Leonard Goldenson
Goldenson orchestrated the merger of United Paramount Theatres with ABC in 1953 (after Paramount was ordered to spin it off in the wake of "United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.", a 1948 decree of the U.S. Supreme Court). ABC was originally formed in 1943 in the wake of an earlier Supreme Court decree effectively ordering the spinoff of the largely secondary-status "Blue Network" from its then-parent, NBC; its buyer, industrialist Edward J. Noble, tried to build ABC into a competitive Broadcasting company, but by 1951 was rumored to be on the verge of selling the nearly bankrupt operation to CBS, whose management apparently wanted ABC's critically important owned-and-operated television stations.
National Band Council of Australia
Prior to the advent of the NBCA, many of the Australian states had formed their own band associations (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia). The four state governing bodies recognised the need for a unifying national council that could provide a universal set of contest rules and regulations, and apply them across Australia. Although there were several failed attempts, the Australia Band Council (ABC) was formed in New South Wales on 13 April 1934. The organisation's committee now meets annually to review and update the constitution related the conduct of on-stage and marching contests, as well as the drill and marching regulations. Any changes decided at the meeting were subsequently circulated to all State Associations.