1996 in American television

Last updated

In American television in 1996, notable events included television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel initiations, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and disputes.

Contents

Notable events

January

DateEvent
20 Fox introduces its FoxTrax "glowing puck" during its telecast of the 46th National Hockey League All-Star Game.
28 Chris Isaak and Brooke Shields make guest appearances on a post-Super Bowl episode of Friends on NBC.

February

DateEvent
8–9Peter Argyropolous and Deborah Cohen win a combined total of $146,529 cash prizes from two episodes (including the $10,000 wedge played with the Double Play token and two Ford Mustangs), making the couple the biggest winner in the history of Wheel of Fortune ; They remain the biggest winners for a team, and will hold the record until Michelle Lowenstein wins $1,026,080 on October 14, 2008.
28 Paxson Communications completes their $40 million purchase of ABC affiliate WAKC-TV in Akron, Ohio, from ValueVision. [1] Hours after the sale closed, Paxon president Dean Goodman arrives at WAKC-TV's studios and tells the staff, "news ceases at this moment", firing the entire news department and all station management. [2] This makes Akron (a part of the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton television market) the largest city in the United States without a commercial television newscast. [3]
29ABC affiliate KBAK-TV and CBS affiliate KERO-TV swap affiliations in Bakersfield.

March

DateEvent
1More than 1 billion households worldwide now own television sets.
4 DISH Network, a Direct Broadcast Satellite service, begins as a service of EchoStar.
31 WrestleMania XII from the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California is broadcast on pay-per-view. In the main event, Shawn Michaels defeats Bret Hart in a 60-minute Iron Man match to win the WWF Championship for the first time.

April

DateEvent
6The first ever Major League Soccer game is broadcast live on ESPN. The San Jose Clash hosted D.C. United at Spartan Stadium with San Jose winning on a goal by Eric Wynalda.
28 Dexter's Laboratory , a spin-off series from What a Cartoon! , premieres on Cartoon Network. The show is considered to be the network's first Cartoon Cartoon (although this brand name did not exist yet until July 1997).

May

DateEvent
14 Fox airs a television film that serves as the first attempt to revive Doctor Who following its suspension in 1989. It was intended as a backdoor pilot for a new American-produced Doctor Who TV series. It introduced Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor in his only televised appearance as the character until "The Night of the Doctor" in 2013. Although a ratings success in the United Kingdom, the film did not fare well on American television and no series was commissioned. The series was later relaunched on the BBC in 2005.
16More than 12 million Americans watch the final episode of Murder, She Wrote on CBS, "Death By Demographics". Through its 12-year run, the series had become the longest-running American murder mystery drama.
18 Mystery Science Theater 3000 airs its final episode on Comedy Central. The final film to be featured is 1978's Laserblast . The series will eventually move to The Sci-Fi Channel, where it would run for three more seasons.

June

DateEvent
1 Major League Baseball broadcasts debut on Fox.
3 Zenith introduces the first HDTV-compatible front projection TV in the U.S.
CBS affiliate WCPO-TV and ABC affiliate WKRC-TV, both in Cincinnati, Ohio, switch network affiliations.
19CBS affiliate WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina is awarded the first experimental high-definition television license in the United States.
23At the World Wrestling Federation's pay-per-view event King of the Ring, wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin wins the King of the Ring tournament by defeating Jake Roberts. After the match, Austin makes a certain victory speech in what would famously become as the "Austin 3:16" catchphrase.
30New York PBS member station WNYC-TV, owned by the city of New York, signs off for the final time; sold to a joint venture between Dow Jones & Co. and ITT Corp., it relaunches as commercial sports-oriented independent station WBIS-TV (while operating as a non-commercial educational station, WNYC-TV had been licensed with a commercial classification).

July

DateEvent
6When it becomes evident that Anna Stuart will be next to die in a serial killer storyline on the NBC soap opera Another World , many fans start letter-writing campaigns to save the actress; the NBC studios in New York City also report a great number of switchboard telephone calls regarding Stuart's imminent demise. Executive producer Jill Farren Phelps decides that actress Alice Barrett will be killed off the show instead.
New World Communications sells NBC affiliates KNSD-TV in San Diego, California, and WVTM-TV in Birmingham, Alabama, their lone remaining stations that didn't switch to Fox, to NBC's owned-and-operated division.
7At the WCW produced pay-per-view event Bash at the Beach, Hulk Hogan turns heel for the first time in 15 years and announces the formation of the New World Order with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
17 News Corporation (the owners of 20th Century Fox and the FOX Television Network) announced that it would acquire New World in an all-stock transaction worth $2.48 billion. The purchase by News Corporation was finalized in early 1997, folding New World's ten Fox affiliates into the former's Fox Television Stations subsidiary and making all twelve stations affected by the 1994 agreement owned-and-operated stations of the network.

August

DateEvent
19 NBC affiliate in Charleston, WCIV, and ABC affiliate WCBD-TV swap network affiliations.

September

DateEvent
7 Paula Zahn is named a Saturday anchor of CBS Evening News .
Fox Kids airs for the final time on St. Louis affiliate KNLC, which is dropped due to KNLC owner Larry Rice's decision on putting ministry messages instead of ads. KTVI picks up the program block the following Monday.
8The 48th Primetime Emmy Awards are presented on ABC.
WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Alabama, becomes a Fox-owned station, a year after Fox had acquired it and WGHP-TV in High Point, North Carolina. This ended WBRC-TV's 47 year affiliation with ABC; in turn, ABC links up with low-power station WBMA-LP (supplemented with two full-power satellites, WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa and WJSU-TV in Anniston). Former Fox affiliate WTTO-TV becomes an independent before affiliating with The WB the next year, while former WTTO-TV satellite WNAL in Gadsden switches to CBS.
15 USA Network ends its USA Cartoon Express block, expanding its newer USA Action Extreme Team block to weekdays.
16 Wheel of Fortune introduced a gameplay round called Jackpot which contestants can win an accumulated pot based on the value spun throughout the round. The round would remain intact until 2013.
17The O. J. Simpson civil trial begins.
30A revival of the game show Shop 'til You Drop premieres on the Family Channel along with a new game show called Shopping Spree . Both shows would last on the channel until August 14th 1998, the final day of the Family Channel branding. Shop would get revived in 2000 on PAX.

October

DateEvent
2Seven newscasters were dismissed by WCBS-TV (channel 2) in New York.
6 President Clinton and Senator Bob Dole participate in the first 1996 presidential debate with Jim Lehrer of PBS moderating. [4]
7Nickelodeon adds an extra half-hour of programming, branded as "More Nickelodeon", on weekdays at 8:00pm Eastern/7:00pm Central. The "More Nickelodeon" block included new episodes of The Secret World of Alex Mack plus new series Hey Arnold! , KaBlam! , and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss . For the next two weeks, viewers were encouraged to "Spot the Dot" using game pieces found at Blockbuster Video stores and in Nintendo Power magazine for a chance to win a Nintendo 64.
9 Vice President Gore and former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp participate in the 1996 Vice Presidential debate at Mahaffey Theater. [5]
10 Turner Broadcasting System merged into Time Warner.
Greg Kinnear hosts his final episode of NBC's Later . The show would then revolve a set of rotating guest hosts for the next three years.
16Clinton and Dole participate in the final presidential debate at the University of San Diego. [6]
20–26 Fox broadcasts its first ever World Series. The New York Yankees won their 23rd title (and first since 1978) against the Atlanta Braves in only six games.
30 WBKP in Calumet, Michigan signs on the air, giving the Upper Peninsula both its first full-time ABC affiliate (WLUC-TV had dropped its primary ABC affiliation the previous year in favor of its secondary NBC affiliation) and full-time affiliates of the "Big Three" networks.


November

DateEvent
1Seven regional sports networks operated by Prime Network relaunched as Fox Sports Net.
4In tribute to the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series , an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine features Captain Benjamin Sisko and the crew travel back in time to prevent the assassination of Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise by a Klingon using a booby-trapped tribble. Its sister series Voyager produced a similar episode, "Flashback".
The infamous "Pillman's got a gun" angle with Brian Pillman and his former tag-team partner Stone Cold Steve Austin airs on USA Network's Monday Night RAW .
23 Bob Hope's final television special, Bob Hope... Laughing with the Presidents, airs on NBC.

December

DateEvent
1The long-running 25 Days of Christmas event begins on The Family Channel.
8 Paramount Television and Viacom purchased a 50% stake in UPN from Chris-Craft and United Television for approximately $160 million. It made UPN a joint partnership between Chris-Craft and Viacom (and later a Viacom property as a whole) at this point.
15Five years after its series finale, a movie version of Dallas , entitled Dallas: J.R. Returns , is broadcast by CBS.
176 years after dropping the title, TBS resumes using the term Superstation.
31ABC affiliate WAKC-TV in Akron, Ohio, disaffiliates from the network after 53 years and drops all remaining entertainment programming to carry Paxson Communications' inTV infomercial network. The station's studios had previously relocated from Akron to the Cleveland suburb of Warrensville Heights. [7] [8]

Television programs

Debuts

DateShowNetwork
January 3 Matt Waters CBS
January 6 Campus Cops USA Network
January 9 3rd Rock from the Sun NBC
Champs ABC
January 20 The Lazarus Man TNT
January 21 Savannah The WB
January 22 Bzzz! Syndication
January 23 Moesha UPN
January 24 Tracey Takes On... HBO
January 31 The Louie Show CBS
Remember WENN AMC
February 1 World's Funniest Videos ABC
February 3 C Bear and Jamal Fox Kids
February 5 Second Noah ABC
February 6 Street Signs CNBC
February 20 VH1 Storytellers VH1
February 24 The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper Fox Kids
March 1 Gold Fever Outdoor Channel
March 2 Pacific Blue USA Network
Space Cases Nickelodeon
March 4 Power Lunch CNBC
Good Company CBS
High Incident ABC
March 5 Buddies
March 8 Muppets Tonight
March 9 Malibu Shores NBC
March 12The Paranormal Borderline UPN
March 13 The Faculty ABC
Swift Justice UPN
March 15 Aliens in the Family ABC
March 16 The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo Nickelodeon
March 17 Local Heroes Fox
The Show
March 20 The Sentinel UPN
March 21 Boston Common NBC
March 29 E! True Hollywood Story E!
Nash Bridges CBS
April 1 Home and Family The Family Channel
April 3 My Guys CBS
April 8 Profit Fox
April 20 Power Rangers Zeo Fox Kids
April 21 Poltergeist: The Legacy Showtime
April 23 Forensic Files TLC
April 28 Dexter's Laboratory Cartoon Network
Fox News Sunday Fox
May 6 The New Bugs Bunny Road-Runner Show Kids' WB
May 13 Buzzkill MTV
June 1 The American Athlete ABC
June 2 Big Bag Cartoon Network
June 3 Debt Lifetime
Kratts' Creatures PBS
The Last Frontier Fox
L.A. Firefighters
June 10 Caryl & Marilyn: Real Friends ABC
The Rosie O'Donnell Show Syndication
A Wedding Story TLC
July 15 The News with Brian Williams MSNBC
The Site
Time and Again
July 22 The Daily Show Comedy Central
August 10 Arliss HBO
August 11 The Big Easy USA Network
August 12 Fox After Breakfast Fox
August 17 Kenan & Kel Nickelodeon
August 25 The Steve Harvey Show The WB
August 26 7th Heaven
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Cartoon Network
Goode Behavior UPN
Malcolm & Eddie
Sparks
August 27 Homeboys in Outer Space
August 28 The Jamie Foxx Show The WB
Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher
August 31 Women: Stories of Passion Showtime
September 1 Big Deal Fox
September 2 Adventures from the Book of Virtues PBS
September 3 The Burning Zone UPN
Quack Pack Syndication
Imus in the Morning MSNBC
September 6 Dragon Flyz Syndication
Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series The Disney Channel and ABC
Superman: The Animated Series Kids' WB
September 7 Road Rovers
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys Syndication
Big Bad Beetleborgs Fox Kids
September 8 Blue's Clues Nickelodeon
Bureau of Alien Detectors UPN Kids
The Incredible Hulk
Jumanji
Life with Roger The WB
September 9 Lush Life Fox
Party Girl
Grill Me USA Network
Access Hollywood Syndication
The Cape
Samurai Pizza Cats
F/X: The Series
Eagle Riders
In Person with Maureen O'Boyle
Real TV
Scoop with Sam & Dorothy
September 12 Two
September 13 Everybody Loves Raymond CBS
September 14 Bailey Kipper's P.O.V.
Project G.e.e.K.e.R.
Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House
September 16 Beast Wars: Transformers UPN Kids
Judge Judy Syndication
The Pat Bullard Show
Cosby CBS
Pearl
September 17 Promised Land
Something So Right NBC
Spin City ABC
September 18 Townies
Men Behaving Badly NBC
September 19 The Pretender
Suddenly Susan
Moloney CBS
September 20 Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Clueless ABC
September 21 All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series Syndication
Dark Skies NBC
WWF LiveWire USA Network
The Mouse and the Monster UPN Kids
September 24 Relativity ABC
September 25 Pulp Comics Comedy Central
September 27 Sabrina the Teenage Witch ABC
September 28 Early Edition CBS
Common Law ABC
Love and Marriage Fox
The Adventures of Sinbad Syndication
Psi Factor
Mr. Rhodes NBC
September 29 Profiler
September 30 Pappyland TLC
Shopping Spree The Family Channel
Small Talk
Wait 'til You Have Kids
Dangerous Minds ABC
October 5 Jungle Cubs ABC
October 7 Fox News Now Fox News Channel
Hannity & Colmes
The O'Reilly Factor
Your World with Neil Cavuto
Arthur PBS
Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?
Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales
Hey Arnold! Nickelodeon
October 11 KaBlam!
October 12 The RuPaul Show VH1
October 13 The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss Nickelodeon
October 19 Waynehead Kids' WB
October 21 Ink CBS
October 25 The Crocodile Hunter Discovery Channel
Millennium Fox
Remember This? MSNBC
October 27 Pop-Up Video VH1
EZ Streets CBS
October 30 Public Morals
October 31 The New Detectives Discovery Channel
November 3 Inspector Gadget's Field Trip The History Channel
November 9 The High Life HBO
December 9 Idiot Savants MTV
December 24 Edgewise MSNBC
December 28 For Your Home PBS
Gardening by the Yard HGTV
Naughty Amateur Home Videos Playboy TV

Returning this year

ShowLast AiredPrevious NetworkNew titleNew NetworkReturned
Doug 1994 Nickelodeon Disney's Brand Spanking New! Doug ABC September 7
Gargoyles 1996 Syndication Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles
The Dating Game 1989SameSameSeptember 9
The Newlywed Game
Shop 'til You Drop 1994 Lifetime The New Shop 'til You Drop The Family Channel September 30
What A Cartoon! (World Premiere Toons) 1996 TBS/Cartoon Network The What A Cartoon! Show Cartoon Network October 9

Ending this year

DateShowDebut
January 9 Live Shot 1995
January 11 The Commish 1991
January 14 Nickelodeon Guts 1992
February 3 Are You Afraid of the Dark? (returned in 1999)
Dumb and Dumber 1995
February 7 Matt Waters 1996
February 17 Maybe This Time 1995
February 21 VR Troopers 1994
February 23 Carnie! 1995
Strange Luck
February 24 Iron Man 1994
February 26 High Society 1995
March 1 The Head 1994
March 7 The Mickey Mouse Club 1955
March 27 Dream On 1990
March 29 The Pink Panther 1993
George & Alana 1995
March 30 Campus Cops 1996
April 1 Partners 1995
May 4 Sisters 1991
May 11 Captain Planet and the Planeteers 1990
May 19 Murder, She Wrote 1984
May 20 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 1990
Nowhere Man 1995
June 2 Space: Above and Beyond
June 4 Minor Adjustments
June 9 seaQuest DSV 1993
June 17 Buzzkill 1996
June 19 Hudson Street 1995
June 26 Picket Fences 1992
June 28 Central Park West 1995
July 11 American Gothic
July 14 Muppets Tonight 1996
July 19 Tales from the Crypt 1989
August 8 Kratts' Creatures 1996
August 16 The Client 1995
August 17 Santo Bugito
August 27 Rescue 911 1989
August 30 A Current Affair (returned in 2005)1986
September 13 The Phil Donahue Show 1967
September 14 WWF Mania 1993
September 15 USA Cartoon Express 1982
September 30 Lush Life 1996
Party Girl
October 6 Big Deal
October 10 Later with Greg Kinnear 1994
October 20 The Ren & Stimpy Show 1991
October 30 Public Morals 1996
The John Larroquette Show 1993
November 2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987
November 9 The Lazarus Man 1996
November 10 Kirk 1995
November 11 Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales 1996
November 20 Masked Rider 1995
November 24 Rocko's Modern Life 1993
The Tick 1994
November 25 Timon & Pumbaa (returned in 1999)1995
November 27 Power Rangers Zeo 1996
November 28 Quack Pack
December 4 Townies
December 6 Mr. & Mrs. Smith
December 7 Project G.e.e.K.e.R.
December 8 Allegra's Window 1994
December 13 Earthworm Jim 1995
December 14 Bailey Kipper's P.O.V. 1996
California Dreams 1992
December 18 The High Life 1996
December 24 Roundhouse 1992
December 28 The Adventures of Pete & Pete 1993
Unknown Top Rank Boxing (returned in 2017)1980

Made for TV movies and miniseries

Premiere dateTitleChannel
February 4 Gulliver's Travels (miniseries) NBC
February 11 Night of the Twisters The Family Channel
February 24 The Late Shift (miniseries) HBO
April 9 Face of Evil CBS
April 28 The Beast NBC
May 14 Doctor Who Fox
September 24 After Jimmy CBS
November 15 Dallas: J.R. Returns
November 17 Titanic
December 15 The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue The Family Channel
December 17 Unlikely Angel CBS

Entering syndication this year

ShowSeasonsIn ProductionSource
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman 4Yes [9]
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper 4Yes [10]
Mad About You 4Yes [11]
Martin 4Yes [12]

Changes of network affiliation

ShowMoved fromMoved to
Brotherly Love NBC The WB
In the House UPN
Minor Adjustments
Candid Camera Syndication CBS
Gargoyles ABC
Doug Nickelodeon
TekWar USA Network Sci-Fi Channel
Major League Baseball Game of the Week CBS Fox
The Mask CBS/Syndication
Shop 'til You Drop Lifetime The Family Channel

Networks and services

Launches

NetworkTypeLaunch dateNotesSource
BET on Jazz Cable televisionJanuary 15
Sundance Channel Cable and satelliteFebruary 1
America's Health Network Cable and satelliteMarch
Starz! 2 Cable televisionMarch
Ovation Cable televisionApril 21
Nick at Nite's TV Land Cable and satelliteApril 29
Animal Planet Cable and satelliteJune 1
M2 Cable and satelliteAugust 1
Fox Sports Arizona Cable and satelliteSeptember 7
Fox News ChannelCable and satelliteOctober 7
Discovery Civilization Network
Discovery Travel & Living Network
Discovery Kids Channel
Discovery Science Network
Digital cableOctober 7
Research Channel Cable televisionNovember
ESPNews Cable and satelliteNovember 1
HBO Family Cable television December 1
CN8, The Comcast Network Cable televisionDecember 1
CNN/SI Cable and satelliteDecember 12

Conversions and rebrandings

Old network nameNew network nameTypeConversion DateNotesSource
America's Talking MSNBC Cable and satelliteJuly 15
Prime Deportiva
Prime Sports Intermountain West
Prime Sports KBL
Prime Sports Midwest
Prime Sports Northwest
Prime Sports Rocky Mountain
Prime Sports Southwest
Prime Sports West
Fox Sports Américas
Fox Sports Utah
Fox Sports Pittsburgh
Fox Sports Midwest
Fox Sports Northwest
Fox Sports Rocky Mountain
Fox Sports Southwest
Fox Sports West
Cable and satelliteNovember 1

Closures

NetworkTypeEnd dateNotesSources
WWOR EMI Service Cable televisionDecember 31Advance Entertainment Corporation, which had acquired WWOR EMI Service in mid-1996, discontinued the channel on December 31. WWOR's satellite transponder slot was given to Discovery Communications' Animal Planet channel.
Intro TelevisionCable televisionDecember 31Intro Television, which showed sample programs from cable networks such as Cartoon Network, Sci-Fi Channel, The History Channel, and The Box, was replaced by Plex: Encore 1 on January 1.

Television stations

Station launches

DateMarketStationChannelAffiliation
January Las Vegas, NV KZIR 15 Univision
January 1 Reno, NV KRXI-TV 11 Fox
February 22 Denver, CO KTVJ 14 Independent
March 1 Louisville, KY W62BM 62Independent
West Milford, NJ WFME-TV 66Independent
Ogden, UT K21ET 21Univision
March 16 Oklahoma City, OK KOPX-TV 62inTV
March 22 MercedFresno, CA KNSO 51Religious independent
March 30 Albion, NE KLKE 24 ABC (satellite of KLKN)
April 14 CeresSacramento, CA KBSV-TV 23Independent
April 25 Binghamton, NY W08DL 8Independent
May 5 Grand Junction, CO KKCO 11 NBC
May 26 Key West, FL WWFD 8Multicultural independent
May 28 Lima, OH W18BP 18Fox (via WOHL-LP)
May 31 KilleenWaco, TX KAKW 62 UPN/The WB
June El Centro, CAYuma, AZ KVYE 7Univision
June 23 Fayetteville, NC WUNU 31 PBS (UNC-TV)
July 2 Fairbanks, AK K22EY 22Wireless cable
August 7 Fairbanks, AK K13XD 13 CBS
August 28 Ellensburg, WA K25FP 25 3ABN
September 1 Hagerstown, MD WSHE-TV 60inTV
September 14 Kansas City, MO KCWB 29The WB
September 27 Butte, MT KWYB 18ABC
October 7 Flint, MI W61DB 61Independent
Kalamazoo, MI WUHO-LP 38Independent
October 11 Grand Rapids, MI WJUE 43inTV
October 30 Marquette, MI WBKP 5ABC
October 31 Bozeman, MT KCTZ 7Fox
November 7 Nashville, TN W59AW 59 America One
December 3 Oklahoma City, OK News Now 53 53
(cable-only)
Independent (24/7 news)
December 12 Traverse City, MI W51CS 51America One
December 21 ArlingtonDallasFort Worth, TX KPXD-TV 68InTV
December 24 Bluefield, West Virginia WVSX 59Fox
Unknown date Missoula, Montana KUFM-TV 11PBS (Montana PBS)

Stations changing network affiliation

DateMarketStationChannelPrior affiliationNew affiliation
January 1 Honolulu, HI KHON-TV 2 NBC Fox
KHNL 13FoxNBC
Idaho FallsPocatello, ID KPVI 6 ABC NBC
KIFI-TV 8NBCABC
Macon, GA WGXA 24ABCFox
WPGA-TV 58FoxABC
Mobile, ALPensacola, FL WALA-TV 10NBCFox
WPMI 15FoxNBC
New Orleans, LA WVUE-TV 8ABCFox
WGNO 26 The WB ABC
WNOL-TV 38FoxThe WB
Twin Falls, ID KKVI 35ABCFox
Reno, NV KAME-TV 21Fox UPN
March 1 Bakersfield, CA KERO-TV 23 CBS ABC
KBAK-TV 29ABCCBS
March 14 Greensboro, NC WBFX 20 CTN The WB
April 1 Fairbanks, AK KTVF 11CBSNBC
April 4 Binghamton, NY WICZ-TV 40NBCFox
May 26 South Bend, IN W12BK 12 Independent ABC
June 3 Cincinnati, OH WCPO-TV 9CBSABC
WKRC-TV 12ABCCBS
June 19 Greensboro, NC WGGT-TV 48ABCUPN
July 1 New York, NY WNYC-TV/WBIS 31 PBS Independent
August 19 Charleston, SC WCBD-TV 2ABCNBC
WCIV 4NBCABC
September 1 BirminghamTuscaloosa, AL WBRC 6ABCFox
WDBB/WTTO 17/21FoxIndependent
WCFT-TV 33CBSABC
WJSU-TV 40CBSABC
WNAL-TV 44FoxCBS
W58CK 58IndependentABC
Lincoln, NE KSNB-TV 4ABCFox
September 29 Mobile, ALPensacola, FL WFGX 35IndependentThe WB
December 31 AkronCleveland, OH WAKC-TV 23ABCinTV

Station closures

DateMarketStationChannelAffiliation
May 5 Bluefield, WV WVGV-TV 59 The WB

Births

DateNameNotability
January 3 Florence Pugh Actress
January 9 Oana Gregory Actress ( Crash and Bernstein )
January 15 Dove Cameron Actress ( Liv and Maddie , Descendants , Descendants: Wicked World , Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ) and singer
January 17 Caitlin Sanchez Voice actress (Dora on Dora the Explorer (2008–11))
January 18 Sarah Gilman Actress ( I Didn't Do It )
January 22 Sami Gayle Actress ( Blue Bloods , Milo Murphy's Law )
January 27 Braeden Lemasters Actor ( Men of a Certain Age , Betrayal )
February 1Rahart AdamsActor ( Every Witch Way )
February 7 David Castro Actor ( Shadowhunters )
Jake Goldberg Voice actor (Pablo on The Backyardigans (2006–10))
February 9 Jimmy Bennett Actor ( No Ordinary Family )
Kelli Berglund Actress ( Lab Rats , Lab Rats: Elite Force )
February 17 Sasha Pieterse Actress ( Pretty Little Liars ) and singer
February 19Allen AlvaradoActor ( Flight 29 Down )
February 21 Sophie Turner English actress ( Game of Thrones )
February 28 Bobb'e J. Thompson Actor ( That's So Raven , Tyler Perry's House of Payne )
March 22 Maxwell Jacob Friedman Pro wrestler [13]
March 22 Gig Morton Canadian actor ( Mr. Young )
March 30Madeleine PetersCanadian voice actress ( Martha Speaks , My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic )
March 31 Liza Koshy Actress
April 3 Sarah Jeffery Canadian actress ( Descendants: Wicked World )
April 4 Austin Mahone American singer
April 6Miranda MayActress ( Bunk'd )
April 10 Audrey Whitby Actress ( The Thundermans )
April 14 Abigail Breslin Actress ( Scream Queens )
April 17 Dee Dee Davis Actress ( The Bernie Mac Show )
April 18 Roy Woods Singer
April 25 Allisyn Ashley Arm Actress ( Sonny with a Chance , So Random! )
May 3 Noah Munck Actor ( iCarly , The Goldbergs )
May 8 Noah Centineo Actor ( The Fosters )
May 9 Mary Mouser Actress ( Body of Proof , Scandal , Cobra Kai )
May 14 McKaley Miller Actress
May 17 Ryan Ochoa Actor ( iCarly , Pair of Kings )
May 18 Violett Beane Actress
May 24 Frank Dolce Actor ( Sons of Tucson )
June 16Cody LohanActor ( Living Lohan )
June 20 Claudia Lee Actress
June 25 Lele Pons Actress and youtuber [14]
July 16 Nicky Jones Voice actor ( Chowder )
July 13 Jena Irene Singer ( American Idol ) [15]
July 16 Chayce Beckham Singer ( American Idol ) [16]
July 17Jermaine HarrisActor ( Saturdays )
July 21 Joey Bragg Actor ( Liv and Maddie )
July 22 Skyler Gisondo Actor
July 23 Rachel G. Fox Actress
July 24 Herizen F. Guardiola Actress
July 30 Austin North Actor ( I Didn't Do It )
July 31 Blake Michael Actor ( Dog With a Blog )
August 1 Cymphonique Miller Actress ( How to Rock ) and singer
August 7 Liam James Actor
August 12 Torri Webster Canadian actress ( Life with Boys )
August 13 Tessa Albertson Actress
August 21 Jamia Simone Nash Actress ( The Backyardigans , The Young and the Restless )
August 22Mickey GraueActor ( Lost )
August 25 Naelee Rae Actress ( The Backyardigans , The Guiding Light )
September 1 Zendaya Actress ( Shake It Up , K.C. Undercover , Euphoria ) and singer
September 2 Austin Abrams Actor ( Dash & Lily , Euphoria )
September 4 Victoria Moroles Actress ( Liv and Maddie , Teen Wolf )
September 6Alex Christian JonesActor ( Kickin' It )
September 10Kamil McFaddenActor ( K.C. Undercover )
September 12 Colin Ford Actor ( Under the Dome , Jake on Jake and the Never Land Pirates )
September 13 Lili Reinhart Actress ( Riverdale )
September 15 Jake Cherry Actor
September 18 Kurt Doss Actor ( Ruby & the Rockits )
October 9 Bella Hadid American model and sister of Gigi Hadid
October 10Sarah CarpenterActress ( Girl Meets World )
October 16Tyler PerezActor ( WITS Academy )
October 28Sarah CarpenterActress ( Girl Meets World )
November 2Liam ObergfollActress ( Talia in the Kitchen )
November 6 Chelsea Zhang Actress ( Titans , Daybreak , Andi Mack )
November 14 Mason Gooding Actor ( Love, Victor )
November 18 Noah Ringer Actor
November 19Gabrielle ElyseActress ( Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn , The Thundermans )
November 21 Grace Van Patten Actress
November 22 Hailey Baldwin American fashion model and daughter of Stephen Baldwin
Mackenzie Lintz Actress ( Under the Dome )
Madison Davenport Actress ( Shameless , From Dusk till Dawn: The Series ) and singer
December 6 Stefanie Scott Actress ( A.N.T. Farm )
December 8 Teala Dunn Actress ( Wonder Pets , The Naked Brothers Band , Are We There Yet? , The Thundermans )
December 11 Hailee Steinfeld Actress and singer
Jack Griffo Actor ( The Thundermans ) and singer
December 20Timothy McCartneyActor
December 21 Kaitlyn Dever Actress ( Justified , Last Man Standing )
December 29 Dylan Minnette Actor ( Lost , Awake , 13 Reasons Why )
December 30Raymond ChamActor ( Mech-X4 )

Deaths

DateNameAgeNotability
February 3 Audrey Meadows 73Actress (Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners )
February 13 Martin Balsam 76Actor (Murray on Archie Bunker's Place )
February 15 McLean Stevenson 68Actor (Lt. Col. Henry Blake on M*A*S*H )
Tommy Rettig 54Child actor (Jeff on Lassie )
March 4 Minnie Pearl 83Comedian
March 5 Whit Bissell 86Character actor
March 9 George Burns 100Comedian ( The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show )
March 11 Vince Edwards 67Actor ( Ben Casey )
April 21 Jimmy Snyder 77Sports commentator ( The NFL Today )
May 20 Jon Pertwee 76Actor ( Third Doctor on Doctor Who )
June 2 Ray Combs 40Host of Family Feud
June 5 Vito Scotti 78Character actor, Gilligan's Island
June 16 Mel Allen 83Sports commentator
July 21 Herb Edelman 62Actor (Stanley Zbornak on The Golden Girls )
August 27 Greg Morris 62Actor ( Mission: Impossible )
September 13 Tupac Shakur 25Actor and songwriter
October 6 Ted Bessell 61Actor and director (Donald on That Girl )
October 28 Morey Amsterdam 87Actor and comedian (Buddy on The Dick Van Dyke Show )
October 31 Arthur Peterson Jr. 83Actor ( Soap )
November 13 Alma Kitchell 103Hostess ( In the Kelvinator Kitchen )
December 8 Howard Rollins 46Actor (Tibbs on In the Heat of the Night )
December 12 Larry Gates 81Soap opera actor ( Guiding Light )
December 14Edward K. Milkis65Producer

See also

Related Research Articles

In American television in 1994, notable events included television series debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel initiations, closures and re-brandings, as well as information about controversies and disputes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEWS-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Cleveland

WEWS-TV is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception in 1946, making it one of three stations that have been built and signed on by Scripps. WEWS-TV's studios are located on Euclid Avenue in Downtown Cleveland, and its transmitter is located in suburban Parma.

In American television during 2004 notable events included television series debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel initiations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knight Ridder</span> American media company

Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by McClatchy on June 27, 2006, it was the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspaper brands sold. Its headquarters were located in San Jose, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOIO</span> CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Shaker Heights, Ohio

WOIO is a television station licensed to Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland area as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTCL-LD and Lorain-licensed CW affiliate WUAB, the latter station transmitting over WOIO's full-power spectrum via a channel sharing agreement. WOIO, WUAB and WTCL-LD share studios on the ground floor of the Reserve Square building in Downtown Cleveland, with WOIO and WUAB sharing transmitter facilities in suburban Parma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUAB</span> CW affiliate in Lorain, Ohio

WUAB is a television station licensed to Lorain, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTCL-LD and Shaker Heights–licensed CBS affiliate WOIO, the latter station whose full-power spectrum WUAB transmits over via a channel sharing agreement. WUAB, WOIO and WTCL-LD share studios on the ground floor of the Reserve Square building in Downtown Cleveland, with WUAB and WOIO sharing transmitter facilities in suburban Parma.

WVIZ is a PBS member television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is owned by Ideastream Public Media alongside classical music station WCLV and co-managed with Kent State University–owned WKSU, the NPR member for both Cleveland and Akron. The three stations share studio facilities at the Idea Center on Playhouse Square in Downtown Cleveland; WVIZ's transmitter is located in suburban Parma, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHK (AM)</span> Talk radio station in Cleveland, Ohio

WHK is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, carrying a talk format known as "AM 1420 The Answer". Owned by the Salem Media Group, the station serves both Greater Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio region as an affiliate for the Salem Radio Network. WHK's studios are currently located in the Cleveland suburb of Independence while the transmitter site resides in neighboring Seven Hills.

WVPX-TV is a television station licensed to Akron, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland area as an affiliate of Ion Television. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, it is jointly operated with Canton-licensed Scripps News affiliate WDLI-TV, which transmits using WVPX-TV's full-power spectrum via a channel sharing agreement.

WQHS-DT is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, broadcasting the Spanish-language networks Univision and UniMás. Owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision, it is the only full-power Spanish-language television station in the state of Ohio. WQHS-DT's studios and transmitter are located on West Ridgewood Drive in suburban Parma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKBF-TV</span> TV station in Cleveland (1968–1975)

WKBF-TV was a television station that broadcast on channel 61 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, from January 1968 to April 1975. Owned and operated by Kaiser Broadcasting as one of an eventual group of six stations, it was the first ultra high frequency (UHF) independent station to serve northeast Ohio and the last outlet constructed by the Kaiser chain during the 1960s to begin operations. Despite airing several high-profile local programs, Kaiser's efforts to establish itself in Cleveland never took root because of the establishment of a second independent outlet, WUAB, later that same year, as well as general stagnation in the Cleveland market. In April 1975, Kaiser shut WKBF-TV down and sold its programming inventory to WUAB in exchange for a minority stake in that station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTAM</span> Clear-channel news/talk radio station in Cleveland

WTAM is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and carries a news/talk and sports radio format commonly known as "Newsradio WTAM 1100". Owned by iHeartMedia, WTAM serves Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio, and is a clear-channel station with extended nighttime range. WTAM is also Northeast Ohio's primary entry point station in the Emergency Alert System.

WKSU is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to serve Kent, Ohio, featuring a public radio format. Owned by Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media, WKSU's primary signal encompasses the Akron metro area, Greater Cleveland and much of Northeast Ohio as the regional affiliate for National Public Radio (NPR), American Public Media, Public Radio Exchange and the BBC World Service. The station's reach is extended into the Canton, Mansfield, Lorain, Ashtabula, Sandusky, New Philadelphia and Wooster areas via a network of five full-power repeaters, two low-power translators, and one on-channel booster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHKW</span> Christian radio station in Cleveland, Ohio

WHKW is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, featuring a Christian radio format. Owned by Salem Media Group, the station serves both Greater Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio region. WHKW's studios are located in the Cleveland suburb of Independence while its transmitter site is in neighboring Broadview Heights.

WRLM is a religious television station licensed to Canton, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland–Akron television market. The station is owned and operated by Tri-State Christian Television (TCT). Through a channel sharing agreement with PBS member station WEAO, the two stations transmit using WEAO's spectrum from an antenna in Copley, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment</span> Television station affiliation switches

Between 1994 and 1996, a wide-ranging realignment of television network affiliations took place in the United States as the result of a multimillion-dollar deal between the Fox Broadcasting Company and New World Communications, announced on May 23, 1994. Unprecedented in the broadcast industry, the deal resulted in twelve stations owned by, or in the process of being purchased by New World, switching network affiliations to Fox over the course of a two-year period when existing contracts expired. These stations were long-standing affiliates of the traditional "Big Three" television networks, CBS, NBC, and ABC, in some of the country's largest markets, with the majority having been aligned with CBS individually for over 40 years.

ABC Owned Television Stations is a division of Disney Entertainment operated by Disney Networks Group that oversees the owned-and-operated stations of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), a division of The Walt Disney Company. The division also operates the Localish network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAKR</span> Radio station in Akron, Ohio

WAKR (1590 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Akron, Ohio, and known as "Soft Hits 93.5 FM". Locally owned and operated by Rubber City Radio Group, Inc., the station primarily services the Akron metropolitan area, including both Summit County and Portage County.

References

  1. "Briefs: ValueVision International Inc". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. March 1, 1996. p. D3. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  2. Heldenfels, R.D.; Hoffman, Steve; Quinn, Jim; Hoiles, Robert (February 29, 1996). "WAKC Kills News: New owner pulls plug, fires at least 15, decision on resuming show is months away, ABC affiliation under review" . Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. p. A1. Retrieved February 3, 2022 via NewsBank.
  3. "Our opinion: And now, the news (Editorial)". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. March 30, 2001. p. A14. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  4. Nagourney, Adam (October 6, 1996). "Dole Concludes Debate Preparation by Asking Bush for Advice". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  5. Gray, Jerry (October 9, 1996). "Gore and Kemp Practice Jabs for Tonight's Encounter". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  6. Nagourney, Adam (October 16, 1996). "Dole Accuses Clinton of Devaluing Presidency". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  7. Feran, Tom (November 14, 1996). "Channel 23 will cancel affiliation with ABC-TV" . The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 11B. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022 via NewsBank.
  8. Heldenfels, R.D. (November 14, 1996). "WAKC to change format, drop ABC shows: Infomercials, religious programs likely to replace network lineup at end of year. Florida firm's decision surprises Channel 23 manager, pleases Cleveland station" . Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. p. D4. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022 via NewsBank.
  9. from Broadcasting & Cable
  10. from Broadcasting & Cable
  11. from Broadcasting & Cable
  12. from Broadcasting & Cable
  13. "Inside the mind of AEW's Maxwell Jacob Friedman and why he is the most hated pro wrestler today | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. May 24, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  14. Berg, Madeline. "Meet Lele Pons: The Latina Star Taking Over The Digital World". Forbes. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  15. Bronson, Fred (March 20, 2014). "'American Idol' Season 13: Jena Irene Stays Thankful for Middle School Breakups". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  16. Cruz, Rene Ray De La. "'I'm here and I'm doing this': An interview with 'American Idol' hopeful Chayce Beckham". Victorville Daily Press. Retrieved February 19, 2024.