WNBC

Channel #4 on the box
The hippest of all the broadcast stations it has had the best line-up for years. The Thursday night schedule was legendary with The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, ER, and many others. The channel was never scared to experiment. They have done 3-D episodes (3rd Rock from the Sun), bi-coastal live shows (ER, Will & Grace), and extended episodes from the 23/30 or 46/60 minute format to whatever time was needed. They also have Saturday Night Live, make mini-series and are willing to put on shows from their other holdings (Battlestar Galactica) if popular.

History
Started on radio in 1928.
Experimental nature started with a low non-TV-tube compatible signal.
Became the first commercially operated station, running ads during broadcast.
This is the flagship station for NBC.

Highlights
Great shows...once - I can't deny watching this channel more than any other but there are changes coming.

News - Sue Simmons has been an anchor since 1980 and is one of my favorites. She is honest, funny, personal, and severely asthmatic. It is shame she will be remembered by one little mistake after she let the expletives fly over the air. She did apologize a few minutes later.
Still this is solid news and worth watching although they tease stories a bit.

Full Schedule - Meaning they give morning shows, news, soap operas, talk shows, dramas, comedies, sports, movies, game shows, and special event programs.

Filming - Thanks to all the Law & Orders and many other NY based shows they are constantly filming in or around the city. It's virtually impossible not to see an NBC TV production live during the year. They are so common that you can meet the actors without getting attitude or a crowd forming.

Lowlights
Run on Emotions - This is more of a Corporate NBC issue. Someone liked Seinfeld and it wasn't canceled but many other shows despite the same low ratings are booted off the air for little to no reason.
Recently they replaced an episode of My Name is Earl with a cartoon. Why? All I know is that now Earl has been canceled. I will admit recently I stopped watching and missed about 4 episodes but the ratings are not that bad to just give up.

Leno at 10pm - They announced the end of 10pm dramas and will fill the time slot with Jay Leno's new talk show. Experimental yes, appealing no.

Advertising
Full logo pop-up and expansion. Just 10 years ago I could record a show on tape and keep it forever since the broadcast was clear and uninterrupted. I did this often for series finale because back then they did not sell TV shows. Now in what I can only guess is a way to force fans to buy the DVDs they completely ruin episodes.
During the ER series finale at an emotional and touching scene they took up 1/4 of the screen to announce that next week at the same time is the series premiere of Southland. That was enough to make it that I never watch Southland and stop archiving.
The commercials are all national spots with nothing remarkable.
In show ads are horrendous. Again with My Name is Earl and several other show they forced "green living" on us. The episodes taught lessons on environmental friendliness that was sickening and badly done. Many times your watching some NBC show and can't help but yell out "commercial".