1952 in American television

Television related events in the USA during 1952

List of years in American television:

* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955

* * *

1951–52 United States network television schedule
1952–53 United States network television schedule
List of American television programs currently in production

This is a list of American television-related events in 1952.

## Events

[edit]

Date  | Event  | Ref.

|
|

January 14  | The Today Show makes its debut on NBC.  | [1]
May 22  | The first televised atomic bomb detonation, billed as "Operation Tumbler–Snapper", is broadcast on KTLA in Los Angeles, and fed to the three major networks via a 140 miles (230 km) microwave link.  |
September 20  | KPTV in Portland, Oregon, begins broadcasting on channel 27 as the world"s first commercial Ultra High Frequency (UHF) television station.  |
October 7  | In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bandstand, the predecessor to American Bandstand, debuts on WFIL-TV to change emphasis to teens dancing to popular music records.  |
November 16  | Television City, at this time known as CBS Television City, opens on Beverly Boulevard in Hollywood, California as the network's first television studio based on the west coast.  |
November 27  | CBS broadcasts the first telecast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from New York City.  |

### Other notable events in 1952

[edit]

* The FCC reserves some channels for non-commercial, educational broadcasting.
* The first political advertisements appear on television. The Democratic Party buys a 30-minute time segment for their candidate, Adlai Stevenson, who eventually received unfavorable mail for interfering with a broadcast of I Love Lucy. Dwight Eisenhower buys 20 second commercial segments and wins the election.

## Television programs

[edit]

### Debuts

[edit]

Date  | Debut  | Network

|
|

January 1  | Battle of the Ages | DuMont
January 6[1]: 167 | Claudia | NBC
January 8[2] [3] | My Friend Irma | CBS
January 13  | CBS Television Workshop | CBS
January 14  | Today | NBC
January 18  | Quick on the Draw | DuMont
February  | Steve Randall | DuMont
February 12[4] | Life Is Worth Living | DuMont
February 24  | Meet the Masters | NBC
February 25  | Guide Right | DuMont
March 1  | Death Valley Days | First-run syndication
March 5  | The Unexpected | First-run syndication
March 6  | The Cases of Eddie Drake | DuMont
March 16  | The Week in Religion | DuMont
March 19  | It's a Business | DuMont
March 20  | Gang Busters | NBC
March 22[5] | Dagmar's Canteen | NBC
April  | The Paul Dixon Show | DuMont
April 14[6] | Broadway Television Theatre | WOR-TV
May  | Boxing From Eastern Parkway | DuMont
May  | Monodrama Theater | DuMont
June 1  | China Smith | First-run syndication
June 6  | The Campbell Playhouse | NBC
June 10  | Meet the Boss | DuMont
June 16  | My Little Margie | CBS
June 19[7] | I've Got a Secret | CBS
June 20[8] | Curtain Call | NBC
June 30[9][10] | Guiding Light | CBS
July  | Guess What? | DuMont
July 1  | The Power of Women | DuMont
July 3  | Mister Peepers | NBC
July 17  | Operation Information | DuMont
August 14  | Pick the Winner | CBS/Dumont
August 24[11] | The Doctor | NBC
September  | The Abbott and Costello Show | First-run syndication
September  | The Fisher Family | DuMont
September 2  | Where Was I? | DuMont
September 6  | Happy's Party | DuMont
Golf Instruction with Phil Galvano | DuMont
September 10  | Stage a Number | DuMont
September 13  | Cowboy G-Men | First-run syndication
September 14  | New York Times Youth Forum | DuMont
September 15  | Famous Fights From Madison Square Garden | DuMont
September 19[12] | Adventures of Superman | First-run syndication
September 20[13] | The Jackie Gleason Show | CBS
September 25  | Four Star Playhouse | CBS
September 29[14][15][16] | Garfield Goose and Friends | WBKB-TV/WBBM-TV
October 1  | Cavalcade of America | NBC
October 1  | This Is Your Life | NBC
October 1  | Trash or Treasure | DuMont
October 3  | Dark of Night | DuMont
October 3  | The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | ABC
October 3[17] | Gulf Playhouse | NBC
October 3  | Mr. and Mrs. North | CBS
October 3  | Our Miss Brooks | CBS
October 6  | Football Sidelines | DuMont
October 6  | One Man's Experience | DuMont
October 6  | One Woman's Experience | DuMont
October 7  | American Bandstand | WFIL-TV
Life with Elizabeth | First-run syndication
October 7  | Ramar of the Jungle | First-run syndication
October 13  | Ladies' Date | DuMont
October 14  | Leave It to Larry | CBS
October 14[18] | The Red Buttons Show | CBS
October 15  | I Married Joan | NBC
October 26[19] | Victory at Sea | NBC
November 6  | Biff Baker, U.S.A. | CBS
November 8  | My Hero | NBC
November 9  | Omnibus | CBS
November 13[20] | Biff Baker, U.S.A. | CBS
November 24  | Ding Dong School | NBC
December 1  | The Abbott and Costello Show | First-run syndication
December 1  | Report Card for Parents | DuMont
December 16  | Wisdom of the Ages | DuMont
December 30  | The Ernie Kovacs Show | CBS

### Changes of network affiliation

[edit]

Show  | Moved from  | Moved to

|
|

Say It with Acting | NBC  | ABC
The Arthur Murray Party | CBS  | Dumont
Author Meets the Critics | ABC  | Dumont
The Drew Pearson Show | ABC  | Dumont
Youth on the March | ABC  | Dumont
Rebound | ABC  | Dumont
Charlie Wild, Private Detective | ABC  | Dumont
Gruen Playhouse | ABC  | Dumont
Life Begins at Eighty | NBC  | Dumont

### Ending this year

[edit]

Date  | Show  | Network  | Debut  | Notes

|
|
|
|

January 1  | We the People | NBC | June 1, 1948 (on CBS)  |
January 13  | Out There | CBS | October 28, 1951  |
February 22  | Say It with Acting | ABC | January 8, 1951 (on NBC)  |
February 28  | Public Prosecutor | NBC | February 1951  |
March 2  | Major Dell Conway of the Flying Tigers | DuMont | April 7, 1951  |
March 2  | Stage Entrance | DuMont | May 2, 1951  |
March 20  | Shadow of the Cloak | DuMont  | June 6, 1951  |
March 27  | The Bill Goodwin Show | NBC | September 11, 1951  |
March 29  | The Talent Shop | DuMont | October 13, 1951  |
April 13  | CBS Television Workshop | CBS | January 13, 1952  |
April 19  | Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town | CBS | June 16, 1951  |
April 24  | Stop the Music | ABC  | May 5, 1949  |
March 2  | Major Dell Conway of the Flying Tigers | DuMont | April 7, 1951  |
May 21  | It's a Business | DuMont | March 19, 1952  |
May 29  | The Cases of Eddie Drake | DuMont | March 6, 1952  |
June 4  | Pulitzer Prize Playhouse | ABC  | October 6, 1950  |
June 5  | Casey, Crime Photographer | CBS | April 19, 1951  |
June 14  | Dagmar's Canteen | NBC | March 22, 1952  |
June 19  | Charlie Wild, Private Detective | DuMont  | December 22, 1950 (on CBS)  |
June 19  | The Ruggles | DuMont  | October 23, 1949  |
June 25  | Celanese Theatre | ABC | October 2, 1951  |
June 26  | DuMont Royal Theater | DuMont | April 12, 1951  |
June 27  | The First Hundred Years | CBS | December 4, 1950  |
June 30  | Claudia | CBS | January 6, 1952 (on NBC)  |
July 4  | Johnny Olson's Rumpus Room | DuMont  | January 17, 1949  |
August 26  | Guess What | DuMont  | July 8, 1952  |
September 12  | The Magic Cottage | DuMont | July 18, 1949  |
September 18  | Operation Information | DuMont | July 17, 1952  |
September 21  | Celebrity Time | CBS | November 20, 1948  |
September 26  | Curtain Call | NBC  | June 20, 1952  |
November 11  | The Power of Women | DuMont | July 1, 1952  |
November 13  | The Frank Sinatra Show | CBS | October 7, 1950  |
November 24  | Pentagon | DuMont | May 6, 1951  |
November 29  | Battle of the Ages | CBS | January 1, 1952 (on DuMont)  |
December 9  | Quick on the Draw | DuMont | January 18, 1952  |
December 10  | The Unexpected | DuMont  | March 5, 1952  |
December 22  | Famous Fights from Madison Square Garden | DuMont | September 15, 1952  |
December 22  | Football Sidelines | DuMont | October 6, 1952  |
December 23  | Leave It to Larry | CBS  | October 14, 1952  |
December 25  | Gangbusters | NBC | March 20, 1952  |
Unknown date  | At Home with Billie Burke | DuMont  | June 1951  |

## Television stations

[edit]

### Station launches

[edit]

Date  | City of License/Market | Station | Channel  | Affiliation  | Notes/Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

July 18  | Denver, Colorado | KFEL-TV | 2  | DuMont |
September 20  | Portland, Oregon | KPTV | 27  | NBC (primary)
ABC/CBS/DuMont (secondary)  | World's first commercial UHF television station; now a Fox affiliate on channel 12.
October 12  | Denver, Colorado | KBTV | 9  | CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)  |
November 1  | Denver, Colorado | KLZ-TV | 7  | CBS  |
November 13  | Lubbock, Texas | KDUB-TV | 13  | CBS (primary)
DuMont (secondary)  |
November 27 | Austin, Texas | KTBC-TV | 7  | CBS (primary)
ABC/DuMont/NBC (secondary)  | Now a Fox O&O station
December 1  | Honolulu, Hawaii | KGMB | 9  | CBS (primary)
NBC (secondary)  |
December 7  | Colorado Springs, Colorado | KKTV | 11  | CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)  |
December 11  | Roanoke, Virginia | WSLS | 10  | NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)  |
December 14  | El Paso, Texas | KROD-TV | 4  | CBS (primary)
ABC/DuMont (secondary)  |
December 15  | Honolulu, Hawaii  | KONA-TV | 11  | NBC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)  |
December 20  | Spokane, Washington | KHQ-TV | 6  | NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)  |
December 21  | Atlantic City, New Jersey | WFPG-TV | 46  | NBC (primary)
CBS/ABC/DuMont (secondary)  |
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | WSBA-TV | 43  | ABC  |
South Bend, Indiana | WSBT-TV | 22  | CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC/DuMont (secondary)  |
December 30  | Mobile, Alabama | WKAB-TV  | 48  | Independent  |

### Network affiliation changes

[edit]

Date  | City of license/Market  | Station  | Channel  | Old affiliation  | New affiliation  | Notes/Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

December 15  | Honolulu, Hawaii  | KGMB  | 9  | CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary)  | CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)  |

### Station closures

[edit]

Date  | City of license/Market  | Station  | Channel  | Affiliation  | First air date  | Notes/Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

August 23  | Bridgeport, Connecticut | KC2XAK | 24  | NBC  | World's first experimental UHF station; a rebroadcast station of WNBT/New York City

## Births

[edit]

Main article: 1952 in television § Births

## Deaths

[edit]

Main article: 1952 in television § Deaths

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television. Penguin Books USA, Inc. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
2. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 579\. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
3. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 700\. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
4. ^ Weiner, Ed (1992). The "TV Guide" TV Book: 40 Years of the All-Time Greatest Television Facts, Fads, Hits, and History. New York: Harper Collins. p. 216. ISBN 0-06-096914-8.
5. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 192\. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
6. ^ Hawes, William (2001). Filmed Television Drama, 1952-1958. McFarland. p. 221\. ISBN 978-0-7864-1132-0. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
7. ^ Weiner, Ed (1992). The TV Guide TV Book: 40 Years of the All-Time Greatest Television Facts, Fads, Hits, and History. New York: Harper Collins. p. 216. ISBN 0-06-096914-8.
8. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 190\. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
9. ^ "'General Hospital' is American Television's Longest-Running Drama Series". soapoperanetwork.com. November 24, 2020.
10. ^ "Longest Running TV Drama". Arts & Media. Guinness World Records. 2009. Archived from the original on April 19, 2011.
11. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 223\. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
12. ^ "Adventures of Superman". epguides.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
13. ^ Weiner, Ed (1992). The TV Guide TV Book: 40 Years of the All-Time Greatest Television Facts, Fads, Hits, and History. New York: Harper Collins. p. 217. ISBN 0-06-096914-8.
14. ^ Okuda & Mulqueen 2004, pp. 51–66.
15. ^ "Frazier Thomas". Chicago Television. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
16. ^ Hollis 2001, pp. 92–93.
17. ^ Hawes, William (2001). Filmed Television Drama, 1952-1958. McFarland. p. 39\. ISBN 978-0-7864-1132-0. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
18. ^ "This Week (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. October 12, 1952. p. 2. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
19. ^ "Victory at Sea [Song Collection]", U.S. Library of Congress, 2005, webpage: LOC-VaS-23.
20. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (24 June 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 135\. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved October 31, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* List of 1952 American television series at IMDb

## Sources

[edit]

* Hollis, Tim (2001). Hi There, Boys and Girls! America's Local Children's TV Programs. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-578-06396-3 - via Project MUSE.
* Okuda, Ted; Mulqueen, Jack (2004). The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television. Lake Claremont Press. ISBN 978-1-893-12117-1.

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