1998 in American television

Last updated

In American television in 1998, notable events included television series debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel initiations, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and disputes.

Contents

Events

January

DateEvent
3 Jim McKay announces that Wide World of Sports has been cancelled by ABC after 37 years.
12 CBS acquires the rights to the AFC of the NFL as part of a $4 billion, eight-year contract; Fox and ABC renew their agreements for the NFC and Monday Night Football , respectively (Super Bowl XXXII, broadcast on January 25, would be NBC's last NFL game until 2006).
15Many of Sinclair's stations that were previously affiliated with UPN were converted to affiliates of The WB.
30 CBS affiliate in Orlando, WCPX-TV changes its name to WKMG-TV following its purchase by Post-Newsweek.

February

DateEvent
9Prevue Channel (now Pop) revamps its programming to include short-form segments. The revamp lasts until January 31, 1999, when the channel is renamed TV Guide Channel.

March

DateEvent
2The "Powerhouse" era begins on Cartoon Network. The animated bumpers were all done by Primal Screen, an Atlanta-based studio. The era's colorful backgrounds typically represent the time periods: Yellow (mornings), Green (afternoons), Blue (evenings/weekends), Black/Dark Blue (midnights) and Purple (action shows). Red was originally the color for midnights but this was later removed due to older TVs were struggling to display it. The era was named after Raymond Scott's instrumental song from 1937.
18A wanted child molester named Matthew Fenwick appears as a contestant on the game show Wheel of Fortune and wins $4,400. At the time of the episode's airing, Matthew was on the run after being accused of molesting two underage girls, ages 8 and 10, who discovered Matthew on the game show after a warrant was issued for him in November 1997 by the police. He was arrested two days after his appearance on the game show and subsequently pled guilty in July 1998 for two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.
29 World Wrestling Federation wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin defeats Shawn Michaels, winning his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XIV. With this, it has been cited to be the full beginning of the "Attitude Era".

April

DateEvent
4 CatDog premieres on Nickelodeon following the 1998 Kids' Choice Awards. The show did not air every day until October.
6Long-running British children's television series Teletubbies begins its U.S. television debut on PBS Kids.
9 The Price Is Right's 5,000th episode is broadcast on CBS. On the show, every pricing game is played for a car (something Price had only done once before. It has been repeated only once since then). At the beginning of the show, CBS announces it has renamed Studio 33 (the studio at CBS Television City where The Price Is Right has taped since its 1972 return) the Bob Barker Studios in honor of the show's then-host and executive producer.
11The National Cable Television Association announces they will discontinue the CableACE awards, due to the Emmy Awards recognizing cable programming.
24A second special episode of Dallas , Dallas: War of the Ewings , airs on CBS seven years after the original series finished.
30Seven television stations broadcast the suicide of maintenance worker Daniel V. Jones on live television. The incident causes many to criticize Los Angeles television stations' practice of airing police pursuits live and calls for proposed changes in the way live coverage of events are handled in the future.

May

DateEvent
7The infamous Seinfeld episode, "The Puerto Rican Day" is broadcast on NBC. In it, Cosmo Kramer accidentally burns and then stomps on the Puerto Rican flag. NBC was forced to apologize and had it banned from airing on the network again. Also, it was not initially part of the syndicated package. In the summer of 2002, the episode started to appear with the flag-burning sequence intact.
1476.3 million people tune in to The Finale of Seinfeld on NBC.
28Former Saturday Night Live actor and comedian Phil Hartman, then featuring on the NBC sitcom NewsRadio , the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons , and announcer of Cartoon Network is shot and killed by his wife (who then kills herself).

June

DateEvent
11United Video Satellite Group, parent company of the Prevue Channel (now Pop), acquires TV Guide from News Corporation for $800 million and 60 million shares of stock worth an additional $1.2 billion. In recognition of this, Prevue Channel will rebrand to the TV Guide Channel on February 1, 1999. [1] [2]
14 Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz is broadcast on NBC. The game registered a 22.3 Nielsen rating and 38 share with average 35.9 million viewers. This made it the highest rated and most watched game in the history of the National Basketball Association. 72 million people in the US watched at least part of the game. [3] The previous record was a 21.2 rating and 37 share for Game 7 of the 1988 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons. [4]

August

DateEvent
3The feud between UPN and Sinclair Broadcast Group has been ended, with many of the Milwaukee, Birmingham, Raleigh and Charleston stations that were temporary independent stations went back to being UPN affiliates.
15A pre-season football game in Vancouver, British Columbia between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks is CBS's first NFL football broadcast since January 1994.
16 KATH-LP in Juneau, Alaska signs on the air, giving the Juneau market its first full-time NBC affiliate. The sign-on was delayed for a month due to delays in receiving the equipment required to place the station on the local GCI cable system (Sister station KSCT-LP in Sitka, the market's former Fox affiliate, had already switched to NBC). [5] [6]

September

DateEvent
6 CBS resumes its regular season coverage of the National Football League for the first time since 1993.
8In front of a nationwide audience watching on Fox, Mark McGwire hits his 62nd home run of the Major League Baseball season, breaking the 37 year old record held by Roger Maris.
17 Frasier appears for the first time on Thursday nights in the 9:00 slot, NBC had been discussing in May, displacing Seinfeld , although Just Shoot Me! has been moved to Tuesdays two days earlier. The show produced new episodes in its slot next week.

October

DateEvent
4 UPN adds two additional nights of programming to its schedule with primetime series added to Friday nights, including a movie block on Thursday nights.
21 Fox broadcasts the Game 4 of its second World Series. The New York Yankees defeat the San Diego Padres, winning their 24th championship and second since 1996.
19 Fox Family Channel debuts its new annual event 13 Nights of Halloween.

November

DateEvent
8The Milwaukee, Raleigh, Birmingham and Charleston stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group aired many Star Trek: Voyager episodes viewers left out of the last season, with the permission of UPN and Paramount Television.
17 Barney & Friends aired its 100th episode on PBS Kids
18 The Powerpuff Girls premieres on Cartoon Network.
20 The Rugrats Movie , based on Nickelodeon's hit series Rugrats is released in theaters. The movie introduces the character of Dil Pickles, who became a main character in Rugrats the following January. The Rugrats Movie was a commercial success, making a grand total of $100,494,675 domestically and another $40,400,000 in international markets. [7] To promote the movie, Nickelodeon put all Rugrats episodes on hiatus for the week. It was the first time since 1994 that Rugrats was not part of Nick's daily schedule.

December

DateEvent

Programs

Debuts

DateShowNetwork
January 1 A Baby Story TLC
January 3 The Magnificent Seven CBS
January 4 Ask Harriet Fox
January 5 The Charlie Horse Music Pizza PBS Kids
January 8 Crime Stories Court TV
WCW Thunder TBS
January 15 Prey ABC
Style & Substance CBS
January 20 Dawson's Creek The WB
January 24 ABC News Saturday Night ABC
January 26 Special Report with Bret Baier Fox News Channel
January 30 Jep! Game Show Network
February 1 Fox & Friends Fox News Channel
February 2 Three The WB
February 6 Power Rangers in Space Fox Kids
February 7 Silver Surfer
February 23 The Closer CBS
February 24 Four Corners
February 28 Bug Juice Disney Channel
March 9 House Rules NBC
March 10 That's Life ABC
Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place
Weather Center The Weather Channel
March 11 Significant Others Fox
March 14 PB&J Otter Playhouse Disney
March 17 For Your Love NBC
LateLine
March 24 True Life MTV
April 2 World's Wildest Police Videos Fox
April 4 CatDog Nickelodeon
April 6 Getting Personal Fox
Push ABC
Teletubbies PBS Kids
April 9 Mysteries and Scandals E!
April 13 Love Boat: The Next Wave UPN
April 19 You're the One The WB
April 20 Kelly Kelly
May 11Call for Help ZDTV
Internet Tonight
The Screen Savers
Silicon Spin
May 14 Celebrity Deathmatch MTV
May 25 Say What? Karaoke
June 1 The Challenge
June 3 The Simple Life CBS
June 6 Sex and the City HBO
Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford Syndication
June 8 Invasion America The WB
Forgive or Forget Syndication
June 22 The Howie Mandel Show
Faux Pause Game Show Network
July 4 X-Play ZDTV
July 13 The Sifl and Olly Show MTV
July 16Fox Files Fox
July 18 Bad Dog Fox Family
The Net USA Network
July 19 Sins of the City
Oh Yeah! Cartoons Nickelodeon
August 1 Linc's Showtime
You're On! Nickelodeon
August 2 WWE Heat USA Network
August 5 Whose Line Is It Anyway? ABC
August 15 I Can't Believe You Said That Fox Family
Outrageous!
August 17 Judge Mills Lane Syndication
Welcome to Paradox Sci-Fi Channel
August 18 Any Day Now Lifetime
Maggie
Ohh Nooo! Mr. Bill Presents Fox Family
August 22 The Howard Stern Radio Show CBS
August 23 Holding the Baby Fox
That '70s Show
August 26 Oh Baby Lifetime
August 31 Hercules Disney Channel and ABC
Great Day America PAX TV
The Reel to Reel Picture Show
Woman's Day
September 1 Book TV C-SPAN2
NFL Live ESPN2
Cousin Skeeter Nickelodeon
The Wild Thornberrys
September 5 The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs Fox Kids
September 6 It's a Miracle PAX TV
September 7 The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog Fox Kids
September 9 First Wave Sci-Fi Channel
September 11 Living in Captivity Fox
September 12 Animorphs Nickelodeon
One World NBC
Godzilla: The Series Fox Kids
Mad Jack the Pirate
The Mr. Potato Head Show
Young Hercules
September 13 The Army Show The WB
September 14 Judge Joe Brown Syndication
The Roseanne Show
Total Request Live MTV
Histeria! Kids' WB
September 15 Costello Fox
September 19 Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain Kids' WB
September 21 The Brian Benben Show CBS
The King of Queens CBS
L.A. Doctors CBS
Change of Heart Syndication
Donny & Marie
Hyperion Bay The WB
Conrad Bloom NBC
Will & Grace
September 22 Encore! Encore!
The Hughleys ABC
Sports Night ABC
September 24 Jesse NBC
September 25 Buddy Faro CBS
Brother's Keeper ABC
Two of a Kind
September 26 Cupid
Fantasy Island
Martial Law CBS
V.I.P. Syndication
September 28 The Cut MTV
September 29 Vengeance Unlimited ABC
Felicity The WB
September 30 The Secret Lives of Men ABC
Maggie Winters CBS
To Have & to Hold
October 2 Friday Night Fights ESPN2
Off the Wall Disney Channel
October 3 Birdz CBS
Flying Rhino Junior High CBS
Mortal Kombat: Konquest Syndication
Anatole CBS
Dumb Bunnies CBS
October 4 Air America Syndication
Rolie Polie Olie Playhouse Disney
October 5 Inquizition Game Show Network
Noddy PBS Kids
DiResta UPN
Guys Like Us
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
October 6 Mercy Point
October 7 Charmed The WB
Out of the Box Playhouse Disney
Seven Days UPN
October 9 Legacy
October 10 Brats of the Lost Nebula Kids' WB
October 11 Malibu, CA Syndication
October 16 Trinity NBC
October 17Wind on Water
October 19 The New Addams Family Fox Family
October 20 The FBI Files Discovery Channel
October 23 Brimstone Fox
October 25 The Famous Jett Jackson Disney Channel
October 27 America's Greatest Pets UPN
Reunited
November 2 Becker CBS
Jay Jay the Jet Plane TLC
November 7 City Confidential A&E
Little Men PAX TV
Mythic Warriors CBS
November 18 The Powerpuff Girls Cartoon Network
December 1 Comedy Central Presents Comedy Central

Ending this year

DateShowDebut
January 1 413 Hope St. 1997
Living Single 1993
January 3 Newton's Apple 1983
January 4 Beakman's World 1992
Inspector Gadget's Field Trip 1996
January 10 Jungle Cubs
January 12 Jenny 1997
January 13 Dellaventura
January 15 The Secret World of Alex Mack 1994
January 16 The Visitor 1997
January 22 Union Square
January 24 Cracker
January 29 Ask Harriet 1998
January 31 Spider-Man 1994
February 5 The Ink and Paint Club 1997
February 7 Wheel 2000
February 8 Muppets Tonight 1996
February 9 Fired Up 1997
February 10 Make Me Laugh 1958
February 13 Teen Angel 1997
February 17 Grace Under Fire 1993
February 20 Channel Umptee-3 1997
February 23 Bobby's World 1990
February 27 The Gregory Hines Show 1997
March 2 Sparks 1996
Big Bad Beetleborgs
March 3 Four Corners 1998
March 4 101 Dalmatians: The Series 1997
March 6 Hiller and Diller
March 7 Gadget Boy & Heather 1995
USA Up All Night 1989
March 14 Nothing Scared 1997
March 15 The Tom Show
March 16 George & Leo
March 20 Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation
March 21 Fame L.A.
March 25 Significant Others 1998
March 27 Big Bag 1996
April 17 Players 1997
April 25 The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police
April 27 Brooklyn South
Tots TV 1993
May 3 Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher 1996
You're the One 1998
May 4 The Closer
Alright Already 1997
May 14 Seinfeld 1989
May 16 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman 1993
Silver Surfer 1998
May 18 Murphy Brown (returned in 2018)1988
Team Knight Rider 1997
May 19 Good News
May 22 Singled Out 1995
May 25 The Naked Truth
May 26 Soul Man 1997
May 31 Sleepwalkers
The Larry Sanders Show 1992
June 7 Kelly Kelly 1998
June 12 Geraldo 1987
June 15 Michael Hayes 1997
June 20 Bill Nye the Science Guy 1993
June 23 You Wish 1997
Cartoon Sushi
June 25 New York Undercover 1994
June 26 Step by Step 1991
July 2 C-16: FBI 1997
July 7 Invasion America 1998
July 8 The Simple Life
July 9 Prey
July 13 Cybill 1995
July 17 Family Matters 1989
July 18 Timecop 1997
July 22 Ellen 1994
July 25 Weird Science
August 6 Push 1998
August 14 Shop 'til You Drop (returned in 2000)1991
Debt 1996
Shopping Spree
August 25 USA Tuesday Night Fights 1982
September 2 Style & Substance 1998
September 3 The Statler Brothers Show 1991
September 12Think CBS Kidz1997
September 20 NBC Nightside 1991
September 23 The RuPaul Show 1996
October 2 Wishbone 1995
The Reel to Reel Picture Show 1998
October 4 You're On!
October 12 The Brian Benben Show
October 13 Costello
October 16 Getting Personal
Living in Captivity
October 17 Sins of the City
The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper 1996
October 28 The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer 1998
November 6 All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series 1996
November 7 The Secret Lives of Men 1998
November 14 Animaniacs (returned in 2020)1993
Pinky and the Brain 1995
November 16 Goosebumps
November 21 Power Rangers in Space 1998
November 25 Babylon 5 1994
December 4 The Puzzle Place 1995
Buddy Faro 1998
December 9 To Have & to Hold
December 12 The Cut
The New Adventures of Zorro 1997
December 13 The Army Show 1998
The New Adventures of Robin Hood 1997
December 15 Holding the Baby 1998
December 20 The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo 1996
December 21 Conrad Bloom 1998
December 28 Mr. Show with Bob and David 1995
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss 1996
December 29 Reunited 1998
December 31 This Week in Baseball 1977

Entering syndication this year

ShowSeasonsIn productionSource
Chicago Hope 4Yes [8]
Dave's World 4No [9]
Doug 6Yes
Diagnosis: Murder 5Yes [9]
ER 4Yes [10]
Friends 4Yes [11]
The Nanny 5Yes [12]
New York Undercover 4No [13]
Newsradio 4Yes [14]
Sister, Sister 5Yes [15]
This Old House 19Yes [16]
Touched by an Angel 4Yes [9]

Returning this year

ShowLast airedPrevious networkNew titleNew networkDate of return
Kids Say the Darndest Things 1995 CBS SameSameJanuary 9
The NFL Today 1994 CBS September 6
Disney's Brand Spanking New! Doug 1997 ABC Disney's DougABC/SyndicationSeptember 12
Hollywood Squares 1989 Syndication SameSameSeptember 14
Love Connection 1994September 21
Match Game 1991 ABC Syndication

Changes of network affiliation

ShowMoved fromMoved to
For Your Love NBC The WB
TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes ABC
Sliders Fox Sci-Fi Channel
Magic Adventures of Mumfie Fox Kids Fox Family Channel
Flipper Syndication PAX TV
All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series SyndicationFox Family Channel
All New Captain Kangaroo
Match Game ABC Syndication

Made-for-TV movies

TitleNetworkDate of airing
Halloweentown Disney Channel October 17

Miniseries

TitleNetworkDate of airing
The Last Don II CBS May 3 [17]
Peter Benchley's Creature ABC May 17
Thanks of a Grateful Nation Showtime May 31

Networks and services

Network launches

NetworkTypeLaunch dateNotesSource
Discovery en EspanolCable televisionUnknown
ESPN Classic Cable televisionJanuary 1
Showtime ExtremeCable and satelliteMarch 10Showtime Extreme, a multiplex channel from Showtime, airs action and adventure films, thrillers, gangster films and sporting events. The channel's launch coincided with Viacom's channels (excluding the Showtime networks) moving from USSB to DirecTV.
BBC America Cable and satelliteMarch 29 BBC Worldwide and Discovery Communications launched BBC America as part of a $565 million alliance to develop new channels and co-productions. The channel carried British drama, comedy, and documentary programs and live news broadcasts from BBC World.
Toon Disney Cable and satelliteApril 18Toon Disney, devoted to carrying animated series and movies 24 hours a day, was launched by The Walt Disney Company on Disney Channel's 15th anniversary. The first program to air was "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment from Fantasia .
ZDTV Cable and satelliteMay 11A channel launched by Ziff Davis airing technology-based programs.
CityVision Cable televisionJune 8
Lifetime Movie Network Cable and satelliteJune 29A offshoot of Lifetime carrying made-for-TV movies aimed at women.
Discovery Health Channel Cable and satelliteJuly 1Discovery Health Channel aired repeats of health-oriented programs from other Discovery networks, plus some original programming.
Discovery Wings Channel Cable and satelliteJuly 15Named after the Discovery Channel series Wings , Discovery Wings Channel aired programs related to aircraft and aerospace. Discovery Wings also showed top-of-the-hour interstitials featuring aviation forecast data provided by the National Weather Service.
MTV S
MTVX
VH1 Country
VH1 Smooth
VH1 Soul
Digital cableAugust 1MTV Networks launches "The Suite from MTV and VH1", five music channels initially exclusive to digital cable.
PAX Over-the-air multicastAugust 31 Paxson Communications launches PAX TV (now named Ion Television), a family-oriented broadcast network. Paxson's stations previously carried a number of paid programming services (as well as the overnight Christian block The Worship Network), branded as the Infomall Television Network until at the time of PAX's launch. [9]
The WB 100+ Station Group Cable televisionSeptember 21 The WB launches its programming service of cable-only networks, branded as the 100+ Station Group. It was originally known as The WeB, which was from its launch until March of next year. Several cable providers that carried The WB's programming on WGN Superstation feed (until it was dropped the following September) were replaced by its own service. [18]
The Biography Channel Cable and satelliteNovember 16First announced in June 1996, The Biography Channel aired episodes of A&E's profile series Biography and related series.
History Channel International Cable and satelliteNovember 16History Channel International broadcast programs focusing on world history, plus a selection of programs in foreign languages for the Cable in the Classroom initiative.

Network conversions

Old network nameNew network nameTypeConversion DateNotesSource
CBS Eye on People Eye on PeopleCable televisionUnknown
Nostalgia Good TV Goodlife TV Network Cable televisionUnknown
The Family Channel Fox Family ChannelCable and satelliteAugust 15More than a year after its acquisition by News Corporation's Fox Kids Worldwide, Inc., The Family Channel is re-initiated as Fox Family Channel, with the network now targeting a younger family-oriented audience than that of its predecessor.
HBO2 HBO PlusCable and satelliteOctober 1
HBO3 HBO SignatureCable and satelliteOctober 1
Q2 Style Network Cable and satelliteOctober 1QVC shut down its Q2 network on October 1 and sold its satellite capacity to E!, who used the space to launch Style Network.

Closures

NetworkTypeClosure dateNotesSource
American Sports Classics Cable and satelliteUnknown
Sega Channel Online serviceJuly 31

Television stations

Station launches

DateMarketStationChannelAffiliation
January Lake Worth/West Palm Beach, Florida WPXP-TV 68inTV
January 12 Laredo, Texas K68FU 68 Vida Communications
February 2 Rochester, New York WBGT-LP 40 UPN
March Garden City, Kansas KDCK 21 PBS
Smoky Hills PTV
April 21 Provo, Utah KUPX-TV 16inTV
May 18 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania WSWB-TV 64inTV
May 28 Clarksville, Tennessee W69EC 69 Independent
June 1 Morehead/Lexington, Kentucky
(now licensed in Richmond, Kentucky)
WAOM 67 UPN
June 15 Live Oak, Florida WFXU 57 Fox
June 16 Wichita, Kansas K53EO 53America's Voice/ZDTV
July 10 Walla Walla, Washington K33EJ 33 3ABN
July 15 Palo Alto/San Francisco, California KTLN 68 Total Living Network
July 16 Pocatello/Idaho Falls, Idaho KFXP 31 Fox
August 15 Helena, Montana KMTF 10
August 17 Juneau, Alaska K05JR 5 NBC
August 27 Albany, New York WVBG-LP 25 Independent
August 31 Baton Rouge, Louisiana K52CQ 52 PAX TV
Charlottesville, Virginia WADA-LP 55
Newton/Des Moines, Iowa KFPX-TV 39
Kaneoche/Honolulu, Hawaii KPXO-TV 66
Huntington/Charleston, West Virginia WLPX-TV 29
Shreveport, Louisiana KPXJ 21
September 8 Mitchell, South Dakota KDLV-TV 5 NBC
September 22 Lima, Ohio W65DP 65 Fox
(via WOHL-LP)
October 5 Charleston/Huntington, West Virginia WHCP 30 The WB
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota K35CY 35 HSN
October 8 Huntington, West Virginia W53BJ 53 The WB
(as a translator of WHCP)
October 19 Toledo, Ohio WLMB 40Religious independent
November 6 Bakersfield, California K24EJ 24 Fox
November 24 Syracuse, New York WSPX-TV 56 Pax TV
December 3 Nashville, Tennessee W68CG 68 The Box
December 6 Salt Lake City, Utah KAZG 24Independent
December 4 Crandon/Wausau, Wisconsin WBIJ-TV 4 FamilyNet
December 10 Monroe, Louisiana
(El Dorado, Arkansas)
KAQY 11 ABC
December 15 Steubenville, Ohio W28AS 28Independent
Unknown date Atlanta, Georgia W20AI 20 ShopNBC
Mercer, Pennsylvania WPXI-LP 17 Fox
Payette, Idaho K17ED 17 3ABN
Scottsville, Kentucky W48BM 48 Religious independent (primary)
FamilyNet (secondary)
Winnemucca, Nevada KWNV 7NBC
(satellite of KRNV/Reno)
Youngstown, Ohio WYFX-LP 62
(now on 19)
Fox

Stations changing network affiliation

MarketDateStationChannelPrior affiliationNew affiliation
Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, California January 5 KPWB/KMAX-TV 31 The WB UPN
KQCA 58 UPN The WB
Baltimore, Maryland January 15 WNUV 54
Cincinnati, Ohio WBQC-LP 25 The WB Independent
WSTR-TV 64 UPN The WB
Indianapolis, Indiana WTTV/WTTK 4/29 Independent
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KOCB 34 The WB
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania WNPA 19 The WB UPN
WCWB 22 UPN The WB
Kansas City, Missouri January 21 KSMO-TV 62
Baltimore, Maryland January 20 WUTB 24 HSN UPN
San Antonio, Texas January 25 KRRT 35 UPN The WB
Provo, Utah August 31 KUPX-TV 16inTV Pax TV
Las Vegas, Nevada March 1 KUPN 21 UPN The WB
KFBT 33 The WB Independent
Indianapolis, Indiana April 6 WTTV/WTTK 4/29 Independent The WB
WNDY-TV 23 The WB UPN
Lake Worth/West Palm Beach, Florida August 31 WPXP-TV 68inTV Pax TV
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma June 15 KPSG 43 PBS UPN
Norfolk, Virginia August 1 WTVZ-TV 33 Fox The WB
WVBT 43 The WB Fox
Raleigh, North Carolina WLFL 22 Fox The WB
WRAZ 50 The WB Fox
Akron/Cleveland, Ohio August 31 WVPX-TV 23inTV PAX TV
Arlington/Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas KPXD-TV 68
Detroit, Michigan Unknown date WLPC-LP 26 America One (primary)
FamilyNet (secondary)
FamilyNet (exclusive)
Norwell/Boston, Massachusetts August 31 WBPX-TV 46inTV Pax TV
Champaign/Decatur/Urbana, Illinois WPXU-TV 23
Chicago, Illinois WCFC/WCPX-TV 38Christian independent
Hagerstown, Maryland
(Washington, D.C.)
WWPX-TV 60inTV
Kenosha/Milwaukee, Wisconsin WHKE/WPXE-TV 55
Los Angeles, California KPXN-TV 30
Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Florida WPXM-TV 35
New York, New York WPXN-TV 31
Melbourne/Orlando, Florida WOPX-TV 56
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Wilmington, Delaware)
WPPX-TV 61
Rome/Atlanta, Georgia WTLK/WPXA-TV 14
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, California KKPX-TV 65
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania WQPX-TV 64inTV (as WSWB-TV)
Seattle-Tacoma, Washington KBGE/KWPX-TV 33 ValueVision
Albany, New York October 5 WVBG-LP 25 Independent UPN
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania November 1 WSWB
WILF
38
53
Fox The WB

Births

DateNameNotability
January 4 Coco Jones Actress ( So Random! , Good Luck Charlie ) and singer
January 9 Kerris Dorsey Actress ( Brothers & Sisters , Ray Donovan )
January 12 Nathan Gamble Actor ( Runaway , Hank )
January 22 Joe Serafini Actor ( High School Musical: The Musical: The Series )
January 23 Rachel Crow Actress ( Fred: The Show , Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh ) and singer
January 28 Ariel Winter Actress ( Modern Family , Sofia the First )
February 9 Isabella Gomez Actress
February 15 Zachary Gordon Actor ( Bubble Guppies , Diary of a Wimpy Kid )
February 20 Matt Hunter Colombian-American singer and voice actor ( Go, Diego, Go! )
March 5 Micah Fowler Actor ( Speechless )
March 22 Paola Andino Actress ( Every Witch Way )
April 6 Peyton List Actress ( Diary of a Wimpy Kid , Jessie , Bunk'd , Light as a Feather , Cobra Kai )
Spencer List Actor
April 9 Elle Fanning Actress and sister of Dakota Fanning
April 11 Oliver Dillon English actor (Lumpy on My Friends Tigger & Pooh )
April 12 Larry Saperstein Actor ( High School Musical: The Musical: The Series )
April 24 Ryan Newman Actress ( Zeke and Luther , See Dad Run , The Thundermans )
April 27 Froy Gutierrez Actor ( Teen Wolf )
June 11 Charlie Tahan Actor ( Wayward Pines )
June 16 Lauren Taylor Actress ( Best Friends Whenever ) and singer
June 19 Atticus Shaffer Actor ( The Middle , Fish Hooks , Steven Universe , The Lion Guard )
June 24 Coy Stewart Actor ( Are We There Yet? , Bella and the Bulldogs )
July 7 Dylan Sprayberry Actor ( Teen Wolf )
July 8 Jaden Smith Actor ( All of Us , The Get Down ), rapper and son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
July 9 Robert Capron Actor ( Diary of a Wimpy Kid )
July 10 Haley Pullos Actress ( General Hospital )
Angus Cloud Actor ( Euphoria ) (d. 2023) [19]
July 17Kennedy Lea SlocumActress ( WITS Academy )
July 22 Madison Pettis Actress ( Cory in the House , Phineas and Ferb , Life with Boys , Lab Rats , The Fosters )
July 24 Bindi Irwin Australian actress (Dancing with the Stars season 21 [winner])
Logan GroveVoice actor (Gumball on The Amazing World of Gumball (2011–14))
July 25Kyson FacerActor ( I Am Frankie )
July 31 Rico Rodriguez Actor ( Modern Family )
August 1 Khamani Griffin Actor ( All of Us , Carpoolers , Ni Hao, Kai-Lan )
August 3 Cozi Zuehlsdorff Actress and singer
August 8 Shawn Mendes Canadian singer
August 13Devan LeosActor ( Mighty Med )
August 25 China Anne McClain Actress ( Tyler Perry's House of Payne , Jonas , A.N.T. Farm , Descendants: Wicked World , Descendants , Black Lightning ) and singer
September 4Elizabeth EliasActress ( Every Witch Way )
October 1 Danika Yarosh Actress ( See Dad Run , Shameless , Heroes Reborn )
October 6Matt CornettActor ( High School Musical: The Musical: The Series )
October 28 Nolan Gould Actor ( Modern Family )
November 4 Darcy Rose Byrnes Actress ( The Young and the Restless , Desperate Housewives , The Legend of Korra , Sofia the First , Spirit Riding Free )
November 17 Kara Hayward Actress
November 22Eric UngerActor
November 23 Samantha Diaz Singer ( American Idol ) [20]
Bradley Steven Perry Actor ( Good Luck Charlie , Mighty Med , Descendants: Wicked World , Lab Rats: Elite Force )
November 24 Peyton Meyer Actor ( Girl Meets World )
December 2 Annalise Basso Actress
Amber Frank Actress ( The Haunted Hathaways , Spirit Riding Free )
December 8 Tanner Buchanan Actor ( Designated Survivor , Cobra Kai )
December 16 Kiara Muhammad Voice actress ( Doc McStuffins , Sofia the First )
December 17 Jasmine Armfield English actress ( EastEnders )
December 22 G Hannelius Actress ( Surviving Suburbia , Sonny with a Chance , Good Luck Charlie , Dog with a Blog ) and singer
December 23Jackie RadinskyActor ( Bella and the Bulldogs )
December 29 Paris Berelc Actress ( Mighty Med , Lab Rats: Elite Force , Alexa & Katie )
December 31 Hunter Schafer Actress ( Euphoria )

Deaths

DateNameAgeNotability
January 4 Mae Questel 89Actress (voice of Olive Oyl in Popeye the Sailor )
January 5 Sonny Bono 62Singer and entertainer ( The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour )
January 21 Jack Lord 77Actor (Steve McGarrett on Hawaii Five-O )
February 3 Fat Pat 27American rapper
February 6 Carl Wilson 51Singer-songwriter (The Beach Boys) and brother of Brian Wilson
February 19 Grandpa Jones 84 Comedian and musician ( Hee Haw )
February 23 Philip Abbott 74Actor ( The F.B.I. )
March 10 Lloyd Bridges 85Actor (Mike Nelson on Sea Hunt )
April 17 Linda McCartney 56Musician (guest star on The Simpsons ) (Paul McCartney's wife)
May 14 Frank Sinatra 82Singer, actor, and producer
May 28 Phil Hartman 49Actor, comedian ( Saturday Night Live , The Simpsons, NewsRadio )
July 6 Roy Rogers 86Singer and actor ( The Roy Rogers Show )
July 21 Robert Young 91Actor ( Father Knows Best , Marcus Welby, M.D. )
July 30 Buffalo Bob Smith 80Children's show host ( Howdy Doody )
August 2 Shari Lewis 65Puppeteer ( Lamb Chop's Play-Along )
September 23 Mary Frann 55Actress (Joanna on Newhart )
October 2 Gene Autry 91Musical performer ( The Gene Autry Show )
October 3 Roddy McDowall 70Actor ( Tales of the Gold Monkey )
November 17 Dick O'Neill 70Actor ( Family Matters , Home Improvement )
Esther Rolle 78Actress (Florida on Maude and Good Times )
December 6 Michael Zaslow 56Actor (Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light )
December 14 Norman Fell 74Actor (Stanley Roper on Three's Company )
December 23 Michelle Thomas 30Actress (Myra on Family Matters , Justine on The Cosby Show )
December 25 Richard Paul 58Actor ( Carter Country , Match Game )

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UPN</span> American television network (1995–2006)

The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that operated from 1995 to 2006. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' subsidiary, United Television. Viacom turned it into a joint venture in 1996 after acquiring a 50% stake in UPN, and subsequently purchased Chris-Craft's remaining stake in 2000. On December 31, 2005, UPN was kept by CBS Corporation, which was the new name for Viacom when it split into two separate companies. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Time Warner jointly announced that the companies would shut down UPN and competitor The WB to launch a new joint venture network later that year. UPN ceased broadcasting on September 15, 2006, with The WB following two days later. Select programs from both networks moved to the new network, The CW, when it launched on September 18, 2006.

In American television in 1995, notable events included television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel initiations, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and disputes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KING-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Seattle

KING-TV is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Everett-licensed independent station KONG. The two stations share studios at the Home Plate Center in the SoDo district of Seattle; KING-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Queen Anne neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tribune Broadcasting</span> American television and radio broadcast company (1924–2019)

Tribune Broadcasting Company, LLC was an American media company which operated as a subsidiary of Tribune Media, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois. The group owned and operated television and radio stations throughout the United States, as well as full- or partial-ownership of cable television and national digital subchannel networks.

KCBS-TV, branded CBS Los Angeles, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent outlet KCAL-TV. The two stations share studios at the Radford Studio Center on Radford Avenue in the Studio City section of Los Angeles; KCBS-TV's transmitter is located on the western side of Mount Wilson near Occidental Peak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New World Pictures</span> American film production and distribution company

New World Pictures was an American independent production, distribution, and multimedia company. It was founded in 1970 by Roger Corman and Gene Corman as New World Pictures, Ltd., a producer and distributor of motion pictures, eventually expanding into television production in 1984. New World eventually expanded into broadcasting with the acquisition of seven television stations in 1993, with the broadcasting unit expanding through additional purchases made during 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KWHY-TV</span> Spanish-language independent TV station in Los Angeles

KWHY-TV is a Spanish-language independent television station in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is owned by Meruelo Broadcasting alongside Garden Grove–licensed KBEH ; the two stations share RF channel 4 under a channel sharing agreement. KWHY and KBEH share studios on West Pico Boulevard in the Mid-City section of Los Angeles and transmitter facilities atop Mount Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNDY-TV</span> TV station in Marion, Indiana

WNDY-TV is a television station licensed to Marion, Indiana, United States, serving the Indianapolis area as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is locally owned by Circle City Broadcasting alongside Indianapolis-licensed CW affiliate WISH-TV and low-power, Class A Get affiliate WIIH-CD. The stations share studios on North Meridian Street on the near north side of Indianapolis; WNDY-TV and WISH-TV also share transmitter facilities on Walnut Drive in the Augusta section of the city's northwest side. Despite Marion being WNDY-TV's city of license, the station maintains no physical presence there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KYUR</span> TV station in Anchorage, Alaska

KYUR is a television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Vision Alaska LLC, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements with Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC, owner of Fox affiliate KTBY, for the provision of advertising sales and other services. The two stations share studios on East Tudor Road in Anchorage; KYUR's transmitter is located in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. KYUR and KTBY, alongside KATN in Fairbanks and KJUD in Juneau, provide ABC, Fox, and The CW programming throughout Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTUU-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska

KTUU-TV is a television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, affiliated with NBC and CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate KAUU. The two stations share studios on East 40th Avenue in midtown Anchorage; KTUU-TV's transmitter is located in Knik, Alaska.

Disney General Entertainment Content (DGEC), formerly ABC Group, Disney–ABC Television Group and the second incarnation of Walt Disney Television, is part of Disney Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company that oversees its owned-and-operated television content, assets and sub-divisions.

KATH-LD, virtual channel 2, is a low-power NBC-affiliated television station licensed to both Juneau and Douglas, Alaska, United States. The station is owned by Gray Television. KATH-LD's transmitter is located in downtown Juneau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Univision</span> American Spanish-language free-to-air television network

Univision is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes telenovelas and other drama series, sports, sitcoms, reality and variety series, news programming, and imported Spanish-language feature films. Univision is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and has its major studios, production facilities, and business operations based in Doral, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estrella TV</span> American Spanish-language television network

Estrella TV is an American Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by the Estrella Media subsidiary of HPS Investment Partners, LLC. The network primarily features programs, the vast majority of which are produced by the network itself, aimed at Hispanic and Latino American audiences – featuring a mix of entertainment series, reality television series, drama series, news, sports, and imported Mexican-produced feature films.

The early history of television in the United States, particularly between 1956 and 1986, was dominated by the Big Three television networks: the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The term fourth television network was used within the industry during this era to refer to a theoretical fourth commercial broadcast (over-the-air) television network that would operate as a direct competitor to the "Big Three".

In American television in 2012, notable events included television show debuts, finales, and cancellations; channel launches, closures, and rebrandings; stations changing or adding their network affiliations; and information about controversies and carriage disputes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grit (TV network)</span> American free-to-air television network

Grit is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network features classic westerns, both TV series and films.

The following are lists of changes to American television networks, including changes of station affiliations, that occurred in 2018.

References

  1. "News Lite: TV Guide Deal Sets Up Broadcast Opportunity". Los Angeles Daily News . HighBeam Research. June 12, 1998. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  2. "The $2 Billion Acquisition of TV Guide". Folio . January 1, 1999. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021.
  3. "72 million saw Bulls take the prize". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. June 17, 1998. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  4. "NBA Players Removed from U.S. Rosters". Los Angeles Times . June 17, 1998. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
  5. "Juneau-based television station to hit airwaves soon". Juneau Empire . June 26, 1998. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  6. "New local television station to hit airwaves Monday". Juneau Empire . August 16, 1998. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  7. "THE RUGRATS MOVIE". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  8. from Broadcasting & Cable
  9. 1 2 3 4 Lisa de Moraes (August 29, 1998). "On Monday, the Genesis of PAX TV". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2013 via HighBeam Research.
  10. from Broadcasting & Cable
  11. from Broadcasting & Cable
  12. from Broadcasting & Cable
  13. from Broadcasting & Cable
  14. from Broadcasting & Cable
  15. from Broadcasting & Cable
  16. from Broadcasting & Cable
  17. Richmond, Ray (1998-04-29). "The Last Don II". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  18. "A Salute to The WB 100+ Station Group on its Fifth Anniversary" (PDF). TelevisionWeek. September 22, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-11-05 via RussellMyerson.com.
  19. Hobbs, Jack; Keller, Erin (2023-09-21). "'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud's cause of death revealed" . Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  20. Vawter, Eve (2022-08-27). "'American Idol' Winner Just Sam Gives Update After Recent Hospitalization". TV Insider. Retrieved 2024-02-19.