74 years to the day after the first commercial TV broadcast emanated from the building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza has a new name: the Comcast Building.
The NBC peacock and Comcast logo now adorn the top of the iconic midtown Manhattan skyscraper which, until last year, had been known as the GE Building. Philadelphia-based Comcast acquired full control of NBC from General Electric in 2013.
Earlier today, Comcast NBCUniversal unveiled new granite naming stones located at the entryways of the 1933 building. The rooftop signage will be lit up this evening, adding the NBC peacock to the New York City skyline for the first time, just in time for the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, which is once again airing on NBC. Chicago has had the peacock as part of its skyline for 26 years, atop the city’s downtown NBC Tower.
On July 1, 1941, FCC licenses went into effect allowing TV stations to broadcast programs (and sell products) for the first time. WNBC, then known as WNBT, went on the air that day from 30 Rock.
NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt voices this video about the change.