Editing 1941 in television

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{{Year nav topic5|1941|television|radio|film|music}}

The year '''1941 in television''' involved some significant events.
Below is a list of [[television]]-related events during 1941.

==Events==
*April 30 – In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission ([[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]) approves the National Television System Committee ([[NTSC]]) standards of 525 lines and 30 frames per second, and authorizes commercial television broadcasting to begin on July 1.
*May 2 – In the United States, 10 television stations are granted commercial TV licenses (effective July 1). These stations are required to broadcast 15 hours per week. [[Bulova|Bulova Watch Co.]], [[Sun Oil Co.]], [[Lever Bros. Co.]] and [[Procter & Gamble]] sponsor the first commercial telecasts from WNBT (now [[WNBC-TV]]) in [[New York City|New York]].
*July 1
**Commercial television is authorized by the FCC.
**[[NBC]] television begins commercial operation by its affiliate WNBT New York using channel 1. The world's first legal television commercial advertisement,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cnbccatalyst.com/why-moving-your-ad-spend-away-from-tv-can-cost-you-more-than-you-think/|title=Why TV is still the most effective advertising medium|publisher=CNBC Cnbccatalyst|language=en|date=18 July 2016|access-date=19 January 2017}}</ref> for [[Bulova]] watches, airs at 2:29 PM on WNBT before a baseball game between the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies]].  An announcement for Bulova watches, for which the company pays anywhere from $4.00 to $9.00 (reports vary), displays a WNBT test pattern modified to look like a clock with the hands showing the time, and the Bulova logo, with the phrase "Bulova Watch Time" shown in the lower right-hand quadrant of the test pattern while the second hand sweeps around the dial for one minute <ref>"Imagery For Profit" R.W. Stewart, New York Times, July 6, 1941.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earlytelevision.org/images/rca_bulova_ad-1.jpg|title=WNBT/Bulova test pattern|website=www.earlytelevision.org}}</ref>  On July 1, [[Ray Forrest]] reads the first formal on-camera TV announcement, followed on July 4 by the first live commercial, for [[Adam Hats]].
** As a one-off special, the first quiz show called "Uncle Bee" is telecast on WNBT's inaugural broadcast day, followed later the same day by [[Ralph Edwards]] hosting the second game show broadcast on United States television, ''[[Truth or Consequences]]'', as simulcast by radio and TV and sponsored by [[Ivory (soap)|Ivory]] soap.  Weekly broadcasts of the show commence during [[1956 in television|1956]], with [[Bob Barker]].
**[[CBS Television Network|CBS television]] begins commercial operation on New York station WCBW (now [[WCBS-TV]]) using channel 2.
*September 1 — [[KYW-TV|WPTZ]] (now [[KYW-TV]]) signs on in Philadelphia, the third television station in America.
*October 21 - [[Professional wrestling]] premieres during prime-time on [[NBC Television Network|NBC]].
*December 7 – [[Ray Forrest]] of WNBT broadcasts special news bulletin regarding the [[Pearl Harbor attack]], interrupting regular programming, the film ''[[Millionaire Playboy]]''.  WNBT later broadcasts special news reports through the evening, pre-empting a scheduled [[New York Rangers]] hockey telecast.  WCBW also broadcasts a special that evening, from their [[Grand Central Terminal]] studios to the few thousand television set owners in the New York area.

==Debuts==

*July 1 - ''[[CBS Evening News|CBS Television News]]'', debuts on CBS (1941-1943, 1944–Present).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2016/01/wcbw-schedule-week-of-june-29th-1941/|title=WCBW Schedule, Week of June 29th, 1941 - Television Obscurities|date=2016-01-05|work=Television Obscurities|access-date=2018-08-04|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mike|first=Conway|date=2006-10-01|title=The Birth of CBS-TV News: An Ambitious Experiment at the Advent of U.S. Commercial Television|url=https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-1165191931/the-birth-of-cbs-tv-news-an-ambitious-experiment|journal=Journalism History|language=en|volume=32|issue=3|issn=0094-7679}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKkQP6b6IDsC&q=WCBW+December+1942&pg=PA89|title=The Origins of Television News in America: The Visualizers of CBS in the 1940s|last=Conway|first=Mike|date=2009|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9781433106026|language=en}}</ref>
*July 1 - ''Girl About Town with [[Joan Edwards (radio singer)|Joan Edwards]]'' debuts on CBS (1941-1942).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2016/01/wcbw-schedule-week-of-june-29th-1941/|title=WCBW Schedule, Week of June 29th, 1941 - Television Obscurities|date=2016-01-05|work=Television Obscurities|access-date=2018-08-19|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/tv_programs_1941/|title=Television Programs in 1941 - Television Obscurities|work=Television Obscurities|access-date=2018-08-19|language=en-US}}</ref>
*July 1 - ''Sports with Bob Edge'' debuts on CBS (1941-1942).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2016/01/wcbw-schedule-week-of-june-29th-1941/|title=WCBW Schedule, Week of June 29th, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2016-01-05|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-19}}</ref>
*July 2 - ''[[CBS Television Quiz]]'' premieres as television's first regular game show (1941–1943). .
*July 2 -  ''Table Talk with [[Helen Sioussat]]'', the first televised talk show, debuts on CBS (1941-1942).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2016/01/wcbw-schedule-week-of-june-29th-1941/|title=WCBW Schedule, Week of June 29th, 1941 - Television Obscurities|date=2016-01-05|work=Television Obscurities|access-date=2018-08-19|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lib.umd.edu/leadingrole/helen-sioussat|title=Helen Sioussat {{!}} Women in Broadcasting History|website=www.lib.umd.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-08-19|archive-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114164058/https://www.lib.umd.edu/leadingrole/helen-sioussat|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*July 7 - ''Men At Work'', an early variety show, debuts on CBS (1941-1942).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/tv_programs_1941/|title=Television Programs in 1941 - Television Obscurities|website=www.tvobscurities.com}}</ref>
*July 8 -  ''The Boys in the Back Room,'' a half-hour series that took a behind-the-scenes look at the WCBW television studios, equipment, and staff'','' debuts on CBS (1941).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/tv_programs_1941/|title=Television Programs in 1941|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2016/01/wcbw-schedule-week-of-july-13th-1941/|title=WCBW Schedule, Week of July 13th, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2016-01-19|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-20}}</ref>
*July 16 - ''Stars of Tomorrow'' debuts on NBC (1941-1942).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/07/wnbt-schedule-week-of-july-13th-1941/|title=WNBT Schedule, Week of July 13th, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2013-07-15|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-19}}</ref>
*July 18 - ''The Face of the War'', an early news show hosted by ''[[Sam Cuff]]'', debuts on NBC (1941-1945).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvobscurities.com/2015/06/my-favorite-obscurities-the-1940s/|title=My Favorite Obscurities: The 1940s - Television Obscurities|date=June 22, 2015|website=www.tvobscurities.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/07/wnbt-schedule-week-of-july-13th-1941/|title=WNBT Schedule, Week of July 13th, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2013-07-15|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-20}}</ref>
*July 18 - ''Songs by Harvey Harding'' debuts on NBC (1941-1942).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/07/wnbt-schedule-week-of-july-13th-1941/|title=WNBT Schedule, Week of July 20th, 1941 - Television Obscurities|date=2013-07-22|work=Television Obscurities|access-date=2018-11-19|language=en-US}}</ref>
*August 27 - ''Thrills and Chills Everywhere'' debuts on NBC (1941-1946).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/08/72nd-anniversary-of-thrills-and-chills-everywhere/|title=72nd Anniversary of Thrills and Chills Everywhere - Television Obscurities|date=August 27, 2013|website=www.tvobscurities.com}}</ref>
*September 4 - ''Radio City Matinee'' debuts on NBC (1941-1942).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/09/wnbt-schedule-week-of-august-31st-1941/|title=WNBT Schedule, Week of August 31st, 1941 - Television Obscurities|date=2013-09-02|work=Television Obscurities|access-date=2018-11-11|language=en-US}}</ref>
*September 18 - ''Fashion Discoveries in Television'' debuts on NBC (1941).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/tv_programs_1941/|title=Television Programs in 1941|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-07}}</ref>
*October 18 - ''Saturday Night Jamboree'' debuts on NBC (1941).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/10/wnbt-schedule-week-of-october-12th-1941/|title=WNBT Schedule, Week of October 12th, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2013-10-14|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
*October 21 - ''The Adam Hats Sports Parade: Wrestling at Ridgewood Grove,'' debuts on NBC (1941–42).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/10/wnbt-schedule-week-of-october-19th-1941/|title=WNBT Schedule, Week of October 19th, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2013-10-21|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/newsletter/082017.html|title=The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia|website=www.broadcastpioneers.com|access-date=2019-06-20}}</ref>
*December 19 - ''[[America's Town Meeting of the Air]],'' a simulcast of the [[Blue Network|NBC Blue Network]] public affairs discussion program, debuts on NBC (1941–42).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/12/wnbt-schedule-week-of-december-14th-1941/|title=WNBT Schedule, Week of December 14th, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2013-12-17|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/432807367/?fcfToken=6a366f647354695751614f6844752f522b7333314f6e32702f68333051504e70352f706c3559743339784e764b57737276334735763643314f4a5a395538313234766553797a48577134733d|title=19 Feb 1942, 563 - Daily News at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02}}</ref>
*December 22 -  ''War Backgrounds'' debuts on CBS (1941–42).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2016/06/wcbw-schedule-week-of-december-21st-1941/|title=WCBW Schedule, Week of December 21st, 1941|last=Jay|first=Robert|date=2016-06-28|website=Television Obscurities|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-21}}</ref>

==Television shows==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Series
! Debut
! Ended
!Network
|-
|''[[CBS Television News]]''
|July 1, 1941
|December 25, 1942
|CBS
|-
|''Girl About Town with [[Joan Edwards (radio singer)|Joan Edwards]]''
|July 1, 1941
|May 1942
|CBS
|-
|''Sports with Bob Edge''
|July 1, 1941
|May 1942
|CBS
|-
|''[[CBS Television Quiz]]''
|July 2, 1941
|January 7, 1943
|CBS
|-
|''Table Talk with Helen Sioussat''
|July 2, 1941
|July 31, 1942
|CBS
|-
|''[[Men At Work(TV series)|Men At Work]]''
|July 7, 1941
|May 1942
|CBS
|-
|''The Boys in the Back Room''
|July 8, 1941
|December 1, 1941
|CBS
|-
|''Stars of Tomorrow'' 
|July 16, 1941
|May 1942
|NBC
|-
|''[[The Face of the War]]''
|July 18, 1941
|1945
|NBC
|-
|''Songs by Harvey Harding''
|July 18, 1941
|May 1942
|NBC
|-
|''[[Thrills and Chills Everywere|Thrills and Chills from Everywere]]''
|August 27, 1941
|June 4, 1946
|NBC
|-
|''Radio City Matinee''
|September 4, 1941
|May 1942
|NBC
|-
|''Fashion Discoveries in Television''
|September 18, 1941
|October 9, 1941
|NBC
|-
|''Saturday Night Jamboree''
|October 18, 1941
|November 22, 1941
|NBC
|-
|''The Adam Hats Sports Parade: Wrestling at Ridgewood Grove''
|October 21, 1941
|May 12, 1942
|NBC
|-
|''[[America's Town Meeting of the Air]]''
|December 19, 1941
|February 19, 1942
|NBC
|-
|''War Backgrounds''
|December 22, 1941
|January 19, 1942
|CBS
|-
|}

== Programs ending during 1941 ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Date
!Show
!Debut
|-
|October 9
|''Fashion Discoveries in Television''
|September 18, 1941
|-
|November 22
|''Saturday Night Jamboree''
|October 18, 1941
|-
|December 1
|''The Boys in the Back Room'' 
|July 8, 1941
|}

==Births==
*January 4 – [[John Bennett Perry]], actor
*January 14 – [[Faye Dunaway]], actress
*January 24 – [[Neil Diamond]], actor
*January 30 – [[Dick Cheney]], politician
*January 31 – [[Jessica Walter]], actress (died 2021)
*February 1 
**[[Joy Philbin]], television personality
**[[Arnold Shapiro]], television writer
*February 3 – [[Bridget Hanley]], actress (died 2021)
*February 5 
**[[David Selby]], actor
**[[Stephen J. Cannell]], producer (died 2010)
*February 8 – [[Nick Nolte]], actor
*February 10 
**[[Michael Apted]], actor (died 2021)
**[[Dick Carlson]], journalist
*February 12 – [[Chas. Floyd Johnson]], actor
*February 13 – [[David Jeremiah]], pastor
*February 27 – [[Charlotte Stewart]], actress
*March 4 – [[Richard Benjamin Harrison]], television personality (died 2018)
*March 5 – [[Sam Nover]], television sportscaster (died 2018)
*March 7 – [[Joanna Frank]], television actress
*March 8 – [[Adrienne Ellis]], actress (died 2019)
*March 9 – [[Trish Van Devere]], actress
*March 16 – [[Chuck Woolery]], game show host (died 2024)
*March 20 – [[Paul Junger Witt]], producer (died 2018)
*March 28 – [[Alf Clausen]], composer
*April 3 – [[Eric Braeden]], German-born actor
*April 5 – [[Michael Moriarty]], American-Canadian actor
*April 7 – [[Cornelia Frances]], actress (died 2018)
*April 20 – [[Ryan O'Neal]], actor (died 2023)
*April 28 – [[Ann-Margret]], Swedish-born actress, dancer and singer
*May 4 – [[George Will]], American libertarian-conservative political commentator
*May 13 – [[Senta Berger]], Austrian actress and producer
*May 17 – [[Grace Zabriskie]], actress
*May 18 – [[Miriam Margolyes]], actress
*May 29 – [[Bob Simon]], American television correspondent (died 2015)
*June 2 – [[Stacy Keach]], actor
*June 12 – [[Marv Albert]], American sportscaster
*June 13 – [[Paul Moyer]], American journalist
*June 17 – [[William Lucking]], American actor (died 2021)
*June 21 
**[[Joe Flaherty]], Canadian-American actor and comedian
**[[Lyman Ward (actor)|Lyman Ward]], Canadian actor
*June 22 
**[[Michael Lerner (actor)|Michael Lerner]], actor (d. 2023)
**[[Barry Serafin]], television journalist
*July 3 – [[Gloria Allred]], attorney
*July 8 – [[Michael K. Frith]], producer
*July 10 – [[Robert Pine]], actor
*July 13 – [[Robert Forster]], actor (died 2019)
*July 22 – [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]], funk musician
*July 28 – [[Peter Cullen]], Canadian voice actor (''[[Transformers]]'', ''[[Winnie the Pooh (franchise)|Winnie the Pooh]]'', ''[[Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers]]'')
*July 29 – [[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]], English actor (''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', ''[[Freakazoid!]]'', ''[[Toonsylvania]]''), (died 2022)
*July 30 – [[Rod Perry (actor)|Rod Perry]], actor (died 2020)
*August 3 – [[Martha Stewart]], writer
*August 4 – [[Paul Mooney (comedian)|Paul Mooney]], comedian, writer and actor (died 2021)
*August 27 – [[Harrison Page]], actor
*September 6 – [[Edgar Snyder]], Pittsburgh-area personal injury lawyer who appeared in commercials
*September 8 – [[Bernie Sanders]], politician<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pak |first=Nataly |last2=Palaniappan |first2=Sruthi |date=April 8, 2020 |title=Bernie Sanders: Everything you need to know about the 2020 presidential candidate |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-senator-vermont/story?id=61058675 |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref>
*September 17 – [[Gary DeVore]], screenwriter (died 1997)
*September 18 – [[Gerry Bamman]], actor
*October 4 – [[Lori Saunders]], actress
*October 5 – [[Stephanie Cole]], actress
*October 7 – [[John Ford Noonan]], actor (died 2018)
*October 10 – [[Peter Coyote]], actor
*October 16 – [[Tim McCarver]], baseball player and sportscaster (died 2023)
*October 26 – [[Charlie Hauck]], comedy writer (died 2020)
*October 31 – [[Sally Kirkland]], actress
*November 1 – [[Robert Foxworth]], actor
*November 5 – [[Tony Guida]], radio personality
*November 18 – [[Ron Powers]], American journalist
*November 21 
**[[Juliet Mills]], actress
**[[David Porter (musician)|David Porter]], musician
**[[Dr. John]], singer (died 2019)
*November 23 – [[Franco Nero]], actor
*December 4 – [[David Johnston (newsreader)|David Johnston]], Australian newsreader
*December 6 
**[[Leon Russom]], actor
**[[Rolland Smith]], news anchor
*December 9 
** [[Beau Bridges]], actor
** [[César Mascetti]], Argentine television host (died 2022)
*December 10 – [[Fionnula Flanagan]], actress
*December 13 – [[John Davidson (entertainer)|John Davidson]], actor, singer and game show host
*December 16 – [[Lesley Stahl]], television journalist

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Years in TV by country|1941}}
{{Years in television}}

[[Category:1941 in television]]