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'''National Action''' (founded [[Anzac Day]], [[1982]]) was an [[Australia|Australian]] [[political party]] which was on the [[far-right]] of the political spectrum. It had no representatives in any Australian parliament, at either state or national level. Its ideology dictated that it remain outside the "political system".
[[Image:Nbculogo.jpg|right]]
'''NBC Universal''' is a [[mass media|media]] and [[entertainment]] [[conglomerate]] formed in May [[2004]] by the combination of [[General Electric]]'s [[NBC]] with Vivendi Universal Entertainment, part of [[Vivendi Universal]]. GE owns 80% of NBC Universal with the remaining 20% owned by Vivendi and [[Barry Diller]]. The company develops, produces, and markets entertainment, news, and information to a global customer base.
Its policies included the deportation of [[asylum seekers]] and the termination of [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] [[native title]]. For this reason, National Action is usually seen as [[racism|racist]] and [[xenophobia|xenophobic]]. National Action also espoused theories that a [[New World Order (conspiracy)|New World Order]] is taking over the world and must be stopped. They were accused of being a [[neo-nazi]] party as its "chairman" [[Jim Saleam|James Saleam]] Ph.D. was a member of the Australian Nazi party in the 1970s. National Action claimed, however, that it was a "[[National Bolshevik]]" party. Saleam claimed that the party was led collectively.
NBC Universal owns and operates a [[United States]] television network and group of stations, a Spanish-language network, a portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a motion picture company, a number of television production companies, and several theme parks.
National Action was a fringe group that never obtained a popular following for a number of possible reasons:
== Television ==
NBC Universal has its modern roots in a series of expansions undertaken by NBC. In the late [[1980s]], NBC began pursuing a strategy of diversification, including the formation of two NBC-owned cable-television networks, [[CNBC]] and [[America's Talking]]. NBC also has partial ownership of several regional sports channels and other cable channels, such as [[Court TV]] and [[American Movie Classics]]. [[NBC Super Channel]] reaches more than 65 million households in Europe.
* its use of [[terrorism]] and intimidation against perceived enemies and rival "racial-nationalists";
In [[1994]], NBC began operating [[NBC Desktop Video]], a financial news service that delivers live video to personal computers. In [[1996]] the company announced an agreement with the [[Microsoft Corporation]] to create [[MSNBC]], an all-news cable television channel, using its subscriber base from its America's Talking network. The joint venture also included establishing a companion news service, [[MSNBC]] Online, on the [[World Wide Web]]. NBC Desktop Video and America's Talking were phased out. Also in [[1996]], NBC began broadcasting CNBC Europe, NBC Asia and CNBC Asia and in [[1998]] in partnership with Dow Jones & Co. they combined their financial news channels outside the US.
* Saleam's conviction for insurance fraud in 1988;
* the public peception that it was a criminal gang; and
* its plans to fire-bomb a political rival's home and to murder anti-[[Apartheid]] activist [[Eddie Funde]].
Saleam was imprisoned in [[1991]] for the plot against Funde.
In [[1999]], NBC took a 32% stake in the Paxson group, operator of [[PAX Network|PAX TV]]. In 2004 NBC announced it was looking to sell its interest in PAX and end its 5 year relationship with Pax owner Paxson Communications.
In the mid-[[1990s]], the success of the right wing [[One Nation Party]] led many National Action members to join One Nation to promote a broad far-right, anti-immigration agenda within the party. The subsequent implosion of One Nation (which was partially due to Saleam's machinations to take over One Nation) stymied this plan.
In recent years, attempts have been made to resurrect the party by [[Michael Brander]], a rival of Saleam. These plans have had little impact due to the loss of Dr. Saleam's credibility amongst ex-members and other "racial-nationalists", many of whom had been attacked physically or slandered by Saleam. Saleam is often said by rivals on the racial right to be of part [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] origin, an allegation which he has denied on many occasions. The violent background of Brander, convicted and fined $3000 for assaulting an Asian opponent with a flagpole in [[1995]], [http://home.mira.net/~sp/magazine/feb97/fawkner.htm] caused renewed controversy in [[2005]] when Brander's work was published in the government-funded monthly magazine ''[[Quadrant (magazine)|Quadrant]]''. Brander's appearance there was denounced by federal [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] parliamentarian [[Michael Danby]] (Danby's condemnation was quoted by ''[[Australian Jewish News]]'' on March 18, 2005 and by ''[[The American Conservative]]'' on June 5, 2006). Meanwhile Saleam has published online his doctoral thesis [http://home.alphalink.com.au/~radnat/otherradicalism/], an elaborate coverage of the alliances and enmities within extreme-rightist Australian movements over recent decades.
National Action co-founder David Greason's book, ''I was a Teenage Fascist'', tells of Greason's own time within the Australian neo-Nazi movement and the events behind the founding of National Action.
In [[2002]], NBC acquired the US Spanish-language broadcaster [[Telemundo]], which included the [[bilingual]] [[Mun2 Television]] (pronounced "moon dose").
==References==
Also in [[2002]], NBC acquired the cable channel [[Bravo (television network)|Bravo]].
*[http://www.aijac.org.au/review/2002/2711/jack-jim.html?oneclick=true "The Tale of Jack and Jim"], by Matthew Collins, ''The Review'', November 2002. (Hostile account of Saleam, Brander, and others involved in NA.)
{{Politics of Australia}}
In [[2003]], as part of the dismantling of the Vivendi Universal conglomerate, GE formed NBC Universal: 80% owned by GE, 20% by Vivendi. In [[2006]], Vivendi will have the right to monetize the remaining 20% at fair market value, which would result in a forced purchase by GE. The joint venture encompasses Vivendi's US film interests, such as [[Universal Studios]] production and distribution units, five theme parks, and cable television channels such as the [[USA Network]], [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci Fi Channel]], and [[Trio channel|Trio]], a cable channel devoted to [[popular culture|pop culture]].
[[Category:Political parties established in 1982]]
In [[2004]], the television production divisions of NBC Studios and Universal Network Television were combined to form NBC Universal Television Studio. NBC Studio series brought into the company include the NBC dramas ''[[Las Vegas (television)|Las Vegas]]'' (with [[DreamWorks SKG]]), ''[[Crossing Jordan]]'', and ''[[American Dreams]]''. Universal Network Television brought the ''[[Law & Order]]'' [[franchising|franchise]] and ''[[The District]]''. Late night shows produced by the new group include ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'', ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', and ''[[Last Call with Carson Daly]]''.
[[Category:Defunct political parties in Australia]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazi organizations]]
The formation of NBC Universal saw the establishment of NBC Universal Cable, which oversees the distribution, marketing, and advertisement sales for twelve channels (Bravo, Bravo HD+, CNBC, CNBC World, MSNBC, mun2, [[Sci Fi channel (United States)|Sci Fi Channel]], [[ShopNBC]], Telemundo, TRIO, USA Network, Weather Plus, and the [[Olympics]] on cable). NBC Universal Cable also manages the company's investments in [[A&E]], the [[History Channel]], History Channel International, the [[Biography Channel]], [[National Geographic International]], the
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Sundance Channel]], and [[TiVo]].
In the early [[1990s]], NBC began its expansion throughout [[Europe]] by creating [[CNBC Europe]] and its long-time successful NBC Europe [[Superstation]] by broadcasting [[NBC Giga]] throughout [[Germany]] and the rest of the European Union. NBC Europe helped to develop the largest European computer and video games expo "Games Convention" in [[Leipzig]] with more than 100,000 visitors each year.
== Film ==
[[Universal Studios]] became a part of NBC Universal as a result of the [[2004]] merger. UPDATE: In July 2005 rumors that NBC Universal may buy [[Dreamsworks SKG]] for $2.5 Billion; Dreamworks Pictures already uses Universal's film distribution and home entertainment division to distribute there products. [[Dreamworks Animation]] is not included.
== Parks and resorts ==
NBC Universal owns [[Universal Studios]] in [[Hollywood]] and has a major stake in
* [[Universal Orlando Resort]] in [[Orlando, Florida]], which features Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure
* [[Universal Studios Japan]] in [[Osaka, Osaka|Osaka]]
* [[Port Aventura]] (formally Universal Mediterranea) near [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]]
==External link==
*[http://www.nbcuni.com/ NBC Universal's website]
[[Category:General Electric subsidiaries]]
[[Category:entertainment companies of the United States]]
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[[nl:NBC Universal]]
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