1964 in American television

List of years in American television:
1963–64 United States network television schedule
1964–65 United States network television schedule
List of American television programs currently in production

This is a list of American television-related events in 1964.

Events

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Date Event Ref.
January 29 ABC begins broadcasting with the coverage of the 1964 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Innsbruck, Austria.
February 9-23 The Beatles’ appearances on CBS’s The Ed Sullivan Show set new records in terms of television ratings.
April 30 Television sets manufactured in the United States as of this date are required to receive UHF channels.
June 4 Sylvania unveils a revolutionary color TV picture tube in which europium-bearing phosphor allows a much brighter display. [1]
June 6 The Rolling Stones make their American television debut on ABC, during the variety show The Hollywood Palace.
September 7 As part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential campaign, the ”Daisy”advertisement is broadcast on network television.
October 10 Through the facilities of geostationary communication satellite Syncom 3, NBC’s first stint as the official Olympic broadcaster begins with the network’s coverage of the 1964 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.
October 18 Jackie Mason seemingly gives the finger on The Ed Sullivan Show in his only appearance on that program as he was banned from the show afterwards.
October 25 Ed Sullivan insists that he would never have The Rolling Stones on his show following their appearance on that program. Despite that, the Stones would make a further five appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.
October 27 Ronald Reagan delivers a televised speech endorsing Barry Goldwater in the upcoming election.
December 6 The stop-motion animated Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, premieres on NBC. It goes on to become a holiday tradition with annual reruns, especially after moving to CBS eight years later.

Television programs

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Debuts

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Date Debut Network Notes
January 4 The Hollywood Palace ABC
January 14 The Magilla Gorilla Show Syndication
March 30 Jeopardy! NBC
May 4 Another World
July 4 Summer Playhouse CBS
September 14 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ABC
September 15 Peyton Place
September 16 Shindig!
The Peter Potamus Show Syndication
September 17 Bewitched ABC
September 18 Jonny Quest
The Addams Family
September 19 Flipper NBC
Kentucky Jones
September 22 The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
September 23 The Cara Williams Show CBS
September 24 Daniel Boone NBC
The Munsters CBS
September 25 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. CBS
September 25 Nightmare Theatre KIRO
September 26 Gilligan's Island CBS
October 3 Underdog NBC
October 5 90 Bristol Court
Harris Against the World
Karen
Tom, Dick, and Mary
November 9 The Les Crane Show ABC
The Porky Pig Show

Ending this year

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Date Show Network Debut Notes
January 1 Fractured Flickers Syndication January 1, 1963
February 7 77 Sunset Strip ABC October 10, 1958
February 29 The New Casper Cartoon Show ABC September 7, 1963
March 15 The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters ABC September 29, 1963
March 29 The Judy Garland Show CBS September 29, 1963
April 2 Temple Houston NBC September 19, 1963
April 8 Channing ABC September 18, 1963
April 18 The Lieutenant NBC September 14, 1963
April 22 The Eleventh Hour NBC October 3, 1962
April 25 The New Phil Silvers Show CBS September 28, 1963
April 27 The Danny Thomas Show CBS September 29, 1953
Breaking Point ABC September 16, 1963
East Side West Side CBS September 23, 1963
April 28 The Greatest Show on Earth ABC September 17, 1963
May 1 The Great Adventure CBS September 27, 1963
May 3 Grindl NBC September 15, 1963
May 18 Hollywood and the Stars NBC September 30, 1963
June 19 Mack & Myer for Hire Syndication 1963
The Twilight Zone CBS October 2, 1959
June 26 Your First Impression NBC January 2, 1962
June 27 The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends NBC November 19, 1959
July 6 The Steve Allen Show Syndication June 24, 1956 (on NBC)
August 30 The DuPont Show of the Week NBC September 17, 1961
September 2 Espionage NBC October 2, 1963
September 6 Arrest and Trial ABC September 15, 1963
September 12 Hootenanny ABC April 6, 1963
December 31 Deputy Dawg CBS January 1, 1960
Unknown date Mack & Myer for Hire Syndication 1963

Television films, specials and miniseries

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Title Network Date(s) of airing Notes/Ref.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer NBC December 6 Reruns of the special becomes holiday tradition in subsequent years; moved to CBS in 1972.

Television stations

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Sign-ons

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Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref.
January 1 Walker, Minnesota KNMT 12 CBS Satellite of WCCO-TV/Minneapolis
January 19 Charleston, South Carolina WITV 7 NET Part of the South Carolina ETV network
Fargo, North Dakota KFME 13 NET Later became the flagship of the Prairie Public Television network.
February 1 Montgomery, Alabama WNCF 32 ABC
February 6 Chicago, Illinois WCIU-TV 23 Independent
February 10 Bowling Green, Ohio WBGU-TV 27 NET
February 17 Presque Isle, Maine WMEM-TV 10 NET Part of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network
March 16 Santa Maria/Santa Barbara, California KCOY-TV 12 NBC (primary)
CBS (secondary)
May 4 Corpus Christi, Texas KIII 3 ABC
June Dallas, Texas KAEI-TV 29 Independent (stock quotes)
August 10 Columbus, Georgia WJSP-TV 28 NET/GPB
August 22 Dayton, Ohio WONE-TV 22 Independent
September 1 Duluth, Minnesota WDSE 8 NET
September 10 Richmond, Virginia WCVE-TV 23 NET
September 28 Los Angeles, California KCET 28 NET
October 1 San Juan, Puerto Rico WTSJ-TV 32 NBC
October 5 Pago Pago, American Samoa KVZK-2 2 NET
KVZK-4 4 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
KVZK-5 5 NBC
KVZK-8 8 unknown
KVZK-10 10
KVZK-12 12
Redding, California KIXE-TV 9 NET
October 12 Boston, Massachusetts WIHS-TV 38 Independent
Flint, Michigan WUCX-TV 19 NET
San Mateo, California KCSM-TV 60 NET
October 19 San Jose/San Francisco, California KQEH 54 NET
October 28 Garden City, Kansas KUPK-TV 13 ABC Full-power satellite of KAKE/Wichita
October 30 Wilmington, North Carolina WWAY 3 ABC
November 18 Mobile, Alabama WEIQ 42 NET Part of the Alabama Public Television network
November 22 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania WITF-TV 33 NET
December 3 Albion/Lincoln, Nebraska KHQL-TV 8 ABC Satellite of KHGI-TV/Kearney
December 6 La Grande, Oregon KTVR 13 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary) 		Signed on as a satellite of KTVB/Boise, Idaho
Unknown date South Bend, Indiana W39AA 39 NET

Network affiliation changes

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Date City of license/Market Station Channel Old affiliation New affiliation Notes/Ref.
March 1 Portland, Oregon KATU 2 Independent ABC
KPTV 12 ABC Independent
March 16 San Luis Obispo, California KVEC-TV 6 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary) 		NBC (exclusive)
Santa Barbara, California KEYT-TV 3 NBC (primary)
CBS (secondary) 		ABC (primary)
CBS (secondary)

Station closures

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Date City of license/Market Station Channel Affiliation Sign-on date Notes
March 2 Durango, Colorado KJFL-TV 6 Independent November 4, 1963
July 1 Monroe, Louisiana KTSE 13 NET March 9, 1957

Births

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Main article: 1964 in television § Births

Deaths

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Main article: 1964 in television § Deaths

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sylvania Develops New Color-Tv Tube". The New York Times. 5 June 1964.
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