products = Radios<br />[[Vacuum tubes]]<br />[[Phonograph records]]<br />[[Phonograph|Electric phonograph]]<br />[[RCA Photophone]]<br />Televisions<br />[[CED Videodisc]]<br />TV station equipment:<br />Studio cameras<br />[[Video tape recorder|Videotape machines]]<br />[[Film chain]]s<br />[[TV transmitters]]<br />[[Television antenna|TV broadcast antennas]]<br />[[Satellite]]s<br />[[Video game console]]s
| divisions = [[RCA Records]]<br />[[National Broadcasting Company, Inc.]]<br />[[RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video]]<br />[[RCA Service Company|RCA Services]]
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| industry = Media<br>[[Consumer electronics|Electronics]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1919|11|20}} as the Radio Corporation of America
| location = New York City, New York, US<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://ethw.org/RCA_%28Radio_Corporation_of_America%29|title=RCA (Radio Corporation of America)|work=IEEE Global History Network|publisher=[[IEEE]]|access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>
| parent = [[GE]] (1919–1932, 1986–1987)<br />[[Technicolor SA]]{{efn|Until 2010 known as Thomson SA}} (trademark rights only, 1987–2022)<br />Talisman Brands d.b.a Established Inc. (trademark, since 2022)
}}

'''RCA Corporation''' was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the '''Radio Corporation of America'''. It was initially a [[patent pool|patent trust]] owned by [[General Electric]] (GE), [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation|Westinghouse]], [[AT&T Corporation]] and [[United Fruit Company]]. In 1932, RCA became an independent company after the partners were required to divest their ownership as part of the settlement of a government [[United States antitrust law|antitrust]] suit.

An innovative and progressive company, RCA was the dominant electronics and communications firm in the United States for over five decades. In the early 1920s, RCA was at the forefront of the mushrooming radio industry as a major manufacturer of [[radio receiver]]s, and the exclusive manufacturer of the first [[superheterodyne]] sets. The company also created the first nationwide American radio network, the [[National Broadcasting Company]] (NBC). RCA was also a pioneer in the introduction and development of television, both black and white and especially [[color television]]. Throughout most of the company's existence,  RCA was closely identified with the leadership of [[David Sarnoff]]. He became general manager at the company's founding, served as president from 1930 to 1965, and remained active as chairman of the board until the end of 1969.

During the 1970s, the seemingly impregnable stature of RCA as America's leading name in technology, innovation and home entertainment began to weaken as the company attempted to expand beyond its main focus of the development and marketing of consumer electronics and communications into a diversified multinational conglomerate. Additionally, RCA began to face increasing domestic competition from international electronics firms such as [[Sony]], [[Philips]], [[Panasonic|Matsushita]] and [[Mitsubishi]]. RCA suffered enormous financial losses in the mainframe computer industry and other failed projects including the [[CED videodisc]] system.

Although the company was rebounding by the mid-1980s, RCA never regained its former eminence and was reacquired by General Electric in 1986. This was during the [[Jack Welch]] era of GE and Welch began selling off or liquidating most of RCA's assets, retaining only [[NBC]] and government services. Today, RCA exists as a [[brand name]] only; the various [[RCA (trademark)|RCA trademarks]] are currently owned by [[Sony Music Entertainment]] and [[Vantiva]], which in turn license the RCA brand name and trademarks to several other companies, including [[Voxx International]], Curtis International, AVC Multimedia, [[TCL Corporation]] and Express LUCK International, Ltd. for their various  products.