1961 in American television

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List of years in American television:
1960–61 United States network television schedule
1961–62 United States network television schedule
List of American television programs currently in production

This is a list of American television-related events in 1961.

Events[edit]

Date Event Ref.
January 20 President John F. Kennedy becomes the first president to be inaugurated with a color telecast. NBC's news division provided coverage in color.
January 25 John F. Kennedy held the first live televised presidential press conference.
March 5 The launch of the spacecraft Freedom 7 in a 15-minute sub-orbital spaceflight is seen by 45 million American television viewers.[1] Alan B. Shepard becomes the first U.S. astronaut in space. He was the second person to travel into space, [2]following the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. [3]
May 5 In a speech on "Television and the Public Interest" to the National Association of Broadcasters, Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton N. Minow describes commercial television programming as a "vast wasteland" and tells the broadcasters that they could do a better job of serving the public.
May 29 Dave Garroway announces that he would be leaving the Today show on NBC.
July 1 The Brighter Day airs its first episode after moving to Los Angeles from New York City. The move also marks the writing out of Baby Dennis and his love interest, because the actors who played them didn't want to relocate.
September 23 NBC begins its long-running series of movie presentations under the umbrella banner, NBC Saturday Night at the Movies. The first movie to be broadcast was the 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire, starring Marilyn Monroe.
November 19 Lucille Ball marries Gary Morton

Other events in 1961[edit]

Television programs[edit]

Debuts[edit]

Date Debut Network
January 1 The Dick Tracy Show Broadcast syndication
January 5 Mister Ed
January 20[4] You're in the Picture CBS
January 23 The Americans NBC
January 30[5] The Yogi Bear Show Broadcast syndication
February 9 Gunslinger CBS
February 27 Acapulco NBC
March 17 Five Star Jubilee
March 31 'Way Out CBS
April[6] The Ernie Kovacs Show ABC
April 2[7][8] The Asphalt Jungle ABC
April 29[9] Wide World of Sports ABC
May 8 Whispering Smith NBC
June 3 Ripcord Broadcast syndication
July 6 Great Ghost Tales NBC
September 1 Tales of the Wizard of Oz Broadcast syndication
September 17 Car 54, Where Are You? NBC
September 17[10] The DuPont Show of the Week NBC
September 17[11] Follow the Sun ABC
September 19 Cain's Hundred NBC
September 20 The Joey Bishop Show NBC
September 25[12] 87th Precinct NBC
September 26 Ichabod and Me CBS
September 26[13] The Dick Powell Show NBC
September 27 Top Cat ABC
September 28 Hazel NBC
September 29 Target: The Corruptors! ABC
October 1 Bus Stop ABC
October 2 Ben Casey ABC
October 2 Password CBS
October 2[14][15][16] Window on Main Street CBS
October 3 Calvin and the Colonel ABC
October 3 The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS
October 3 The New Breed ABC
October 4[17] The Alvin Show CBS
October 4 Mrs. G. Goes to College CBS
October 5 Frontier Circus CBS
The Investigators CBS
The New Bob Cummings Show CBS
October 6 The Hathaways ABC
October 6 Straightaway ABC
October 9 The Everglades Broadcast syndication
October 10 Alcoa Premiere ABC
October 11 The Bob Newhart Show NBC
October 12[18] Margie ABC
December 11 The Mike Douglas Show Broadcast syndication

Changes of network affiliation[edit]

Show Moved from Moved to
Walt Disney Presents ABC NBC
The Detectives
Rocky and His Friends
The Wonderful World of Disney
Bachelor Father NBC ABC
Mister Ed Syndication CBS

Ending this year[edit]

Date Show Network Debut Notes
January 6 Dan Raven NBC 1960
February 13 Klondike
April 7 Happy
April 12 My Sister Eileen CBS October 5, 1960
April 24 Acapulco NBC February 27, 1961
April 30 The Tab Hunter Show September 18, 1960
May 1 The Play of the Week NTA Film Network October 12, 1959
May 15 The Americans NBC January 1961
May 23 The Tom Ewell Show CBS 1960
May 31 Peter Loves Mary NBC October 12, 1960
June 27 Stagecoach West ABC October 4, 1960
June 29 The Ford Show NBC October 4, 1956
July 3 Bringing Up Buddy CBS 1960
September 18 Peter Gunn NBC September 22, 1958
September 22 Five Star Jubilee NBC March 17, 1961
December 1 The Huckleberry Hound Show First-run Syndication September 29, 1958
December 15 Sam and Friends WRC-TV (Washington, D.C.) May 9, 1955
December 28 The Investigators CBS October 5, 1961
Unknown This Is Your Life NBC October 1, 1952

Network launches[edit]

Network Type Launch date Notes
Christian Broadcasting Network Religious-formatted television network October 1 First religious broadcasting network in the United States

Network closures[edit]

Network Type End date Notes
NTA Film Network Broadcast November Launched in October 1956, the NTA Film Network was another attempt to create a fourth television network in the wake of the closing of the DuMont Television Network two months prior. The network relied on filming the programming before sending it to air on its affiliates.

Networks and services[edit]

Closures[edit]

Network Type Closure date Notes Source
NTA Film Network Cable television November

Television stations[edit]

Station launches[edit]

Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref.
January 21 Idaho Falls, Idaho KIFI 8 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
January 30 Phoenix, Arizona KAET 9 NET
February 1 Hot Springs, Arkansas KFOY-TV 9 NBC
February 6 Portland, Oregon KOAP-TV 10 NET Flagship of Oregon Public Broadcasting
February 27 Douglas, Arizona KCDA 3 Independent
March 29 Kansas City, Missouri KCSD-TV 19 NET
June 18 Beaumont, Texas KBMT 12 ABC
July 5 Vermillion, South Dakota KUSD-TV 2 NET Later became the flagship of the South Dakota Public Broadcasting television network
July 22 Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands WBNB-TV 10 CBS (primary)
NBC (secondary) 		First licensed television station in the Virgin Islands
August 7 Elk City, Oklahoma KSWB 8 CBS
September 5 Charlotte, North Carolina WUTV 36 ABC (primary)
NBC/CBS (secondary)
September 16 Louisville, Kentucky WLKY 32 ABC
September 25 Tacoma, Washington KTPS 28 NET
September 27 Norfolk, Virginia WHRO-TV 15 NET
October 2 Washington, D.C. WETA 26 NET
October 3 Medford, Oregon KMED-TV 10 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
October 10 Richland, Washington KNDU 25 ABC (primary)
NBC (secondary)
November 5 New York City WUHF 31 Independent
November 6 Carbondale, Illinois WSIU-TV 15 NET
November 13 Augusta/Portland, Maine WCBB 10 NET Maine's first educational station; now part of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network
November 19 Waycross/Valdosta, Georgia WXGA-TV 8 NET Part of the Georgia Public Broadcasting television network
November 27 Hilo, Hawaii KHAW-TV 11 NBC Satellite of KHAW-TV (now KHON-TV)/Honolulu
December 18 Flagstaff, Arizona KVLS 13 Independent
Fresno, California KAIL 53

Network affiliation changes[edit]

Date City of license/Market Station Channel Old affiliation New affiliation Notes/Ref.
April 2 Milwaukee, Wisconsin WISN-TV 12 ABC CBS
WITI 6 CBS (primary)
NTA Film Network (secondary) 		ABC (exclusive)
September 16 Louisville, Kentucky WAVE 3 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary) 		NBC (exclusive)
October 3 Klamath Falls, Oregon KOTI 2 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary) 		ABC (primary)
NBC (secondary)
Medford, Oregon KOBI 5 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary) 		CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
Unknown date Lexington, Kentucky WKYT-TV (formerly WKXP-TV) 27 CBS (exclusive) ABC (primary)
CBS (secondary)
Mankato, Minnesota KEYC-TV 12 NBC CBS
Ogden, Utah KVOG-TV 9 NTA Film Network Independent

Station closures[edit]

Date City of license/Market Station Channel Affiliation First air date Notes/Ref.
February 16 Fort Pierce, Florida WTVI 19 CBS November 23, 1960
August Douglas, Arizona KCDA 3 Independent February 27, 1961
Rochester, New York WVET-TV 10 CBS/ABC November 1, 1953 Merged operations with current CBS affiliate WHEC-TV

Births[edit]

Main article: 1961 in television § Births

Deaths[edit]

Main article: 1961 in television § Deaths

References[edit]

  1. ^ Swenson, Grimwood & Alexander 1966, pp. 360–361.
  2. ^ Burgess 2014, pp. 99–100.
  3. ^ Swenson, Grimwood & Alexander 1966, pp. 332–333.
  4. ^ "Time Listings: Jan. 20, 1961". Time. January 20, 1961. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  5. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 929–933. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  6. ^ Rico, Diana. Kovacsland. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990. Retrieved January 22, 2019
  7. ^ McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 64.
  8. ^ Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, Sixth Edition, New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, p. 63.
  9. ^ "50th Anniversary of Wide World of Sports Celebrated". ESPN MediaZone. April 21, 2011. Information about the broadcasters obtained directly from the original telecast.
  10. ^ The DuPont Show of the Week: Awards at the Internet Movie Database
  11. ^ Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, 2009, p. 486.
  12. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 254. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  13. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 355. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  14. ^ McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, ISBN 0 14 02 4916 8, p. 917.
  15. ^ Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (Sixth Edition), New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, p. 1138.
  16. ^ "CTVA US Drama - "Window on Main Street" (1961-62) starring Robert Young". ctva.biz. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  17. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 24. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  18. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 853. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved November 22, 2021.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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