Editing 1989 in American television (section)

==Notable events==
{| class="wikitable"
! Date || Event
|-
| rowspan="3" |January 1
|A complicated, [[1989 South Florida television affiliation switch|six-station network affiliation swap]] takes place in two [[South Florida]] markets. In [[Miami]], [[WTVJ]] moves to [[NBC]] from [[CBS]], [[WFOR-TV|WCIX]] (now WFOR-TV) moves to CBS from [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]], and [[WSVN]] moves to Fox from NBC. Meanwhile, in [[West Palm Beach]], [[WPEC]] switches from [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] to CBS, [[WTVX]] leaves CBS to become an independent, and ABC station [[WPBF]] signs on this day. The swaps result from NBC's acquisition of WTVJ in 1987, and CBS's acquisition of WCIX in August 1988. The switches in West Palm Beach are accomplished due to WCIX's weak signal in [[Broward County, Florida|Broward County]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130606153625/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-01-17/news/8701040387_1_channel-4-s-nbc-stations NBC To Buy Miami's Channel 4], ''South Florida Sun-Sentinel'', January 17, 1987.</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/09/business/the-media-business-cbs-to-buy-tv-station-in-miami.html | work=The New York Times | title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; CBS to Buy TV Station In Miami | date=August 9, 1988}}</ref>
|-
|[[NBC]]'s station in [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]], WXFL reclaims the [[WFLA-TV]] call letters.
|-
|''[[The Karen Carpenter Story]]'', a [[television film|made-for-television]] [[biographical film]] about singer [[Karen Carpenter]] and the brother-and-sister pop music duo of which she was a part, [[The Carpenters]] is broadcast on [[CBS]]. The movie was popular in the [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]]; it was the highest-rated two-hour TV movie of the year and the third highest rated such program on any network during the 1980s.
|-
|January 3
|''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'' premieres in [[Broadcast syndication|first-run syndication]]. [[Brooke Shields]], [[Luther Vandross]], and [[Leslie Nielsen]] appear as guests.
|-
|January 7
|The television version of the 1983 film ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]'' premieres on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtango.com/listings/1989/01/07 |title=TV Listings for – January 7, 1989 |work=TV Tango |date=January 7, 1989 |access-date=November 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105212717/http://www.tvtango.com/listings/1989/01/07 |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> 32&nbsp;minutes of violence, profanity and sex were edited out, and much of the dialogue was muted or replaced with less offensive alternatives.<ref>{{cite web|title=Scarface{{!}} Trailers from Hell|url=http://trailersfromhell.com/scarface|website=trailersfromhell.com|access-date=June 8, 2014|archive-date=September 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919022735/http://trailersfromhell.com/scarface/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|January 8
|[[Universal Pictures]] releases a cut of the 1985 film ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]'' for airing on their [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] film package, the [[Universal Pictures Debut Network|Debut Network]]. Running 93 minutes (as opposed to the 142 minute-long theatrical cut), it was a heavily modified version that remained true to Universal's then-COO [[Sidney Sheinberg|Sid Sheinberg]]'s preferred cut of the film (which modified the dark sci-fi satire into an uplifting romance, complete with a happy ending), and was subsequently given the nickname "The Love Conquers All Cut." How this version managed to get released remains a mystery; director [[Terry Gilliam]] said that Universal asked him to make an edited-for-television cut of the film and he refused. In an interview with the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', Gilliam sarcastically complimented Sheinberg for "[getting] a chance to break into TV," but was angry that Universal didn't take his name off the TV cut and also criticized advertisements for the Debut Network premiere of ''Brazil'' which used the same critical praise that was given to his version.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1989-01-08|title=Lobotomized 'Brazil'?|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-08-ca-117-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-06-24|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127023827/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-08-ca-117-story.html |archive-date=2020-11-27 }}</ref> In an interview with Jack Matthews in an updated version of his book ''The Battle of Brazil'', Sheinberg claimed he had no idea how his cut leaked out, and said that he wasn't the one who ordered that cut to be released.
|-
|January 9
|[[Pat Sajak]] quits the daytime version of the series ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' for a [[The Pat Sajak Show|CBS late night talk show]] while remaining host of the nighttime version. His daytime hosting role will be assumed by [[Rolf Benirschke]], then by [[Bob Goen]] when ''Wheel'' switches networks from NBC to CBS that July.
|-
|January 15
|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] airs an episode of ''[[Married... with Children]]'' called [[Married... with Children (season 3)|"Her Cups Runneth Over"]], which would soon become the main source of [[Terry Rakolta]]'s moral boycott campaign against the show.
|-
|January 21
|[[Mike Myers]] joins the cast of the [[NBC]] series ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.
|-
|January 22
|[[Super Bowl XXII]] from Miami's [[Hard Rock Stadium|Joe Robbie Stadium]] is broadcast on NBC. This would be the last outdoor Super Bowl to start earlier than 6 p.m. [[Eastern Standard Time]], as it started just after 5 p.m. The halftime show was titled "Be Bop Bamboozled in 3-D" and featured [[Elvis impersonator|Elvis Presto]], played by then-''[[Solid Gold (TV series)|Solid Gold]]'' dancer Alex Cole, and hundreds of South Florida-area dancers and performers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/74902/oral-history-strangest-super-bowl-halftime-show-ever |title=Oral History: The Strangest Super Bowl Halftime Show Ever |last=Rossen |first=Jake |date= February 4, 2018|website=Mental Floss |access-date=February 6, 2020 }}</ref> Ironically, not one actual [[Elvis Presley]] song was performed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Andrews |first=Travis |date=February 2, 2018 |title=From Elvis Presto to Michael Jackson: How the Super Bowl halftime show found its groove |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/02/02/from-elvis-presto-to-michael-jackson-how-the-super-bowl-halftime-show-found-its-groove/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=January 30, 2020 }}</ref> Several scenes included computer generated 3-D images. Prior to the game, [[Coca-Cola]] distributed [[Stereoscopy|3-D glasses]] at retailers for viewers to use. At the onset of the halftime show, primary sponsor [[Diet Coke]] aired the first commercial in 3-D. [[Coca-Cola]] had originally planned to use the 3-D [[Diet Coke]] commercial as part of the ''[[Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting]]'' season finale, which was also aired in 3-D, but withdrew plans due to the [[1988 Writers Guild of America Strike]].
|-
|rowspan="2"|February 5
|On the [[NBC]] sitcom ''[[Day by Day (American TV series)|Day by Day]]'', six cast members from ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' ([[Robert Reed]], [[Florence Henderson]], [[Ann B. Davis]], [[Maureen McCormick]], [[Christopher Knight (actor)|Christopher Knight]], and [[Mike Lookinland]]) reunite.
|-
|The first part of the four part [[Western (genre)|Western]] miniseries ''[[Lonesome Dove (miniseries)|Lonesome Dove]]'' airs on [[CBS]], drawing a huge viewing audience, earning numerous awards, and reviving both the television Western and the miniseries.
|-
|February 9
|The second edition of the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]]'s [[Prime time|prime-time]] series ''[[WWF The Main Event|The Main Event]]'' airs on [[NBC]]. This particular episode is most notable for [[Randy Savage]] [[Glossary_of_professional_wrestling_terms#turn|turning]] on his [[Mega Powers|tag team]] partner, [[Hulk Hogan]] and thus, setting up their match for Savage's [[WWE Championship|WWF World Heavyweight Championship]] at [[WrestleMania V]] on April 2. The live broadcast of ''The Main Event'' would draw an 11.6 rating and 19.9 million viewers.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 8, 1989 |title=Nielsen ratings |work=[[USA Today]] |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306179902}}}}</ref>
|-
|February 18
|The [[Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1988–89|first ever]] "[[Wayne's World]]" sketch featuring [[Mike Myers]] and [[Dana Carvey]] as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar respectively, [[Saturday Night Live season 14|appears]] on [[NBC]]'s ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.
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|rowspan="2"|February 20
|[[Jane Wyman]], an actress on the [[CBS]] drama series ''[[Falcon Crest]]'', is rushed to the hospital, after suffering from diabetes and a liver ailment.
|-
|[[Charlie O'Donnell]] returned to ''Wheel of Fortune'' as the announcer, following a nine-year absence.
|-
|February 26
|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] broadcasts the [[Television film|made-for-television]] film ''[[Get Smart, Again!]]'', which features [[Don Adams]] and [[Barbara Feldon]] reprising their characters of Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 from the 1965–1970 [[NBC]]/[[CBS]] sitcom ''[[Get Smart]]''. The relative success of the film prompted the development of a short-lived (only seven episodes) [[1995 in American television|1995]] weekly series on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]], also titled ''[[Get Smart (1995 TV series)|Get Smart]]'', with Adams and Feldon again reprising their characters.
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|February 27
|[[CBS]] airs a [[Television pilot|pilot]] for a proposed series called ''[[What's Alan Watching?]]'', starring [[Corin Nemec]] as the titular Alan, a 17-year-old [[couch potato]] who views life, and his family, as if they were on television. The pilot was produced by [[Eddie Murphy]], who also cameos in it as not only a protester decrying [[James Brown]]'s incarceration, but Brown himself. While CBS ultimately passes on making it a regular series, ''What's Alan Watching?'' did win the [[Television Critics Association]]'s [[TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials]].
|-
|March 2
|[[Pepsi]]'s controversial advertisement with [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] and her song "[[Like a Prayer (song)|Like a Prayer]]" airs during [[NBC]]'s showing of ''[[The Cosby Show]]''. The same ad was run on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] in the UK, 12 minutes into ''[[The Bill]]''.
|-
|March 10
|The [[List of Webster episodes#Season 6 (1988–89)|series finale]] of ''[[Webster (TV series)|Webster]]'' has the eponymous character being transported to the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-D)]] from ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''. [[Michael Dorn]] guest stars as Lt. [[Worf]].
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|March 13
|The weekday version of ''[[Yo! MTV Raps]]'', hosted by [[Ed Lover]] and [[Doctor Dré]] debuts.
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|rowspan="2"|March 19
|''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' makes its network broadcast television premiere on [[NBC]].
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|The [[1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series#Motorcraft Quality Parts 500|Motorcraft Quality Parts 500]] is [[NASCAR on television in the 1980s#1989|broadcast]] on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The broadcast is notable because Dr. [[Jerry Punch]], who was reporting from the pit stall of [[Richard Petty]] when a fire broke out, proceeded to treat on the spot, two injured crew members. Following the incident, in which several items of Punch's clothing were singed or melted, [[NASCAR on ESPN|ESPN]] mandated that its pit reporters wear [[Racing suit|fire-retardant]] suits. Other networks have since adopted the practice.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Andy |title=Punch's near miss led to safety gear for ESPN's NASCAR pit reporters |url=http://www.espnfrontrow.com/2012/04/punchs-near-miss-led-to-safety-gear-for-espns-nascar-pit-reporters/ |accessdate=November 8, 2016 |website=[[ESPN Inc.|ESPN Front Row]] |date=April 10, 2012}}</ref>
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|March 24
|For the first time since 1973, [[NBC]] reruns the 1960 telecast of ''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)#Television productions|Peter Pan]]'', with [[Mary Martin]] in the title role. Earlier that day, two of the network's game shows, ''[[Sale of the Century (American game show)|Sale of the Century]]'' and ''[[Super Password]]'', aired their final episodes. The following Monday, NBC will return the noon time slot to its affiliates.
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|March 25
|[[Elvis Costello]] [[Saturday Night Live (season 14)|appears]] as the [[List of Saturday Night Live guests (A–D)#C|musical guest]] on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''. It's the first time that Costello appeared on ''SNL'' in 12 years. Costello had been temporarily [[List of Saturday Night Live incidents#Banned performers|banned]] from appearing on ''SNL'' in 1977 after he had abruptly switched songs live against the wishes of his record company and ''SNL''. In 1977, he had originally been scheduled to perform his debut single "[[Less than Zero (Elvis Costello song)|Less Than Zero]]", instead of "[[Radio Radio]]", which criticized the commercialization of broadcasting.
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|March 29
|The [[61st Academy Awards]] ceremony is broadcast on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. Despite the best [[Nielsen rating|Nielsen ratings]] in five years, it proved to be a career disaster for producer [[Allan Carr]], culminating in the infamous pairing of [[Snow White]] (played by Eileen Bowman) and [[Rob Lowe]] singing a parody of "[[Proud Mary]]." The telecast also included a production number featuring what was introduced as "The Stars of Tomorrow" doing a number entitled "I Wanna Be An Oscar Winner" with all the participants being actors and actresses ranging from the age group of late teens to mid-20s. Due largely to the show's opening number, and despite the show's stellar Nielsen ratings, the show became a laughing-stock and went down in history as one of the worst moments in awards show and television history. The telecast was also remembered for being the final public appearance of actress and comedian [[Lucille Ball]], where she and co-presenter [[Bob Hope]] were given a standing ovation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Coemdian Lucille Ball suffers a heart attack |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19890419&id=hLsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6799,3215179|accessdate=October 5, 2013|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |date=April 19, 1989|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On April 26, almost a month after the ceremony, she died from a [[dissecting aortic aneurysm]] at age 77.<ref>{{cite news|last=Flint |first=Peter B. |title=Lucille Ball, Spirited Doyenne of TV Comedies, Dies at 77 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/27/obituaries/lucille-ball-spirited-doyenne-of-tv-comedies-dies-at-77.html |accessdate=October 5, 2013 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 27, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131006062842/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/27/obituaries/lucille-ball-spirited-doyenne-of-tv-comedies-dies-at-77.html |archive-date=October 6, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
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|April 1
|[[Nickelodeon]] celebrates its 10th anniversary with the debut of its new Sunday morning variety show ''[[Total Panic]]''.
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|April 8
|After a ten-month hiatus,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/shows/american-bandstand/ab-moves-to-usa-network-244515/ |title=AB moves to USA network |website=TV.com | accessdate=28 October 2013}}</ref> ''[[American Bandstand]]'' reemerges on the [[USA Network]]. [[David Hirsch (television presenter)|David Hirsch]] took over hosting duties from [[Dick Clark]] (who remained on as executive producer) and ''Bandstand'' moved outdoors to [[Universal Studios Hollywood]]. After 26 weeks on USA, ''Bandstand'' signed off for good on October 7, 1989, with [[The Cover Girls]] as the final [[List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand|musical guests]].
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|April 30
|''[[Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman]]'', the second [[Television film|made-for-television]] reunion film that featured [[Lee Majors]] as [[Steve Austin (character)|Steve Austin]] and [[Lindsay Wagner]] as [[Jamie Sommers (The Bionic Woman)|Jaime Sommers]] is broadcast on [[NBC]]. It is also notably the first television appearance of actress [[Sandra Bullock]] and the first film which strongly featured her. 
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|May 7
|''[[The Trial of the Incredible Hulk]]'', the second film to be based on the [[The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|1978–1982 television series]], airs on [[NBC]]. As was the case with ''[[The Incredible Hulk Returns]]'' and [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]], this television movie also acted as a backdoor [[television pilot]] for a series, in this case, for [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|Daredevil]] ([[List of unproduced Marvel Comics projects|which was also not produced]]).<ref>{{cite news|title= Superheroes' Battleground: Prime Time|work= New York Times|date=1988-10-11|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/11/arts/superheroes-battleground-prime-time.html?scp=15&sq=Incredible%20Hulk%20bill%20bixby&st=cse|access-date=2010-08-12 | first=Aljean | last=Harmetz}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= F.O.O.M. (Flashbacks of Ol' Marvel) #16: "I'm Free Now – The Incredible Hulk (1988-1990)"|publisher= Comic Bulletin|url= http://www.comicsbulletin.com/foom/128355284240689.htm|access-date= 2010-09-09|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184156/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/foom/128355284240689.htm|archive-date= 2013-10-29}}</ref>
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|May 8
|''[[Top Gun]]'' makes its broadcast network television debut on [[NBC]].
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|rowspan="2"|May 11
|In the [[Dynasty_(1981_TV_series,_season_9)#ep220|series finale]] of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] drama ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'', [[Blake Carrington]], [[Alexis Colby]], [[Dex Dexter]], and [[Fallon Carrington|Fallon Carrington Colby]] are stuck in mortal peril.
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|[[NBC]] airs a [[List of 227 episodes#Season 4 (1988–89)|pilot]] for a proposed spin-off of ''[[227 (TV series)|227]]'' centered on [[Jackée Harry]]'s character Sandra Clark. The pilot however, was not picked up for a series and Jackée subsequently left ''227''. She would however, later guest star in seven of the final season's episodes.
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|May 14
|[[NBC]] broadcasts the [[List of Family Ties episodes#Season 7 (1988–89)|series finale]] of ''[[Family Ties]]'' followed by the network television premiere of ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]''.
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|May 14–25
|[[NHL on SportsChannel America|SportsChannel America]] [[List of Stanley Cup Finals broadcasters|airs]] the [[1989 Stanley Cup Finals|first]] of four consecutive [[Stanley Cup Finals]].
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|May 18
|[[Donna Mills]] makes her [[List_of_Knots_Landing_episodes#Season_10_(1988–89)|final regular appearance]] as villainess [[Abby Cunningham]] on the [[CBS]] drama ''[[Knots Landing]]''.
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|May 20
|Original ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' cast member, [[Gilda Radner]] succumbs to [[ovarian cancer]] at the age of 42. News of Radner's death broke as [[Steve Martin]] was rehearsing to act as the guest host for that night's [[Saturday Night Live (season 14)|season finale]] of ''SNL''. Martin's planned opening monologue was scrapped; in its place a visibly upset Martin introduced a video clip of a 1978 sketch in which he and Radner had parodied [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Cyd Charisse]] in a well-known dance routine from ''[[The Band Wagon]]'' (1953).<ref>{{cite book|url=http://vimeo.com/82820975|author1=Martin, Steve |author2=Radner, Gilda|title=Saturday Night Live|date=1978|edition=Vimeo video|access-date=March 20, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129085851/http://vimeo.com/82820975|archive-date=November 29, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> After the clip, Martin said it reminded him of "how great she was and of how young I looked. Gilda, we miss you."
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|May 21
|The two-hour long [[List of Miami Vice episodes#Season 5 (1988–90)|series finale]] of ''[[Miami Vice]]'' airs on [[NBC]]. There would however be three "[[Lost television broadcast|lost episodes]]" that would be broadcast on NBC over the course of June 1989. A fourth and final "lost episode" entitled "Too Much, Too Late" was instead first broadcast on the [[USA Network]] in January 1990, due to its graphic content and a plot vividly involving [[child molestation]]. 
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|June 3
|[[Vin Scully]] does the play-by-play for the [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]] ''[[Major League Baseball Game of the Week|Game of the Week]]'' in [[Busch Memorial Stadium|St. Louis]], where the [[1989 St. Louis Cardinals season|Cardinals]] beat the [[1989 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] in 10 innings. Meanwhile, the [[1989 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] are playing a series in [[Astrodome|Houston]], where Scully flies to be on hand to call the Sunday game of the series. However, the Saturday night game between the teams is going into extra innings when Scully arrives in town, so he goes to the Astrodome instead of his hotel. He picks up the play-by-play, helping to relieve the other [[List of Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasters|Dodger announcers]], who are doing both television and radio, and broadcasts the final 13 innings (after already calling 10 innings in St. Louis), as the game went 22 innings. He broadcast 23 innings in one day in two different cities.
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|June 5
|For the start of [[1989 NBA Finals]],<ref>{{YouTube|title=Introduction to Game 4 of the 1989 NBA Finals|id=XAKuPes_uRY}}</ref> [[CBS Sports|CBS]] completely revamps their opening montage for their [[NBA on CBS|NBA broadcasts]]. The [[computer-generated imagery]] (once again set in and around a virtual arena) was made to look more realistic (live-action footage was incorporated in the backdrops). Also, the familiar theme music (an uptempo series of four notes and three [[Bar (music)|bars]] composed by Allyson Bellink since the [[1983 NBA Finals]]) each was rearranged<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bloguin.com/crossoverchronicles/2015-articles/nba-finals-music-division-nbc-is-great-but-cbs-is-better.html|title=NBA Finals, Music Division: NBC is great, but CBS is better|last1=Zemek|first1=Matt|date=June 1, 2015|website=Crossover Chronicles}}</ref> to sound more intricate and to have a more emotional impact, along the lines of the network's later [[Major League Baseball on CBS|World Series]] coverage. Between the 1989 NBA Finals and the [[1990 NBA Finals]]' intros, the theme music was slightly revised; the 1989 Finals intro incorporated more of a guitar riff, while the 1990 Finals intro featured a little more usage of trumpets.
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|June 8
|After broadcasting [[Major League Baseball]] games on [[Monday Night Baseball|Monday nights]] since [[1976 Major League Baseball season|1976]], [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]] launches eight weeks worth of [[1989 Major League Baseball season|games]] on [[Thursday Night Baseball|Thursday nights]], beginning with coverage of the [[1989 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] against the [[1989 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] and the [[1989 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]] against the [[1989 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]].
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|July 1
|In [[Rochester, New York]], [[NBC]] affiliate [[WROC-TV]] and [[CBS]] affiliate [[WHEC-TV]] swap affiliations. NBC cites WROC-TV's struggling news ratings as the reason for the switch.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/89-OCR/BC-1989-04-10-OCR-Page-0096.pdf "In brief."] ''Broadcasting'', April 10, 1989, pg. 96.</ref>
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|July 4
|[[CBS]] airs the [[Television pilot|pilot]] for a [[Coming to America (TV pilot)|proposed adaptation]] of the 1988 film ''[[Coming to America]]'' as an installment for the ''[[CBS Summer Showcase|Summer Showcase]]'' [[anthology series]].
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|July 5
|The [[The Seinfeld Chronicles|pilot episode]] of ''[[Seinfeld]]'' airs on [[NBC]].
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|July 7
|[[CBS]] airs an unsold [[Television pilot|pilot]] for a proposed sitcom based on the 1987 film ''[[Adventures in Babysitting]]''.
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|July 11
|Former [[President of the United States]] [[Ronald Reagan]] joins [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]'s [[Vin Scully]] on commentary for the 1st inning of the [[1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|Major League Baseball All-Star Game]].
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|July 17
|"[[Shades of Gray (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Shades of Gray]]", which is the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 2)|second season]] finale for ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', is broadcast in [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]]. The episode is notable for being the only time that the series produced what constituted a [[clip show]]. This was done as a means of meeting a budget shortfall at season's end due to prior episodes that had cost overruns. The episode also marked the final appearance of the character Dr. [[Katherine Pulaski]] (portrayed by [[Diana Muldaur]]) and the original Type A [[Star Trek uniforms#Star Trek: The Next Generation|''TNG'' Starfleet uniforms]], which were introduced in [[Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1)|Season 1]].
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|July 18
|''[[My Sister Sam]]'' star [[Rebecca Schaeffer]] is shot and killed by [[Robert John Bardo]], an obsessed fan who had been stalking her.	
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|August 14
|[[Cliff and Nina Warner]] marry one another for the fourth (and seemingly final) time on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] soap opera ''[[All My Children]]'', a record that has not been matched for soap operas.
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|August 23
|One year after acquiring the rights to broadcast the [[1992 Winter Olympics]] from [[Albertville, France]], [[CBS Olympic broadcasts|CBS]] also wins the rights to broadcast the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] from [[Lillehammer, Norway]] after bidding $300 million.
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|August 24
|In a press conference that is carried live on [[CNN]] and [[ESPN]], [[Major League Baseball]] [[Commissioner of Baseball|commissioner]] [[A. Bartlett Giamatti]] states that to preserve the integrity of the game of baseball, [[Pete Rose]] is [[List of people banned from Major League Baseball|banned from the game for life]] for gambling on baseball. One week after the announcement, Giamatti would die of a massive [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] at the age of 51.
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|August 27
|The [[television film]] ''[[L.A. Takedown]]'' airs on [[NBC]]. Originally filmed as an unsuccessful pilot for a television series, producer and screenwriter [[Michael Mann]] would later use ''L.A. Takedown'' as the basis for the 1995 film ''[[Heat (1995 film)|Heat]]''.
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|September 1
|[[WUTV]] in [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] officially dropped its [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliation, and moved its Fox affiliation over to [[WNYB|WNYB-TV]]. This was because it was disappointed with the network's weak prime time programming offerings.<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=FOX NETWORK, CH. 29 SPLIT; CH. 49 IS THE NEW SUITOR|url=https://buffalonews.com/news/fox-network-ch-29-split-ch-49-is-the-new-suitor/article_ae2bb259-61e4-543a-83d2-97679492a1b5.html|access-date=2021-12-12|website=The Buffalo News|date=2 May 1989 |language=en}}</ref>
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|September 4
|[[Freeform (TV channel)|The Family Channel]] debuts its children programming block ''Fun Town''.
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|September 16
|A [[X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men|pilot]] for a proposed ''[[X-Men]]'' [[X-Men in other media|animated series]] is first broadcast in [[Marvel Action Universe|syndication]]. It would take another three years before an [[X-Men: The Animated Series|''X-Men'' series]] would be fully realized.
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|September 22
|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] debuts [[TGIF (ABC)|TGIF]] from 8:00&nbsp;p.m. to 10:00&nbsp;p.m., a new programming block for Friday nights with four shows (''[[Full House]]'', ''[[Family Matters]]'', ''[[Perfect Strangers (TV series)|Perfect Strangers]]'', and ''[[Just the Ten of Us]]''), it also includes interstitial hosts. This block would become a [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] hit throughout the 1990s, lasting until [[2000 in American television|2000]].
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|September 24
|[[NBC]] broadcasts ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''{{'}}s [[Saturday Night Live (season 15)#Special|15th anniversary special]].
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|September 30
|[[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]] broadcasts its final ''[[Major League Baseball Game of the Week]]'' (before the program is transferred to [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]]). NBC had broadcast the ''Game of the Week'' since [[1957 Major League Baseball season|1957]] and exclusively since [[1966 Major League Baseball season|1966]]. [[Bob Costas]] and [[Tony Kubek]] called the action from Toronto's [[SkyDome]], as the [[1989 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]] defeated the [[1989 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] to clinch the [[American League East|American League East Division]] title.
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|rowspan="2"|October 1
|[[NBC]] affiliate [[KFTA-TV|KPOM-TV]] (now KFTA-TV) in [[Fort Smith, Arkansas]] signs-on full-time satellite [[KNWA-TV|KFAA-TV]] (now KNWA-TV) in [[Rogers, Arkansas|Rogers]] to solve transmission problems resulting from its status as an UHF station in a mountainous area. (KFTA-TV will disaffiliate from NBC and join [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in 2006.)
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|''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' makes its network broadcast television debut on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].
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|October 6
|[[Jane Wyman]]'s medical leave due to her diabetes and liver ailment is written into the [[CBS]] drama ''[[Falcon Crest]]'', when her character, [[Angela Channing]], is put in a coma. 
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|October 9
|The [[1989 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] defeat the [[1989 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] in Game 5 of the [[1989 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] to go to the [[1989 World Series|World Series]] for the first time since [[1962 World Series|1962]]. This was also NBC's final [[Major League Baseball]] [[Major League Baseball on NBC|telecast]] (with [[Vin Scully]] and [[Tom Seaver]] on the call), having broadcast the sport in some shape or form since [[1947 Major League Baseball season|1947]]. As previously mentioned, the primary network TV package was moving to [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]] beginning in [[1990 Major League Baseball season|1990]]. NBC wouldn't broadcast baseball again until the [[1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1994 All-Star Game]].
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|October 17
|Four minutes into [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]]'s broadcast of Game 3 of the [[1989 World Series|World Series]], the [[1989 Loma Prieta earthquake|Lome Prieta earthquake]] occurred, forcing a ten-day delay of the series. As a consequence of the Loma Prieta earthquake, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] aired repeat episodes of ''[[Roseanne]]'' and ''[[The Wonder Years]]'' amid the initial uncertainty as to whether Game 3 would take place as scheduled; an extended [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] Special Report – anchored by [[Ted Koppel]] from the news division's [[Washington, D.C.]] bureau, with [[Al Michaels]] (who served as the play-by-play commentator for ABC's World Series coverage that year alongside [[Jim Palmer]] and [[Tim McCarver]]) acting as a de facto reporter – on the earthquake's immediate aftermath followed those two programs.
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|October 19–23
|Contestant Diane Landry won an accumulated $129,370 cash & prizes over three episodes of air in ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'', which at the time set an all-time winnings record for the show. At the time, the backdrop chyron displays in only five digits due to a game show winnings cap, and host [[Pat Sajak]] taped a "$1" cardboard next to the display to accommodate the new total. This scene has been featured in various clip shows videos.
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|October 26
|[[WSYT-DT3|WSNR-TV]], an [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] launches on the air in [[Syracuse, New York]].
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|October 27
|[[Jane Pauley]] announces that she will be stepping down as co-anchor of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' (after 13 years on the air) at the end of the year (with Pauley's last day being on December 29). ''Today''{{'}}s news reader [[Deborah Norville]] is immediately announced as Pauley's successor. 
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|October 28
|The [[1989 World Series|World Series]] finally concludes with the [[1989 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]] sweeping the [[1989 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] in four games. This would be [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC's]] final baseball telecast, having covered the sport consecutively since [[1976 Major League Baseball season|1976]]. Like [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]], ABC would lose their baseball package completely to [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]] beginning in [[1990 Major League Baseball season|1990]]. ABC would next broadcast Major League Baseball in [[1994 Major League Baseball season|1994]], when they formed a joint-venture with Major League Baseball and NBC called [[The Baseball Network]].
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|November 4
|The ''[[NBA on TNT]]'' debuts.
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|November 7
|An [[Strangers (Thirtysomething)|episode]] of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] drama ''[[Thirtysomething (TV series)|Thirtysomething]]'' generates a great deal of controversy because it depicts two men in bed together after having had sex. Even though the actors were forbidden to touch each other while in bed together, the controversy proves too much for a number of advertisers, who pull their commercials from the episode. ABC ultimately withdraws the episode from rotation for rebroadcast.
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|November 9
|The [[National Basketball Association]]<ref>{{cite web|title=November 9, 1989: The NBA signs a lucrative 4-year television deal with NBC|url=http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-day-in-history.html|publisher=Sports Media Watch|date=November 29, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 November 1989|title=NBA Flips Channel, Decides to Play Ball With NBC in 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-09-sp-1713-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> and [[NBA on NBC|NBC]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcsports.com/our-history#decade_6|title=NBC acquires NBA broadcast rights|website=NBC Sports History Page}}</ref> reaches an agreement on a four-year, US$600 million contract<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Ball's In A New Court: NBC took the NBA away from CBS for a cool $600 million|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1989/11/20/the-balls-in-a-new-court/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007050237/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1069139/index.htm|url-status=live|archive-date=October 7, 2008|first=John|last=Steinbreder|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=November 20, 1989|access-date=November 29, 2011}}</ref> (beginning in the [[1990–91 NBA season|1990–1991 season]]), ending [[NBA on CBS|CBS]]' tenure with the NBA after 17 years.
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|November 16
|[[Michael Jackson]] makes a surprise appearance on ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'' during [[Arsenio Hall|Hall]]'s interview with [[Eddie Murphy]].
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|December 2
|[[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] purchases [[Los Angeles]] [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] KHJ-TV from [[RKO General]], and renames it to [[KCAL-TV]].
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|December 15
|[[Steve Urkel]] makes his [[Family Matters (season 1)|first appearance]] on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sitcom ''[[Family Matters]]''.
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|December 17
|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] broadcasts the series premiere of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]", which also acts as a Christmas special. The new series is a spin-off of a series of animated sketches that had previously aired on ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]''. The series proves to be an early hit for Fox, scoring the network's first [[Nielsen Media Research|Nielsen]] top 30 entry.<ref name=officialsite>{{cite web |url=http://www.simpsonsworld.com/#/recaps/season-1_episode-1|title=Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire |publisher=Simpsons World.com |accessdate=September 19, 2011}}</ref>
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|December 18
|A seldom-seen [[1956 in American television|1956]] [[Christmas]] special episode of ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' is re-broadcast by [[CBS]].
|}