RCA American Communications (RCA Americom) was founded in 1975 as an operator of RCA Astro Electronics-built satellites. The company's first satellite, SATCOM F1, was launched on December 12, 1975. It was one of the earliest geostationary satellites, & was instrumental in helping early cable TV channels (such as HBO, Showtime, Superstation WTBS & CBN) to become initially successful, because these
channels distributed their programming to all of the local cable TV headends using this satellite. Additionally, it was the first satellite used by broadcast TV networks in the United States, like NBC to distribute their programming to their local affiliate stations. The reason that SATCOM F1 was so widely used is that it had twice the communications capacity of the competing WESTAR 1 (24 transponders as opposed to WESTAR 1’s 12), which resulted in lower transponder usage costs. 14 more (increasingly sophisticated) SATCOM satellites would enter service from 1976 to 1992. In 1986 General Electric acquired RCA and renamed the Americom unit GE American Communications (GE Americom). GE-1 in 1996, GE-2 in 1997 etc. In 2001 SES Global was formed by SES for the $4.3 billion acquisition of GE Americom, which was completed in November of that year. SES Global was established as the group management company; with the renamed SES Americom and SES Astra as subsidiaries. In 2016 the company was acquired by US Electrodynamics Inc.
