Union Broadcasting System

The Union Broadcasting System was a fictional television network in the 1976 film "Network", written by Paddy Chayevsky.

The Union Broadcasting System is the lowest rated of the four major networks in the film (NBC, ABC, CBS, UBS) and is considered an industry joke when bought by CCA, the Communication Corporation of America, headed by Arthur Jensen. UBS's luck begins to change when the network's anchorman Howard Beale becomes a hit after suffering a breakdown live on the air, or as Diana Christensen puts it, "articulating the popular rage."

UBS features at least 67 affiliates including stations in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Sandusky, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; as well as KGIM, Boise, Idaho; WCGG, Atlanta, Georgia and KTNS, Kansas City, Missouri.

UBS is not limited to television and controls UBS Radio Division, UBS Records Group, UBS Publishing Group and the UBS Theater Chain.

Employees of UBS

Howard Beale (Peter Finch): The head anchor for the "UBS Evening News with Howard Beale". Referred to as "the Grand Old Man of News," Beale's ratings slipped following his wife's death. Both of these factors led him to drinking. He has known Max Schumacher for a long time, and it is Max who informs him of his firing two weeks before his last broadcast. After Beale tells the national audience that he plans to kill himself on the air, Hackett pulls him off the air, only to put him back on when ratings skyrocket. Howard is clearly not well, but uses the medium to stop a deal between the West World Funding Corporation and CCA.

Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway): The head of Programming for UBS. She has had the position for roughly 6 months. Christensen is creative, if not soulless, and gains huge ratings by exploiting Howard Beale and creating "The Mao Tze-Tung Hour", a show highlighting the activities of a terrorist group. She is good at her job and becomes almost too excited at the prospect of a hit. Even in her relationship with Max Shumacher, Diana focuses on work discussing everything from James Bond movies to "The Dykes", a homosexual soap-opera, pausing only long enough to climax during sex. It is Diana who comes up with the plan to kill Howard.

Max Shumacher (William Holden): The President of the News Division at UBS. Max has known Howard Beale since their days at CBS in the early fifties. He often tells a comical anecdote about shooting a segment from the George Washington Bridge. He is told to resign by network president Edward Ruddy for allowing Howard to remain on the air announcing that "life is bullshit" although later reinstated. He as also often at odds with Frank Hackett who eventually fires him. Though married, he becomes romantically involved with Diana Christensen but ends it when he sees she doesn't love him.

Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall): Executive Senior Vice President of UBS, hand-picked by CCA head Arthur Jensen to pull the network out of fourth place. His newer style of management constantly clashes with Max, who has been in the industry since its inception. Hackett becomes Chairman of the Board after Edward Ruddy dies. Although initially against the idea of keeping Howard off the air, Hackett is desperate for a hit show and lets Howard editorialize until his ratings go down. He, along with Diana, Nelson, Walter and Herb plot to assassinate Howard.

Edward George Ruddy (William Prince): Chairman of the Board for UBS. He demands Schumacher's resignation after he permits Howard to continue a rant about how life is bullshit, but later relents when he admits he's going to need backing when he goes up against Hackett.

Nelson Cheney (Wesley Addy): President of the Network. Cheney is uneasy about allowing Howard back on the air. He is even more uneasy about killing him.

Bob McDonough (Lane Smith): The Vice President and interim head of the News Division.

Harry Hunter: The executive producer for "The UBS Evening News" and later "The Howard Beale Show"

Barbara Schlesinger (Conchata Ferrell): Head of the Story Department

Bill Herron: Unidentified position, UBS West Coast Special Programs Department

George Bosch: VP Program Development East Coast

Tommy Pellegrino: Assistant VP Programming

Jack Snowden: The UBS correspondent based in Washington who is chosen to replace Howard Beale as lead anchor.

Edward Fletcher: A UBS correspondent who reports a story about the price of oil from Vienna.

Walter Amundsen: General Council for UBS. He is one of five involved with the plot to kill Howard Beale.

Arthur Zangwill: VP of Network Standards and Practices

Joe Donnelly: VP of Sales for UBS

Herb Thackeray: VP of Affiate Relations. He is also involved in the plan to kill Howard Beale.

Milton Steinman: VP Public Relations News Division

Walter Gianini: VP Legal Affairs News Division

Emil Dubrovnik: VP Owned Station News

Michael Sandies: General Manager UBS News Radio

Richmond Kettering: VP News Sales

Noted shows on UBS

*"The UBS Evening News with Howard Beale": The network's national news show anchored by Howard Beale and later Jack Snowden. It is on this program that Howard Beale announces his intentions to kill himself as well as the famous "mad as hell" speech.

*"The Network News Hour" (referred to as "The Howard Beale Show"): The retooled news show featuring segments with "Sybil the Soothsayer", "Jim Webbing and his It's-the-Honest-Truth-department", "Miss Mata Hari and her skeletons in the closet" as well as "Vox Populi." The show also opens with editorial by Howard who goes on ranting and raving until he passes out.

*"The Mao Tse Tung Hour": A one-hour drama focusing on the activities of the Ecumenical Liberation Army. The show opens with authentic footage of the Ecumenicals committing a terrorist act and the remainder of the show is the fictitious story behind the footage.

*"The New Lawyers": A show pitched to UBS by Universal which has the possibility of going into development. "Set in a large eastern law school, presumably Harvard, the running characters are a crusty but benign ex-Supreme Court Justice, presumably Oliver Wendell Holmes by way of Dr. Zorba. There is a beautiful girl graduate student and the local district attorney who is brilliant and sometimes cuts corners." (The real TV drama Storefront Lawyers is presumably the inspiration for "The New Lawyers".)

*"The Amazon Squad": Another candidate for development from Universal. The running characters include a crusty but benign Police Lieutenant, who is always getting heat from the commissioner. A hard-nosed, hard drinking detective who thinks women belong in the kitchen and the brilliant and beautiful young girl cop who is fighting the feminist battle on the force. (This would seem to be a cross between The Mod Squad and Charlie's Angels, with a dash of Get Christie Love!.)

*"Untitled Investgative Reporter Show": The third show pitched to UBS by Universal. This one involves yet another crusty but benign character. That's all that is revealed before Diana, the head of network programming cuts Barbara off.

*"The Dykes": A homosexual soap opera mentioned by Diana during sex. It follows the heart-rending saga of a woman hopelessly in love with her husband's mistress.

Other show titles visible on the network schedule board behind Diana include:
*"Holy Mackerel" (Mondays 10 PM)
*"Death Squad" (Tuesdays 10 PM)
*"Celeb Canasta" (Sunday 9 PM)
*"The Wilsons" (Wednesday 10 PM)
*"Celeb Mah-Jong" (Wednesday 9 PM)
*"Shirley, Pedro, and the Putz" (Monday 9 PM)
*"2 Plus 2" (Tuesdays 9 PM)
*"Bad Lands" (Fridays 10 PM)
*"Grand Guignol" (Sundays 10PM)
*"The Poco Poco Show" (Saturday 8:30PM)