1954 in American television

This is a list of American television-related events in 1954.

List of years in American television:
1953–54 United States network television schedule
1954–55 United States network television schedule
List of American television programs currently in production

Events
Date Event Ref.
January 1 The Rose Parade was broadcast in NTSC color for the first time ever. The NBC broadcast, possibly one of the earliest color broadcasts in American television history, used a new mobile color television studio truck, and the program is carried across the continent on 21 television stations. Color TV sets were placed in public viewing areas (e.g. hotel lobbies, etc.) by RCA as the first color sets wouldn't become available to the public for another few months.
February 28 The Westinghouse H840CK15 is first offered for sale, the second consumer all-electronic color television set. The set was discontinued about six months after its introduction. [1][2]
March 28 Television arrives in the U.S. insular territory of Puerto Rico with the launch of WKAQ-TV in San Juan. [3]
April The American Broadcasting Company broadcasts the Army–McCarthy hearings live and in their entirety.
April The RCA CT-100 15-inch color sets hit the market. The CT-100 wasn't the world's first color TV, but it was the first to be mass produced, with 4400 having been made. [4][5]
May 16 National Educational Television launches as the nation's first non-commercial, educational broadcast television network. [6]
September 11 Lee Ann Meriwether wins the Miss America 1955 Beauty Contest, which is broadcast on national television for the first time. About 27 million viewers watched the future television actress win the crown in the pageant. [7]

Television programs

Debuts
Date Debut Network
January 2 The Spike Jones Show NBC
January 3[8] Look Up and Live CBS
January 4[9] The Brighter Day CBS
January 9 Annie Oakley First-run syndication
January 23 Stories of the Century First-run syndication
February 1[10] The Secret Storm CBS
February 23 Rocky Jones, Space Ranger First-run syndication
March 11 The Public Defender CBS
April 1[11] The Wallace and Ladmo Show KPHO-TV
April 2 Meet Corliss Archer First-run syndication
April 8 Justice NBC
April 18 The Martha Wright Show ABC
April 26 The Tony Martin Show NBC
April 30[12][13] The Vampira Show KABC-TV
July 5 Concerning Miss Marlowe NBC
July 16 The Best in Mystery NBC
August 5 So You Want to Lead a Band ABC
August 21 Waterfront First-run syndication
August 28 The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan NBC
September 7 It's a Great Life NBC
Stop the Music ABC.
September 9[14] Captain Midnight CBS
September 10 Dear Phoebe NBC
September 12[15][16] Lassie CBS
September 13 Medic NBC
September 15 The Best of Broadway CBS
September 18 Willy CBS
September 19 People Are Funny NBC
September 21 Studio 57 DuMont Television Network
September 27 Caesar's Hour NBC
The Tonight Show
September 30 Shower of Stars CBS
October 1[17] Flash Gordon DuMont Television Network
October 1 The Lineup CBS
October 2 The Imogene Coca Show NBC
The Jimmy Durante Show
October 3 Father Knows Best CBS
October 4 December Bride CBS
October 5[18] The Elgin Hour ABC
October 7 The Mail Story ABC
Climax! CBS
October 9[19] The Donald O'Connor Show NBC
October 15[20] The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin ABC
October 18[21] Producers' Showcase NBC
October 18 Sherlock Holmes First-run syndication
October 19 The Halls of Ivy CBS
October 22 The Jack Carson Show NBC
October 27 Walt Disney's Disneyland ABC
November 7[22] Face the Nation CBS
Unknown date The Jo Stafford Show CBS
That's My Boy
April 20 Love Story Dumont Television Network
August 27 Time Will Tell Dumont Television Network
July 16 Gamble on Love Dumont Television Network
July 6 One Minute Please Dumont Television Network
June 25 The Stranger Dumont Television Network
March 14 Night Editor Dumont Television Network
November 1 The Ilona Massey Show Dumont Television Network
September DuMont Evening News Dumont Television Network

Changes of network affiliation
Show Moved from Moved to
The Ernie Kovacs Show CBS DuMont
Better Living TV Theater ABC Dumont
The Goldbergs CBS Dumont
Boxing From St. Nicholas Arena NBC Dumont

Ending this year
Date Program Network First aired Notes
January 11 Of Many Things ABC October 5, 1953
February 24 Answers for Americans ABC November 11, 1953
June 5 Your Show of Shows NBC February 25, 1950
June 17 Martin Kane, Private Eye NBC 1949
July 2 The Pride of the Family ABC October 2, 1953
August 1 Juvenile Jury NBC April 3, 1947
August 2 The Dennis Day Show NBC November 23, 1951 (as The RCA Victor Show)
August 21 Bank on the Stars NBC May 15, 1954
September 3 The Best in Mystery NBC July 16, 1954
October 3 The Man Behind the Badge CBS October 11, 1953
October 10 Author Meets the Critics DuMont April 4, 1948 (on NBC)
December 5 The Martha Wright Show ABC April 18, 1954
December 26 Rocky King Detective DuMont January 7, 1950

Television films and specials

Television stations

Station launches
Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref.
January 1 Shreveport, Louisiana KSLA 12 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)
Traverse City/Cadillac, Michigan WWTV 9 CBS (primary)
DuMont/ABC (secondary)
January 6 Danville, Virginia WBTM-TV 24 ABC [23]
January 13 Mobile, Alabama WEAR-TV 3 CBS
January 15 Lansing, Michigan WMSB 60 NET Now WMSB on channel 23
February 5 Adams, Massachusetts WCDC-TV 19 ABC Satellite station of WTEN/Albany, New York
February 8 Augusta, Georgia WRDW-TV 12 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
Fresno, California KBID-TV 53 Independent
February 14 Savannah, Georgia WTOC-TV 11 CBS (primary)
NBC/DuMont (secondary)
February 16 Bay City/Flint, Michigan WNEM-TV 5 NBC
February 17 Albany, New York WTRI 13 CBS
March 1 Superior, Wisconsin/Duluth, Minnesota WDSM-TV 6 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
March 9 San Francisco KSAN-TV 32 Independent
March 13 Tulsa, Oklahoma KCEB 23 NBC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
March 15 South Bend, Indiana WSJV 28 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
March 17 Clarksburg, West Virginia WJPB-TV 15 NBC
Fairmont, West Virginia WJPB-TV 35 ABC (primary)
NBC and DuMont (secondary)
March 21 Great Falls, Montana KFBB-TV 5 CBS (primary)
NBC, ABC, and DuMont (secondary)
March 22 Cheyenne, Wyoming KFBC-TV 5 ABC (primary)
NBC/DuMont (secondary)
March 23 Fort Myers, Florida WINK-TV 11 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)
Providence, Rhode Island WNET 16 ABC (primary)
DuMont (Secondary)
March 27 Jackson, Mississippi WSLI 12 ABC
March 28 Manchester, New Hampshire WMUR-TV 8 ABC
San Juan, Puerto Rico WKAQ-TV 2 Independent [3]
April 1 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania WQED 13 NET
April 5 San Francisco, California KQED 9 NET
April 6 San Francisco, California KSAN 32 Independent
April 7 Albany, Georgia WALB-TV 10 NBC
April 8 Eau Claire/La Crosse, Wisconsin WKBT 8 CBS (primary)
ABC/DuMont/NBC (secondary)
April 9 Wilmington, North Carolina WMFD-TV 6 NBC (primary)
DuMont/ABC/CBS (secondary)
April 10 Weslaco, Texas (Brownsville/McAllen, Texas) KRGV-TV 5 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
April 15 Des Moines, Iowa WHO-TV 13 NBC
Eugene, Oregon KVAL 13 NBC (primary)
ABC/CBS/DuMont (secondary)
Little Rock, Arkansas KARK-TV 4 NBC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
April 16 Honolulu, Hawaii KULA-TV 4 ABC
April 24 Erie, Pennsylvania WSEE CBS
April 25 Chattanooga, Tennessee WDEF-TV 12 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)
May 1 San Juan, Puerto Rico WAPA-TV 4 Independent
May 3 Madison, Wisconsin WHA-TV 21 NET
May 15 Mason City, Iowa/Rochester, Minnesota KGLO-TV 3 CBS (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
May 16 Portland, Maine WGAN-TV 13 CBS
May 22 Grand Junction, Colorado KFXJ-TV 5 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)
June 1 Ada, Oklahoma
(Sherman, Texas)		 KTEN 10 ABC
July 1 Missoula, Montana KGVO-TV 13 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary)
Indianapolis, Indiana WISH-TV 8 ABC (primary)
DuMont and NBC (secondary)
Orlando, Florida WDBO-TV 6 CBS (primary)
DuMont/ABC/NBC (secondary)
July 2 Enid/Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KGEO-TV 5 ABC License moved to Oklahoma City in 1963
July 4 Huntsville, Alabama WMSL-TV 48 NBC
July 8 St. Louis, Missouri KWK-TV 4 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
Warrensburg/Sedalia, Missouri
(Columbia/Jefferson City, Missouri)		 KDRO-TV 6 Independent
July 12 Fargo, North Dakota KXJB-TV 4 CBS
July 15 Salisbury, Maryland WBOC-TV 16 DuMont
July 22 Terre Haute, Indiana WTHI-TV 10 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)
July 26 Cincinnati, Ohio WCET 48 NET
August 6 Nashville, Tennessee WLAC-TV 5 CBS
August 14 Buffalo, New York WGR-TV 2 NBC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
August 15 Charleston, West Virginia WCHS-TV 8 CBS
August 22 West Palm Beach, Florida WJNO-TV 5 NBC
September 2 Durham/Raleigh, North Carolina WTVD 11 NBC (primary)
CBS/ABC (secondary)
September 6 Stockton/Sacramento, California KOVR 13 Independent
September 8 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania WCMB-TV 27 DuMont
September 10 Salt Lake City, Utah KUTV 2 ABC
September 11 Green Bay, Wisconsin WMBV-TV 11 NBC
September 12 Bangor, Maine WTWO 2 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
September 13 Traverse City/Cadillac, Michigan WPBN-TV 7 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
September 16 Windsor, Ontario, Canada
(Detroit, Michigan, United States)		 CKLW-TV 9 CBC Television (primary)
DuMont (secondary)		 Licensed in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but serves both sides of the Canada–United States border as per RKO General ownership at time of sign-on
September 18 Asheville, North Carolina WLOS-TV 13 ABC
Muskogee/Tulsa, Oklahoma KTVX 8 ABC (priamry)
DuMont (secondary)
September 20 St. Louis, Missouri KETC 9 NET
September 25 Charleston, South Carolina WUSN-TV 2 NBC
Poland Spring/Portland, Maine WMTW-TV 8 ABC
September 26 Burlington, Vermont
(Plattsburgh, New York)		 WCAX-TV 3 CBS
Fort Wayne, Indiana WINT 15 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
Joplin, Missouri KODE-TV 12
September 29 Alexandria, Louisiana KALB-TV 5 NBC (primary)
CBS/DuMont/ABC (secondary)
Lake Charles, Louisiana KPLC 7 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
October 2 Hartford, Connecticut WGTH-TV 18 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
October 3 Cape Girardeau, Missouri KFVS-TV 12 CBS
October 10 Sioux City, Iowa KTIV 4 NBC (primary)
ABC/CBS (secondary)
October 13 Atlanta, Georgia WQXI-TV 36 Independent
October 14 Tyler, Texas KLTV 7 ABC (primary)
CBS/NBC (joint primary)
DuMont (secondary)
October 18 Florence, South Carolina WBTW 13 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
October 19 Wichita, Kansas KAKE-TV 10 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
October 22 Watertown, New York WCNY-TV 7 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary)
October 23 Wausau, Wisconsin WSAW-TV 7 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)
October 27 Milwaukee, Wisconsin WISN-TV 12 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
October 29 Spokane, Washington KREM 2 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
November 1 Lincoln, Nebraska KUON-TV 12 NET Flagship of Nebraska ETV
November 20 Houston, Texas KTRK-TV 13 ABC
November 28 Great Bend/Hays, Kansas
(Salina, Kansas)		 KCKT 2 NBC
December Miami, Florida WGBS-TV 27 Independent
December 5 Tulsa, Oklahoma KVOO-TV 2 NBC
December 7 Seattle, Washington KCTS-TV 9 NET
December 8 Plattsburgh, New York WIRI 5 NBC (primary)
DuMont/ABC (secondary)
December 14 Oak Hill/Bluefield/Beckley, West Virginia WOAY-TV 4 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
December 18 Atlanta, Georgia WQXI-TV 36 Independent
December 24 Miami, Florida WGBS-TV 23 Independent
December 25 Montgomery, Alabama WSFA-TV 12 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
December 28 Pasco, Washington KEPR 19 CBS (primary)
NBC/ABC (secondary)

Network affiliation changes
Date City of license/Market Station Channel Old affiliation New affiliation Notes/Ref.
March Duluth, Minnesota WFTV 38 CBS (primary)
NBC (secondary)		 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
May 15 Austin/Rochester, Minnesota KMMT 6 CBS (primary)
DuMont (secondary)		 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
Rochester, Minnesota KROC-TV 10 NBC (primary)
DuMont/CBS/ABC (primary)		 NBC (primary)
CBS/DuMont (secondary)
May 16 Houston, Texas KUHT 8 Educational independent NET
August 6 Nashville, Tennessee WSIX-TV 8 (now on 2) CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)		 ABC (exclusive)
WSM-TV 4 NBC (primary)
ABC/DuMont (secondary)		 NBC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)		 Became an exclusive NBC affiliate upon the closure of DuMont in 1956.
Unknown date Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KMPT
(recalled from KLPR)		 19 ABC DuMont

Station closures
Date City of license/Market Station Channel Affiliation First air date Notes/Ref.
February 28 Kansas City, Missouri KCTY 25 DuMont June 6, 1953
March 13 Lincoln, Nebraska KFOR-TV 10 CBS May 31, 1953 Merged with KOLN-TV
March 31 Little Rock, Arkansas KRTV 17 CBS (primary)
NBC/ABC/DuMont (secondary)		 April 5, 1953 Studio purchased by KATV
April Duluth, Minnesota WFTV 38 NBC/CBS (joint primary)
ABC/DuMont (secondary)		 1953
April 2 Festus/St. Louis, Missouri KACY 14 Independent October 31, 1953
April 21 Pueblo, Colorado KDZA-TV 3 DuMont March 16, 1953
April 29 Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
(Brownsville/McAllen, Texas, United States)		 XELD-TV 7 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)		 September 15, 1951
May 1 Monroe, Louisiana KFAZ 43 Independent August 11, 1953
May 5 Phoenix, Arizona KOY-TV 10 ABC October 19, 1953 Merged with time-sharing station KOOL-TV, which went full-time on channel
May 17 Atlantic City, New Jersey WFPG-TV 46 NBC (primary)
CBS/ABC/DuMont (secondary)		 December 21, 1954
June 9 Kansas City, Missouri WHB-TV 9 CBS August 2, 1953 Merged with time-sharing station KMBC-TV, which went full-time on channel
July 2 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania WKJF-TV 53 Independent July 14, 1953 Returned to the air in 1969 as WPGH-TV
July 11 Duluth, Minnesota WFTV 38 NBC (primary)
CBS/ABC/DuMont (secondary)		 May 31, 1953
July 15 Fresno, California KBID-TV 53 Independent February 8, 1954
July 17 Princeton, Indiana WRAY-TV 52 Independent December 6, 1953
August 1 Mobile, Alabama WKAB-TV 48 CBS, DuMont December 30, 1952
August 3 St. Louis, Missouri KSTM-TV 36 DuMont October 20, 1953
September 19 Butte, Montana KOPR-TV 4 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)		 August 23, 1953
October 15 Elmira, New York WTVE 24 DuMont, CBS, ABC June 15, 1953 Tower collapse in Hurricane Hazel. Returned May 6, 1956–February 13, 1957
October 23 Tyler, Texas KETX 19 NBC (primary)
CBS/ABC/DuMont (secondary)		 August 24, 1953
December 16 Portland, Maine WPMT 53 DuMont August 27, 1953
December 25 Tulsa, Oklahoma KCEB 23 NBC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)		 March 13, 1954
December 31 Danville, Virginia WBTM-TV 24 ABC January 6, 1954 [24]
Unknown date Flint, Michigan WTAC-TV 16 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)		 1953

Births
Main article: 1954 in television § Births

Deaths
Main article: 1954 in television § Deaths

References
  1. "Admiral C1617A Color TV". Visions4 Magazine. 2018-04-12. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  2. Observatory, Palomar (2018-05-14). "Westinghouse H840CK15 Color TV". Visions4 Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  3. "Corporate Information". Telemundo.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  4. "RCA pioneers remember making the first color TV tube".
  5. "Rca Ct-100".
  6. "Ford Foundation Activities in Noncommercial Broadcasting, 1951-1976". Ford Foundation. 2008. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  7. Erickson, Hal (2012). "Lee Meriwether Biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  8. Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. pp. 264-265. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  9. Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  10. "The Secret Storm stilled".
  11. Hollis, Tim (2001). Hi There, Boys and Girls!: America's Local Children's TV Shows. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 36.
  12. Newsweek May 24, 1954, p. 84, TV-Radio "Vampire"
  13. TV Guide July 17–23, 1954 p. 10, "Local Ghoul Makes Good"
  14. Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 103–105. ISBN 0-8108-1651-2.
  15. Collins 1993, pp.82–3
  16. Stevens
  17. "Flash Gordon (1954)". Epguides.com. George Fergus. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  18. Tim Brooks; Earle Marsh (2003). "Elgin TV Hour, The (Dramatic Anthology)". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (Eighth ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 359–60. ISBN 978-0-345-45542-0.
  19. Alex McNeil, Total Television, appendix with network television schedule
  20. Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  21. Producers' Showcase library, Showcase Productions, Inc.; archived 2012-06-07 from the original at the Internet Archive. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  22. Bob Schieffer. Face the Nation: My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years of the Award-Winning News Broadcast. New York City: Simon & Schuster. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-0641658730.
  23. “History of UHF Television: 14-25” Archived 2019-09-10 at the Wayback Machine. uhftelevision.com.
  24. “History of UHF Television: 14-25” Archived 2019-09-10 at the Wayback Machine. uhftelevision.com.

Sources
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