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1949 in radio
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1949 radio television music film
The year 1949 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.
Events
2 January – The Jack Benny Program first appears on CBS after 16 years on NBC – one of the most visible results of CBS' "talent raids."Cox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. 978-0786438488. p. 7.
1 April – The facilities and staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland are transferred to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on the former British colony joining Canada as its 10th province.
15 April – KPFA 94.1 FM in Berkeley, California, begins broadcasting as the first listener-sponsored radio station in the United States and the first of five stations founded by the Pacifica Radio network.
23 November – James Lindenberg branches into radio broadcasting with the official launch of DZBC 1000 kilohertz on AM, owned by Bolinao Electronics Corporation (the predecessor of ABS-CBN Corporation) in the Philippines.
Debuts
Programs
January 9 – Screen Directors Playhouse premieres on NBC.
January 31 – Book at Bedtime debuts on the BBC Light Programme.
February 11 – Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (1949–1962) debuts on CBS.
February 27 – Broadway Is My Beat debuts on CBS.
April 4 – Ray's a Laugh debuts on the BBC Light Programme.A Concise History of British Radio, 1922–2002 Sean Street Sean Street https://books.google.com/books?id=y7jo0IcUZeoC&q=%22Ray%27s+a+Laugh%22+%22first+broadcast%22+1949&pg=PA103 2002 Tiverton Kelly 9781903053140 103
April 24 - Richard Diamond, Private Detective debuts on NBC.dunningota 576-577
May 1 – The Adventures of Frank Race, a syndicated program, debuts in some markets.
May 7 – The Affairs of Peter Salem debuts on Mutual.
June 3 – Dragnet premieres on NBC.
June 5 - The Green Lama premieres on CBS.dunningota 299
June 18 - Murder by Experts premieres on Mutual.dunningota 470
June 29 – Candy Matson debuts on NBC West Coast.
July 3 – Four Star Playhouse debuts on NBC.Dunning, John. (1976). Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925–1976. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 0139326162.
July 4
Add a Line debuts on ABC.Terrace, Vincent. (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. 978-0786445134.
Leave It to Joan debuts on CBS.
Young Love debuts on CBS.
August 1 - Make Believe Town debuts on CBS.dunningota 430
August 25 – Father Knows Best debuts on NBC.Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. 978-0195076783.
September 4 – Chance of a Lifetime debuts on ABC.
September 5 – Light-Up Time debuts on NBC.
November 4 - Crime Correspondent debuts on CBS.Radio and Television: C. B. S. Video Network to Offer Tuesdays 'Actor's Studio,' Dropped by A. B. C. https://www.nytimes.com/1949/10/29/archives/radio-and-television-c-b-s-video-network-to-offer-tuesdays-actors-s.html October 13, 2025 The New York Times October 29, 1949 28 subscription
Stations
January 25 – Bayerischer Rundfunk is reconstituted from Munich Radio in West Germany. This year it establishes the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
February 22 – KWPC-FM (99.7 FM) of Muscatine, Iowa, with a broadcasting power of 3,000 watts, signs on the air as a sister station of KWPC-AM (860 AM). Studios are located on the outskirts of Muscatine.
June 26 – WWON-FM/105.5-Woonsocket, Rhode Island, begins broadcasting at 390 watts. It is the sister station of WWON/1240 in the same community.
September 10 — WJMA/1340-Orange, Virginia, begins broadcasting with 250 watts full time.
December 11 – KALA/1400-Sitka, Alaska, begins broadcasting. The owner is Baranof Enterprises.KALA on Air https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/49-OCR/1949-12-19-BC-OCR-Page-0074.pdf 23 September 2014 Broadcasting December 19, 1949
December 22 – WPEP/1570-Taunton, Massachusetts, begins broadcasting from studios atop the Roseland Ballroom, north of downtown Taunton.
Closings
January 2 – Cabin B-13 ends its run on network radio (CBS).
January 9 – WWDX-FM, Paterson, New Jersey, ceases broadcasting.WNNJ-FM https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1949/1949-01-24-BC.pdf 16 April 2019 Broadcasting January 24, 1949 80
April 17 – Manhattan Merry-Go-Round ends its run on network radio (NBC Blue Network).
June 4 – The Adventures of Frank Merriwell ends its run on network radio (NBC).
June 5 – The Alan Young Show ends its run on network radio (NBC).
June 10 – Herb Shriner Time ends its run on network radio (CBS).
June 25 – Famous Jury Trials ends its run on network radio in the United States.
June 27 - Child's World ends its run on network radio (ABC).dunningota 152-153
July 1 - Ford Theater (radio series) ends its run on network radio (NBC).dunningota 257-258
July 3 – Mayor of the Town ends its run on network radio.
August 20 - The Green Lama ends its run on network radio (CBS).dunningota 299
August 22 – Leave It to Joan ends its run on network radio (CBS).
September 4 – The Burl Ives Show ends its run on network radio (ABC).
September 25 – Call the Police ends its run on network radio (CBS).
September 26 – Add a Line ends its run on network radio (ABC).
October 28 – The Abe Burrows Show ends its run on CBS.
December 15 – Captain Midnight ends its run on network radio Mutual.
December 25 - The House of Mystery ends its run on network radio Mutual.dunningota 333
Births
February 7 – Les Ross, né Meakin, English midlands DJ.
March 12 – David Mellor, English politician and radio presenter.
April 2 – Paul Gambaccini, American-born British music presenter.
April 20 – Paul Heiney, English broadcaster.
May 22 – Jesse Lee Peterson, American political radio host.
November 23 – Tom Joyner, American radio host
November – Neal Conan, American NPR host, producer, editor and correspondent, captured during the 1991 Gulf War by the Iraqi Republican Guard (died 2021)
December 12 – Bill Nighy, English actor.
Philip Dodd, English creative arts academic and broadcaster.
David Stafford, English writer and broadcaster.
Deaths
January 9 – Tommy Handley, English comedian (born 1892).
February 15 – Patricia Ryan, American actress (born 1921); she was stricken with a severe headache the night before while performing in a broadcast of Cavalcade of America, and her husband found her dead the next morning at home.Death Claims Radio Actress https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6251951/the_san_bernardino_county_sun/ The San Bernardino County Sun United Press February 16, 1949 California, San Bernardino 2 Newspapers.com August 15, 2016
June 10 – Sir Frederick Ogilvie, British broadcasting executive and university administrator (born 1893).
References
Category:Radio by year