1954 in American television

none 1954 This is a list of American television-related events in 1954. Events Date Event Ref. January 1 The Rose Parade was broadcast in NTSC color for the first time ever. The NBC broadcast, possibly one of the earliest color broadcasts in American television history, used a new mobile color television studio truck, and the program is carried across the continent on 21 television stations. Color TV sets were placed in public viewing areas (e.g. hotel lobbies, etc.) by RCA as the first color sets wouldn't become available to the public for another few months. February 28 The Westinghouse H840CK15 is first offered for sale, the second consumer all-electronic color television set. The set was discontinued about six months after its introduction. https://visions4netjournal.com/admiral-c1617a-color-tv/ Admiral C1617A Color TV 2018-04-12 Visions4 Magazine en-US 2019-03-23https://visions4netjournal.com/westinghouse/ Westinghouse H840CK15 Color TV Observatory Palomar 2018-05-14 Visions4 Magazine en-US 2019-03-23 March 28 Television arrives in the U.S. insular territory of Puerto Rico with the launch of WKAQ-TV in San Juan. http://msnlatino.telemundo.com/legal_corporate/ Corporate Information Telemundo.com November 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20090123130010/http://msnlatino.telemundo.com/legal_corporate January 23, 2009 dead April The American Broadcasting Company broadcasts the Army–McCarthy hearings live and in their entirety. April The RCA CT-100 15-inch color sets hit the market. The CT-100 wasn't the world's first color TV, but it was the first to be mass-produced, with 4400 having been made. https://lancasteronline.com/news/rca-pioneers-remember-making-the-first-color-tv-tube/article_2d5e6fb1-6c7d-55ce-82b8-255fe3c15497.html RCA pioneers remember making the first color TV tubehttps://www.earlytelevision.org/rca_ct-100.html Rca Ct-100 May 16 National Educational Television launches as the nation's first non-commercial, educational broadcast television network. Ford Foundation Activities in Noncommercial Broadcasting, 1951-1976 http://www.fordfound.org/archives/item/0303/text/012 Ford Foundation 2008 November 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20081201124452/http://www.fordfound.org/archives/item/0303/text/012 December 1, 2008 dead September 11 Lee Ann Meriwether wins the Miss America 1955 Beauty Contest, which is broadcast on national television for the first time. About 27 million viewers watched the future television actress win the crown in the pageant. https://movies.nytimes.com/person/48556/Lee-Meriwether/biography https://web.archive.org/web/20121102222807/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/48556/Lee-Meriwether/biography dead November 2, 2012 Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times Hal Erickson Hal Erickson (author) 2012 Lee Meriwether Biography November 23, 2022 Television programs Debuts Date Debut Network January 2 The Spike Jones Show NBC January 3Hyatt Wesley The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television 1997 Watson-Guptill Publications 978-0823083152 https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat registration 22 March 2020 264-265 Look Up and Live CBS January 4Hyatt Wesley The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television 1997 Watson-Guptill Publications 978-0823083152 https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat/page/70/mode/2up 22 March 2020 71–72 The Brighter Day CBS January 9 Annie Oakley First-run syndication January 23 Stories of the Century First-run syndication February 1https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/18/archives/secret-storm-stilled-by-cbs-but-20yearold-show-will-resume-under.html?sq=The%2520Secret%2520Storm&scp=4&st=cse The Secret Storm stilled The Secret Storm CBS February 23 Rocky Jones, Space Ranger First-run syndication March 11 The Public Defender CBS March 14 Night Editor DuMont April 1Hollis Tim Hi There, Boys and Girls!: America's Local Children's TV Shows. 2001 Univ. Press of Mississippi. 36 The Wallace and Ladmo Show KPHO-TV April 2 Meet Corliss Archer First-run syndication April 8 Justice NBC April 18 The Martha Wright Show ABC April 20 Love Story DuMont April 26 The Tony Martin Show NBC April 30Newsweek May 24, 1954, p. 84, TV-Radio "Vampire"TV Guide July 17–23, 1954 p. 10, "Local Ghoul Makes Good" The Vampira Show KABC-TV June 25 The Stranger DuMont July 3 Stage Show CBS July 5 Concerning Miss Marlowe NBC July 6 One Minute Please DuMont July 6 Summer Playhouse NBC July 16 Gamble on Love DuMont July 16 The Best in Mystery NBC August 5 So You Want to Lead a Band ABC August 21 Waterfront First-run syndication August 27 Time Will Tell DuMont August 28 The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan NBC September DuMont Evening News DuMont September 7 It's a Great Life NBC September 7 Stop the Music ABC September 9Woolery George W. Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series 1985 The Scarecrow Press 0-8108-1651-2 103–105 Captain Midnight CBS September 10 Dear Phoebe NBC September 12Collins 1993, pp.82–3Stevens Lassie CBS September 13 Medic NBC September 15 The Best of Broadway CBS September 18 Willy CBS September 19 People Are Funny NBC September 21 Studio 57 DuMont September 27 Caesar's Hour NBC September 27 The Tonight Show NBC September 30 Shower of Stars CBS October 1http://epguides.com/FlashGordon%5F1954/ Flash Gordon (1954) Epguides.com George Fergus 2017-03-26 Flash Gordon DuMont October 1 The Lineup CBS October 2 The Imogene Coca Show NBC October 2 The Jimmy Durante Show NBC October 3 Father Knows Best CBS October 4 December Bride CBS October 5Tim Brooks Tim Brooks (television historian) Earle Marsh The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present Ballantine Books New York Eighth 2003 Elgin TV Hour, The (Dramatic Anthology) 359–60 978-0-345-45542-0 The Elgin Hour ABC October 7 The Mail Story ABC October 7 Climax! CBS October 9Alex McNeil, Total Television, appendix with network television schedule The Donald O'Connor Show NBC October 15Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. 978-0-345-49773-4. The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin ABC October 18Producers' Showcase library, Showcase Productions, Inc.; archived 2012-06-07 from the original at the Internet Archive. Retrieved 2013-06-13. Producers' Showcase NBC October 18 Sherlock Holmes First-run syndication October 19 The Halls of Ivy CBS October 22 The Jack Carson Show NBC October 27 Walt Disney's Disneyland ABC November 1 The Ilona Massey Show DuMont November 7Face the Nation: My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years of the Award-Winning News Broadcast Bob Schieffer Simon & Schuster New York City 21–22 978-0641658730 Bob Schieffer Face the Nation CBS Unknown date The Jo Stafford Show CBS Unknown date That's My Boy CBS Changes of network affiliation Show Moved from Moved to The Ernie Kovacs Show CBS DuMont Better Living TV TheaterABCDumontThe GoldbergsCBSDumontBoxing From St. Nicholas ArenaNBCDumont Ending this year Date Program Network First aired Notes January 1 Nine Thirty Curtain DuMont October 16, 1953 January 11 Of Many Things ABC October 5, 1953 January 18 Broadway Television Theatre WOR-TV April 14, 1952 January 18 Keep Posted DuMont October 9, 1951 January 21 Joseph Schildkraut Presents DuMont October 28, 1953 February 5 Guide Right DuMont February 25, 1952 February 2 Melody Street DuMont September 25, 1953 February 24 Answers for Americans ABC November 11, 1953 February 28 The Igor Cassini Show DuMont October 25, 1953 March 9 Pulse of the City DuMont September 15, 1953 April 3 Medallion Theatre DuMont July 11, 1953 April 10 NBA on DuMont DuMont September 9, 1953 April 11 The George Jessel Show ABC September 13, 1953 April 17 On Your Way DuMont September 9, 1953 May Boxing from Eastern Parkway DuMont May 1952 May The Abbott and Costello Show syndication September 1952 May 29 Johnny Jupiter ABC March 21, 1953 (on DuMont) May 29 The Secret Files of Captain Video DuMont September 5, 1953 May 28 The Campbell Playhouse DuMont June 6, 1952 May 30 The Fred Waring Show CBS April 17, 1949 June ABC Mystery Theater ABC October 5, 1951 June 5 Your Show of Shows NBC February 25, 1950 June 17 Martin Kane, Private Eye NBC 1949 June 25 My Friend Irma CBS January 8, 1952 June 27 Man Against Crime NBC October 7, 1949 (on CBS) June 29 Love Story DuMont April 20, 1954 June 30 Stars on Parade DuMont November 4, 1953 July 2 The Pride of the Family ABC October 2, 1953 July 15 Broadway to Hollywood DuMont July 4, 1949 August 1 Juvenile Jury NBC April 3, 1947 August 2 The Dennis Day Show NBC November 23, 1951 (as The RCA Victor Show) August 17 Suspense CBS January 6, 1949 August 20 Gamble on Love DuMont July 16, 1954 August 21 Bank on the Stars NBC June 20, 1953 (on CBS) August 24 Summer Playhouse NBC July 6, 1954 Returned in 1957 September 3 The Best in Mystery NBC July 16, 1954 September 8 Night Editor DuMont March 14, 1954 September 8 The Strawhatters DuMont May 27, 1953 September 12 The Plainclothesman DuMont October 12, 1949 September 24 Marge and Jeff DuMont September 21, 1953 September 26 The Web CBS July 11, 1950 October 3 The Man Behind the Badge CBS October 11, 1953 October 10 Author Meets the Critics DuMont April 4, 1948 (on NBC) October 15 Time Will Tell DuMont August 27, 1954 October 17 The Music Show DuMont May 19, 1953 October 18 The Week in Religion DuMont March 16, 1952 November 16 Rocky Jones, Space Ranger Syndication February 23, 1954 December 5 The Martha Wright Show ABC April 18, 1954 December 24 Meet Corliss Archer DuMont April 2, 1954 December 26 Rocky King Detective DuMont January 7, 1950 December 30 They Stand Accused DuMont September 11, 1949 Unknown date Ramar of the Jungle Syndication October 7, 1952 Television films and specials December 25 - The Walt Disney Christmas Show on CBS Television stations Station launches Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref. January 1 Shreveport, Louisiana KSLA 12 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary) Traverse City/Cadillac, Michigan WWTV 9 CBS (primary) DuMont/ABC (secondary) January 6 Danville, Virginia WBTM-TV 24 ABC “History of UHF Television: 14-25” https://web.archive.org/web/20190910141724/http://www.uhftelevision.com/14-25.html 2019-09-10 . uhftelevision.com. January 13 Mobile, Alabama WEAR-TV 3 CBS January 15 Lansing, Michigan WMSB 60 NET Now WMSB on channel 23 February 5 Adams, Massachusetts WCDC-TV 19 ABC Satellite station of WTEN/Albany, New York February 8 Augusta, Georgia WRDW-TV 12 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) Fresno, California KBID-TV 53 Independent February 14 Savannah, Georgia WTOC-TV 11 CBS (primary) NBC/DuMont (secondary) February 16 Bay City/Flint, Michigan WNEM-TV 5 NBC February 17 Albany, New York WTRI 13 CBS March 1 Superior, Wisconsin/Duluth, Minnesota WDSM-TV 6 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) March 9 San Francisco KSAN-TV 32 Independent March 13 Tulsa, Oklahoma KCEB 23 NBC (primary) DuMont (secondary) March 17 Clarksburg, West Virginia WJPB-TV 15 NBC Fairmont, West Virginia WJPB-TV 35 ABC (primary) NBC and DuMont (secondary) March 20 South Bend, Indiana WSJV 28 NBC (primary) ABC (secondary) March 21 Great Falls, Montana KFBB-TV 5 CBS (primary) NBC, ABC, and DuMont (secondary) March 22 Cheyenne, Wyoming KFBC-TV 5 ABC (primary) NBC/DuMont (secondary) March 23 Fort Myers, Florida WINK-TV 11 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary) Providence, Rhode Island WNET 16 ABC (primary) DuMont (Secondary) March 27 Jackson, Mississippi WSLI 12 ABC March 28 Manchester, New Hampshire WMUR-TV 8 ABC San Juan, Puerto Rico WKAQ-TV 2 Independent April 1 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania WQED 13 NET April 5 San Francisco, California KQED 9 NET April 6 KSAN 32 Independent April 7 Albany, Georgia WALB-TV 10 NBC April 8 Eau Claire/La Crosse, Wisconsin WKBT 8 CBS (primary) ABC/DuMont/NBC (secondary) April 9 Wilmington, North Carolina WMFD-TV 6 NBC (primary) DuMont/ABC/CBS (secondary) April 10 Weslaco, Texas (Brownsville/McAllen, Texas) KRGV-TV 5 NBC (primary) ABC (secondary) April 15 Des Moines, Iowa WHO-TV 13 NBC Eugene, Oregon KVAL 13 NBC (primary) ABC/CBS/DuMont (secondary) Little Rock, Arkansas KARK-TV 4 NBC (primary) DuMont (secondary) April 16 Honolulu, Hawaii KULA-TV 4 ABC April 24 Erie, Pennsylvania WSEE CBS April 25 Chattanooga, Tennessee WDEF-TV 12 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary) May 1 San Juan, Puerto Rico WAPA-TV 4 Independent May 3 Madison, Wisconsin WHA-TV 21 NET May 15 Mason City, Iowa/Rochester, Minnesota KGLO-TV 3 CBS (primary) DuMont (secondary) May 16 Portland, Maine WGAN-TV 13 CBS May 22 Grand Junction, Colorado KFXJ-TV 5 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary) June 1 Ada, Oklahoma (Sherman, Texas) KTEN 10 ABC July 1 Missoula, Montana KGVO-TV 13 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC (secondary) Indianapolis, Indiana WISH-TV 8 ABC (primary) DuMont and NBC (secondary) Orlando, Florida WDBO-TV 6 CBS (primary) DuMont/ABC/NBC (secondary) July 2 Enid/Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KGEO-TV 5 ABC License moved to Oklahoma City in 1963 July 4 Huntsville, Alabama WMSL-TV 48 NBC July 8 St. Louis, Missouri KWK-TV 4 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) Later a CBS O&O station (as KMOX-TV) from 1958 to 1986; now CBS affiliate KMOV Warrensburg/Sedalia, Missouri (Columbia/Jefferson City, Missouri) KDRO-TV 6 Independent July 12 Fargo, North Dakota KXJB-TV 4 CBS July 15 Salisbury, Maryland WBOC-TV 16 DuMont July 22 Terre Haute, Indiana WTHI-TV 10 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary) July 26 Cincinnati, Ohio WCET 48 NET August 6 Nashville, Tennessee WLAC-TV 5 CBS August 14 Buffalo, New York WGR-TV 2 NBC (primary) DuMont (secondary) August 15 Charleston, West Virginia WCHS-TV 8 CBS August 22 West Palm Beach, Florida WJNO-TV 5 NBC September 2 Durham/Raleigh, North Carolina WTVD 11 NBC (primary) CBS/ABC (secondary) September 6 Stockton/Sacramento, California KOVR 13 Independent September 8 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania WCMB-TV 27 DuMont September 10 Salt Lake City, Utah KUTV 2 ABC September 11 Green Bay, Wisconsin WMBV-TV 11 NBC September 12 Bangor, Maine WTWO 2 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) September 13 Traverse City/Cadillac, Michigan WPBN-TV 7 NBC (primary) ABC (secondary) September 16 Windsor, Ontario, Canada (Detroit, Michigan, United States) CKLW-TV 9 CBC Television (primary) DuMont (secondary) Licensed in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but serves both sides of the Canada–United States border as per RKO General ownership at time of sign-on September 18 Asheville, North Carolina WLOS-TV 13 ABC Muskogee/Tulsa, Oklahoma KTVX 8 ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) September 20 St. Louis, Missouri KETC 9 NET September 25 Charleston, South Carolina WUSN-TV 2 NBC Poland Spring/Portland, Maine WMTW-TV 8 ABC September 26 Burlington, Vermont (Plattsburgh, New York) WCAX-TV 3 CBS Fort Wayne, Indiana WINT 15 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) Joplin, Missouri KODE-TV 12 September 29 Alexandria, Louisiana KALB-TV 5 NBC (primary) CBS/DuMont/ABC (secondary) Lake Charles, Louisiana KPLC 7 NBC (primary) ABC (secondary) October 2 Hartford, Connecticut WGTH-TV 18 ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) October 3 Cape Girardeau, Missouri KFVS-TV 12 CBS October 10 Sioux City, Iowa KTIV 4 NBC (primary) ABC/CBS (secondary) October 13 Atlanta, Georgia WQXI-TV 36 Independent October 14 Tyler, Texas KLTV 7 ABC (primary) CBS/NBC (joint primary) DuMont (secondary) October 18 Florence, South Carolina WBTW 13 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) October 19 Wichita, Kansas KAKE-TV 10 NBC (primary) ABC (secondary) October 22 Watertown, New York WCNY-TV 7 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC (secondary) October 23 Wausau, Wisconsin WSAW-TV 7 CBS (primary) ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary) October 27 Milwaukee, Wisconsin WISN-TV 12 ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) October 29 Spokane, Washington KREM 2 ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) November 1 Lincoln, Nebraska KUON-TV 12 NET Flagship of Nebraska ETV November 20 Houston, Texas KTRK-TV 13 ABC November 28 Great Bend/Hays, Kansas (Salina, Kansas) KCKT 2 NBC December Miami, Florida WGBS-TV 27 Independent December 5 Tulsa, Oklahoma KVOO-TV 2 NBC December 7 Seattle, Washington KCTS-TV 9 NET December 8 Plattsburgh, New York WIRI 5 NBC (primary) DuMont/ABC (secondary) December 14 Oak Hill/Bluefield/Beckley, West Virginia WOAY-TV 4 ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) December 18 Atlanta, Georgia WQXI-TV 36 Independent December 24 Miami, Florida WGBS-TV 23 Independent December 25 Montgomery, Alabama WSFA-TV 12 NBC (primary) ABC (secondary) December 28 Pasco, Washington KEPR 19 CBS (primary) NBC/ABC (secondary) Network affiliation changes Date City of license/Market Station Channel Old affiliation New affiliation Notes/Ref. March Duluth, Minnesota WFTV 38 CBS (primary) NBC (secondary) ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) May 15 Austin/Rochester, Minnesota KMMT 6 CBS (primary) DuMont (secondary) ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) Rochester, Minnesota KROC-TV 10 NBC (primary) DuMont/CBS/ABC (primary) NBC (primary) CBS/DuMont (secondary) May 16 Houston, Texas KUHT 8 Educational independent NET August 6 Nashville, Tennessee WSIX-TV 8 (now on 2) CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) ABC (exclusive) WSM-TV 4 NBC (primary) ABC/DuMont (secondary) NBC (primary) DuMont (secondary) Became an exclusive NBC affiliate upon the closure of DuMont in 1956. Unknown date Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KMPT (recalled from KLPR) 19 ABC DuMont Station closures Date City of license/Market Station Channel Affiliation First air date Notes/Ref. February 28 Kansas City, Missouri KCTY 25 DuMont June 6, 1953 March 13 Lincoln, Nebraska KFOR-TV 10 CBS May 31, 1953 Merged with KOLN-TV March 31 Little Rock, Arkansas KRTV 17 CBS (primary) NBC/ABC/DuMont (secondary) April 5, 1953 Studio purchased by KATV April Duluth, Minnesota WFTV 38 NBC/CBS (joint primary) ABC/DuMont (secondary) 1953 April 2 Festus/St. Louis, Missouri KACY 14 Independent October 31, 1953 April 21 Pueblo, Colorado KDZA-TV 3 DuMont March 16, 1953 April 29 Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico (Brownsville/McAllen, Texas, United States) XELD-TV 7 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) September 15, 1951 April 30 Flint, Michigan WTAC-TV 16 ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) May 1 Monroe, Louisiana KFAZ 43 Independent August 11, 1953 May 5 Phoenix, Arizona KOY-TV 10 ABC October 19, 1953 Merged with time-sharing station KOOL-TV, which went full-time on channel May 17 Atlantic City, New Jersey WFPG-TV 46 NBC (primary) CBS/ABC/DuMont (secondary) December 21, 1954 June 9 Kansas City, Missouri WHB-TV 9 CBS August 2, 1953 Merged with time-sharing station KMBC-TV, which went full-time on channel July 2 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania WKJF-TV 53 Independent July 14, 1953 Returned to the air in 1969 as WPGH-TV July 11 Duluth, Minnesota WFTV 38 NBC (primary) CBS/ABC/DuMont (secondary) May 31, 1953 July 15 Fresno, California KBID-TV 53 Independent February 8, 1954 July 17 Princeton, Indiana WRAY-TV 52 Independent December 6, 1953 August 1 Mobile, Alabama WKAB-TV 48 CBS, DuMont December 30, 1952 August 3 St. Louis, Missouri KSTM-TV 36 DuMont October 20, 1953 September 19 Butte, Montana KOPR-TV 4 CBS (primary) ABC (secondary) August 23, 1953 October 15 Elmira, New York WTVE 24 DuMont, CBS, ABC June 15, 1953 Tower collapse in Hurricane Hazel. Returned May 6, 1956 – February 13, 1957 October 23 Tyler, Texas KETX 19 NBC (primary) CBS/ABC/DuMont (secondary) August 24, 1953 December 16 Portland, Maine WPMT 53 DuMont August 27, 1953 December 25 Tulsa, Oklahoma KCEB 23 NBC (primary) DuMont (secondary) March 13, 1954 December 31 Danville, Virginia WBTM-TV 24 ABC January 6, 1954 Unknown date Flint, Michigan WTAC-TV 16 ABC (primary) DuMont (secondary) 1953 Births 1954 in television#Births Deaths 1954 in television#Deaths References External links List of 1954 American television series at IMDb Sources Collins Ace Lassie: A Dog's Life 1993 Penguin Books New York 978-0-14-023183-0 Stevens Val News of TV and Radio February 9, 1964 The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1964/02/09/97169021.pdf 2009-11-03 1954 *