The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network or DuMont, was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in the USA. It began operation in the United States in mid-1946, just over a year after the end of World War II. It was owned by DuMont Laboratories, a television equipment and set manufacturer. The network was hindered by the prohibitive cost of broadcasting, by FCC regulations which restricted its growth, and even by its partner, Paramount Pictures. Despite several innovations in broadcasting and the creation of one of television's biggest stars of the 1950s, the network never found itself on solid financial ground. Forced to expand on UHF channels during an era when UHF was not profitable