Through the early 1970s, Sarnoff attempted to build RCA into a multinational conglomerate which included rental cars, carpet manufacturing, book publishing and sold frozen vegetables.
Focus on RCA's core technology businesses waned and also resulted in the selling of their computer division at a massive financial loss.
After five years as chairman, a "palace revolt" by the board and senior RCA executives removed Sarnoff from the CEO position.
After Sarnoff's unsuccessful tenure, RCA never recovered its former stature and was purchased by General Electric in 1986, which liquidated most of the company's assets.
After the war, he took a series of positions in media, for a short time as the assistant publisher at The Des Moines Register and Tribune and then moving to Look Magazine.
Through this period, NBC was a leader in racial integration, the first network to broadcast a program hosted by Nat King Cole, and the first to have a black actor in a leading role with Bill Cosby in I Spy.
Earlier that year, Robert sold RCA's computer division to Sperry Rand at a $490 million loss, an action which resulted in significant criticism within the company.
Over the next several years he sought to build RCA into a multinational conglomerate, purchasing Random House, Hertz car rental service, Banquet Foods and several other companies.