1941 in television

The year 1941 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1941.

Events

• April 30 – In the United States the FCC approves the NTSC standards of 525 lines and 30 frames per second, and authorizes commercial TV to begin on July 1.
• May 2 – In the United States 10 television stations are granted commercial TV licenses (effective July 1). These stations are required to broadcast 15 hours per week. Bulova Watch Co., Sun Oil Co., Lever Bros. Co. and Procter & Gamble sign on as sponsors of the first commercial telecasts from WNBT in New York.
• July 1 – Commercial TV authorized by the FCC.
• July 1 – The world's first legal TV commercial, for Bulova watches, occurs at 2:29 PM over WNBT (now WNBC) New York before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. The 10-second spot displayed a picture of a clock superimposed on a map of the United States, accompanied by the voice-over "America runs on Bulova time." ^[1][2] As a one-off special, the first quiz show called "Uncle Bee" was telecast on WNBT inaugural broadcast day of 1941 followed later the same day by Ralph Edwards hosting the second game show broadcast on United States television, Truth or Consequences, as simulcast on radio and TV and sponsored by Ivory soap. Weekly broadcasts of the show commenced in 1956, with Bob Barker.
• July 1 – NBC television launched on New York station WNBT on channel 1; CBS television begins commercial operation on New York station WCBW (now WCBS-TV) on Channel 2.
• December 7 WNBT airs special news report on Pearl Harbor attack, pre-empting regular programming, a New York Rangers hockey game.

Debuts

• July 2 CBS Television Quiz premieres as television's first regular game show (1941–1942).

Television shows

Births

• January 8 – Graham Chapman, English actor and comedian. (died 1989)
• January 31 – Jessica Walter, actress.
• February 5 – David Selby, actor.
• April 3 – Eric Braeden, German-born actor.
• April 20 – Ryan O'Neal, actor.
• April 28 – Ann-Margret, Swedish-born actress, dancer and singer.
• May 13 – Senta Berger, Austrian actress and producer.
• June 2 – Stacy Keach, actor.
• June 21 – Joe Flaherty, Canadian-American actor and comedian.
• June 22 – Michael Lerner, actor.
• July 29 – David Warner, English actor.
• September 26 – Martine Beswick, English actress and model.
• October 10 – Peter Coyote, actor.
• October 31 – Sally Kirkland, actress.
• November 1 – Robert Foxworth, actor.
• November 18 – David Hemmings, English actor, producer and director (died 2003)
• November 21 – Juliet Mills, English actress.

References