1949 in television

Table of contents

1 Events
2 Popular Television Shows
3 Births
4 Deaths

Events

January 11 - A 2 hour special on all networks celebrates the linking of the eastern and midwestern networks via coaxial cable
January 22 - The first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, KTLA, begins operation in Hollywood, California.
January 31 - The first Emmy Awards are presented and broadcasted on television from Los Angeles
May - The first telethon, benefitting the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund, is hosted by Milton Berle and lasts for 24 hours
August 25 - RCA announces the development of a compatible color TV system.
December 29 - KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut becomes the first Ultra high frequency (UHF) television station to operate a daily schedule.
Martin Kane, Private Eye premieres on NBC, becoming the first detective series on television.
For the first time, the Sears & Roebuck catalog includes televisions.

January 10 - Teresa Graves, actress, comedienne (+ 2002)
January 13 - Brandon Tartikoff, television executive (+ 1997)
January 24 - John Belushi, actor, Saturday Night Live
February 2 - Brent Spiner, actor
February 9 - Judith Light, actress
March 16 - Erik Estrada, actor, CHiPs
March 17 - Patrick Duffy, actor, Dallas
March 26 - Vicki Lawrence, actress, comedienne The Carol Burnett Show, Mama's Family, etc.
June 22 - Lindsay Wagner, actress
July 3 - Jan Smithers, actress, WKRP in Cincinnati
August 23 - Shelley Long, actress
September 10 - Bill O'Reilly, political commentator
September 16 - Ed Begley, Jr, actor
October 6 - Les Moonves, head of CBS
November 6 - Arturo Sandoval, songwriter
November 28 - Paul Shaffer, bandleader, The Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Blues Brothers, etc