1960 in American television

Last updated

This is a list of American television -related events in 1960.

Contents

Events

DateEventRef.
February 10 Jack Paar temporarily quit his television program because his monologue had been edited the night before, in favor of a three-minute news update. Parr walked out to the audience at the beginning of the show, announced that he was quitting, said "There's got to be a better way to make a living," and then walked off the stage. After network executives apologized personally, Parr resumed hosting the program a month later. His first show back started with the words "As I was saying before I was interrupted..." [1] [2]
February 18–28On an exclusive basis for $60,000, CBS broadcasts coverage of the 1960 Winter Olympics from Squaw Valley, in Placer County, California, making these games the first Winter Olympics to be broadcast in the U.S. Hosted by future CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite, the coverage provided 31 hours of coverage over 11 days, including a healthy mix of alpine skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating, and ski jumping. [3] [4]
March 2 Lucille Ball files for divorce from husband Desi Arnaz, ending a 20-year marriage, and the I Love Lucy franchise on CBS. The final installment of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour would air almost a month later.
August 25-September 11CBS broadcasts the 1960 Summer Olympics from Rome, Italy, hosted by a young Jim McKay, who would later host ABC's coverage of the 1964 Winter Olympics. These were the first Summer Olympics to be broadcast in the U.S. or any country in North America. [3] [4]
September 24After thirteen seasons of entertaining American children, the NBC children's show Howdy Doody ends. Clarabell the Clown says the final two words of the show ("Goodbye Kids"), after being assumed to only be mute throughout the show's run.
September 26 1960 United States presidential debates. American presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon debate live by television. The candidates' behavior and/or appearance during the debate may have altered the outcome of the election. In addition to being the first presidential debates to be televised, the debates also marked the first time "split screen" images were used by a network.
December 31 Norma Zimmer officially becomes Lawrence Welk's "Champagne Lady" on The Lawrence Welk Show .

Also occurring in 1960

Television programs

Debuts

DateDebutNetworkNotes
January 1 [5] The Deputy Dawg Show CBS
January 9 Home Run Derby First-run syndication
January 25 The Kate Smith Show CBS
February 7 Overland Trail NBC
March 23 Charley Weaver's Hobby Lobby ABC
June 8 Happy NBC
Tate
June 20 [6] [7] [8] The Bozo Show WGN-TV
June 28 The Comedy Spot CBSRenamed Comedy Spotlight in 1961
August 1 New Comedy Showcase
September 17 Checkmate CBS
September 18 The Tab Hunter Show NBC
September 23 Dan Raven NBC
September 27 The Tom Ewell Show CBS
September 29 My Three Sons ABC
Outlaws NBC
September 30 The Flintstones ABC
October 1 Popeye the Sailor First-run syndication
The Shari Lewis Show NBC
October 3 The Andy Griffith Show CBS [9]
October 4 Stagecoach West ABC
October 5 My Sister Eileen CBS
October 7 Route 66 CBS
October 10 Bringing Up Buddy CBS
Klondike NBC
October 11 The Bugs Bunny Show ABC
October 12 Peter Loves Mary NBC

Ending this year

DateShowNetworkDebutNotes
January 8 Five Fingers NBC October 3, 1959
January 18 Whirlybirds First-run syndication February 4, 1957
January 25 Love and Marriage NBC September 21, 1959
January 27 The Lineup CBS October 1, 1954
February 7 Man with a Camera ABCOctober 10, 1958
March 22 Bucky and Pepito Syndication 1958
March 24 Johnny Staccato NBC September 10, 1959
March 26 Philip Marlowe ABC October 6, 1959
April 1 People Are Funny NBC September 19, 1954
The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour CBS November 6, 1957
The Troubleshooters NBCSeptember 11, 1959
April 2 The Ruff and Reddy Show NBC December 14, 1957
April 6 Wichita Town NBC September 30, 1959
May 6 Black Saddle NBC January 10, 1959 (on NBC)
May 9 Colonel Bleep NBC September 21, 1957
May 12 Rescue 8 SyndicationSeptember 23, 1958
May 13 Felix the Cat SyndicationOctober 2, 1958
May 18 Playhouse 90 CBS October 4, 1956
May 23 Alcoa Theatre CBS September 30, 1957
May 23 Father Knows Best NBC October 3, 1954 (on CBS)
May 23 Goodyear Theatre NBC September 30, 1957
May 31 Startime NBC October 6, 1959
June 2 Tales of the Vikings Syndication September 8, 1959
June 3 Hotel de Paree CBSOctober 2, 1959
June 7 The Millionaire CBSJanuary 19, 1955
June 10 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse CBSJune 10, 1960
June 11 The Man and the Challenge NBCSeptember 12, 1959
June 12 The Alaskans ABC October 4, 1959
June 18 Mr. Lucky CBS October 24, 1959
June 21 M Squad NBC September 20, 1957
June 24 Gillette Cavalcade of Sports NBCNovember 8, 1946
June 30 Johnny Ringo CBS October 1, 1959
June 30 The Betty Hutton Show CBS October 1, 1959
July 2 Home Run Derby First-run syndication January 9, 1960
July 2 Overland Trail NBC February 7, 1960
July 4 Bourbon Street Beat ABC October 5, 1959
July 8 Tombstone Territory SyndicationOctober 16, 1957 (on ABC)
September 6 Richard Diamond, Private Detective NBC July 1, 1957 (on CBS)
September 7 Men Into Space CBSSeptember 30, 1959
September 10 The Dick Clark Show ABC February 15, 1958
September 13 Tightrope! CBS September 8, 1959
September 14 Tate NBCJune 8, 1960
September 15 Markham CBSMay 2, 1959
September 19 New Comedy Showcase CBSAugust 1, 1960
September 19 The Texan CBSSeptember 29, 1958
September 22 Law of the Plainsman NBCOctober 1, 1959
September 22 The Gale Storm Show ABCSeptember 29, 1956
September 23 The Man from Blackhawk ABC October 9, 1959
September 24 Howdy Doody NBCDecember 27, 1947
Jubilee USA ABC January 22, 1955
September 27 Colt .45 ABC October 18, 1957
December 20 Dick Clark's World of Talent ABC September 27, 1959
Unknown date This Man Dawson First-run syndication1959
Unknown date NBC Sunday Showcase NBCSeptember 20, 1959
Unknown date Clutch Cargo First-run syndicationMarch 9, 1959

Television stations

Station launches

DateMarketStationChannelAffiliationNotes/References
January Lead, South Dakota KDSJ-TV 11CBSSatellite of KOTA-TV (now KHME) in Sioux Falls
January 30 Walla Walla, Washington KNBS-TV 22 ABC
February 29 Richardson/Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas KRET-TV 23Educational independent
March 17 Selma/Montgomery, Alabama WSLA (original)8ABC
May Aguadilla, Puerto Rico WOLE-TV 12Independent
May 15 Hilo, Hawaii KHVO 4ABCSatellite of KULA in Honolulu
May 23 Athens/Atlanta, Georgia WGTV 8NETFlagship of Georgia Public Broadcasting
June Weston/Clarksburg, West Virginia WDTV 5ABCReturned to the air after a five-year hiatus after broadcasting on UHF channel 35 as primary ABC/secondary NBC and DuMont affiliate WJPB-TV.
June 12 Mitchell/Sioux Falls, South Dakota KORN-TV 5NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
June 17 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania WPCA-TV 17Independent
July 31Sioux Falls, South Dakota KSOO-TV 13NBC
September 14Dallas, Texas KERA 13NET
September 20 Tallahassee, Florida WFSU-TV 11NET
October 1 Coos Bay, Oregon KCBY-TV 11NBC (primary)
ABC/CBS (secondary)
October 5 Mankato, Minnesota KEYC-TV 12NBC
October 10 Toledo, Ohio WGTE 30NET
October 19 Ogden, Utah KWCS-TV 18Educational independent
November 7 Pembina, North Dakota
(Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
KCND-TV 12Independent (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary)
November 15 Youngstown, Ohio WXTV 45Independent
November 23 Fort Pierce, Florida WTVI 19CBS
December 1 Ogden, Utah KVOG-TV 9 NTA Film Network
December 19 Eugene, Oregon KEZI-TV 9ABC (primary)
CBS (secondary)
Unknown date Caguas, Puerto Rico WKBM-TV 11Independent

Network affiliation changes

DateMarketStationChannelOld affiliationNew affiliationReferences
March 17 Montgomery, Alabama WCOV-TV 20CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
CBS (exclusive)Secondary ABC affiliations were lost when WSLA signed on the air to become a full-time ABC affiliate.
WSFA-TV 12NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
NBC (exclusive)
December 19 Eugene, Oregon
Coos Bay, Oregon
Roseburg, Oregon
KVAL-TV
KCBY-TV
KPIC
13
11
19
NBC (primary)
ABC/CBS (secondary)
NBC (exclusive)Lost CBS and ABC upon the launch of KEZI
Unknown date Columbus, Georgia WRBL 3 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
CBS (primary)
NBC (secondary)
Switch occurred on same day WRBL moved from channel 4 to 3, and WTVM moved from UHF channel 28 to VHF channel 9.
WTVM 9 NBC (primary)
ABC/NTA (secondary)
ABC (primary)
NBC/NTA (secondary)
Hannibal, Missouri
(Quincy, Illinois)
KHQA-TV 7CBS (exclusive)CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
Kalamazoo, Michigan
(Grand Rapids/Battle Creek, Michigan)
WKZO-TV 3CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary)
CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
WKZO previously cleared NBC programs not picked up by existing NBC affiliate WOOD-TV until WKZO expanded its signal coverage. This allowed WOOD-TV and WKZO-TV to become full-time affiliates of their respective networks, but they both shared ABC until WZZM's 1962 sign-on.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin WXIX-TV 18IndependentIndependent (primary)
ABC/CBS/NBC (secondary)
From 1960 to 1981, WVTV aired network programs rejected by all three of the primary network affiliates in the Milwaukee area. This is not to be confused with today's WXIX-TV in Newport, Kentucky.
Pueblo, Colorado KRDO-TV 13 NBC ABC Became a full-time ABC affiliate after the Pueblo television market merged with that of Colorado Springs.
Richmond, Virginia WWBT 12CBSABC
WTVR-TV 6ABCCBS
Salt Lake City, Utah KCPX-TV 4ABCNBC
KUTV 2NBCABC
Tacoma/Seattle, Washington KTNT-TV 11IndependentCBS
San Jose/Salinas/Monterey, California KNTV 11IndependentABC
San Luis Obispo/Santa Maria/Santa Barbara, California KSBY-TV 6NBC (primary)
ABC and CBS (secondary)
NBC (primary)
CBS (secondary)
Shreveport, Louisiana KSLA 12CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
CBS (exclusive)
KTBS-TV 3NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
ABC (exclusive)
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Florence, South Dakota
Reliance/Pierre, South Dakota
KELO-TV
KDLO-TV
KPLO-TV
11
3
6
NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
Lost the NBC affiliation upon the sign on of KSOO-TV
Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas
Shreveport, Louisiana
KCMC-TV 6CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
CBS (exclusive)

Station closures

DateCity of license/MarketStationChannelAffiliationFirst air dateNotes/Ref.
March 13 Provo, Utah KLOR-TV 11IndependentDecember 17, 1958
March 21 Sacramento, California KVUE 40IndependentNovember 1, 1959
March 24 Nampa, Idaho (Boise, Idaho) KCIX-TV 6IndependentNovember 9, 1958
December 8 Bridgeport, Connecticut WICC-TV 43ABCMarch 29, 1953
December 14 Walla Walla, Washington KNBS-TV 22ABCJanuary 30, 1960

Births

Deaths

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Jack Paar's Water Closet Joke". Censorship & Scandals. TV ACRES. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  2. "Paar Quits TV in Censorship Row". Los Angeles Evening Mirror News, February 13, 1960, p. 1.
  3. 1 2 Spence, Jim (November 20, 1988). "Are Olympic TV Rights Worth the Price?". The New York Times .
  4. 1 2 "Olympics and Television - Museum of Broadcast Communications". Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  5. Sheridan, Simon (2004). The A–Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. pp. 100–101. ISBN   1903111277.
  6. "Bozo Timeline-1960s". WGN-TV. Archived from the original on 9 July 2001. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  7. "Bob Bell,75". The Vindicator. 9 December 1997. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  8. "Bob Bell, Clown". The Albany Herald. 10 December 1997. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  9. "The Andy Griffith Show - American television program". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 12 June 2018.