1965 in American television

This is a list of American television-related events in 1965.

Events

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Date Event Ref.
January 1 Comedian Soupy Sales, who hosted the "Lunch With Soupy Sales" children's program on New York City's WNEW-TV, encourages his young viewers to send him money ("those funny little green pieces of paper with pictures of U.S. presidents") from their parents' pants and pocketbooks and send them to him, and in return he would "send you a postcard from Puerto Rico!" Days later, when he actually got response, he declared that he was joking and that cash contributions would be donated to charity. WNEW suspended Sales for two weeks over the incident. [1][2]
January 2 The TVS Television Network begins broadcasting weekly coverage of men's basketball games of the NCAA's Southeastern Conference as part of a live regional syndication package for the first time throughout much of the Southeastern United States, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The TVS broadcasts of SEC Basketball would last until after the 1983 SEC Tournament, when Sports Productions, Incorporated took over the broadcasts in January 1984. The SEC basketball package would continue to be broadcast through Lorimar Television, Jefferson Pilot Sports, Lincoln Financial Media, and Raycom Sports until after the 2009 SEC Tournament semifinals. [3][4]
February 22 A new, videotaped production of the 1957 special, Cinderella, by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, airs on CBS with young Lesley Ann Warren (in the title role) starring alongside Ginger Rogers, Walter Pidgeon, and Celeste Holm.
June 4 The launch of the Gemini 4 space mission is broadcast in color by NBC. All three networks would carry the launch of Gemini 5 in color that August, followed by all subsequent manned space launches.
September 10 CBS airs the first-ever National Geographic television special. The special focused on a 1963 U.S. expedition to Mount Everest.
September 12 NBC becomes the main broadcast partner for the American Football League, with most games being broadcast in color. AFL games were previously broadcast on ABC for the league's first five seasons.
September 13 Today on NBC becomes the first morning news program to telecast in color.
October 4 Pope Paul VI's visit to New York receives saturation television coverage on all three American networks. The Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium is broadcast in color.
November 15 The Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC becomes the first network evening newscast to be broadcast in color on a nightly basis.
November 25 The CBS Thanksgiving Day telecast of an NFL game between the Baltimore Colts and the Detroit Lions is the first color telecast of a regular season game.
December 9 The Peanuts special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, is broadcast for the first time ever on CBS. The network would air the special on an annual basis until ABC picked up the rights in 2002.
December 21 CBS airs the New York City Ballet's televised production of The Nutcracker.

Other notable events in 1965

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Television programs

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Debuts

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Date Debut Network
January 12[5] Hullabaloo NBC
January 24 Branded NBC
March 29 I'll Bet NBC
June 28 Where the Action Is ABC
September 9 The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show NBC
September 11 Sinbad Jr. and his Magic Belt Broadcast syndication
September 12 Secret Squirrel NBC
September 13 The Legend of Jesse James ABC
September 13[6] A Man Called Shenandoah ABC
September 13 Run for Your Life NBC
September 14 F Troop ABC
September 14 My Mother the Car NBC
September 14 Please Don't Eat the Daisies NBC
September 15[7] The Big Valley ABC
September 15 Gidget ABC
September 15 Green Acres CBS
September 15 I Spy NBC
September 16 Laredo NBC
September 16 The Long, Hot Summer ABC
September 16 Mona McCluskey NBC
September 17 Camp Runamuck NBC
September 17 Hank NBC
September 17 Hogan's Heroes CBS
September 17 Honey West ABC
September 17 Mister Roberts NBC
September 17 The Smothers Brothers Show CBS
September 17 Tammy ABC
September 18 Get Smart NBC
September 18 I Dream of Jeannie NBC
September 18 The Loner CBS
September 18 The Trials of O'Brien CBS
September 19 The F.B.I. ABC
September 19 The Wackiest Ship in the Army NBC
September 25[8] The Beatles ABC
October The New 3 Stooges Broadcast syndication
October 2 Atom Ant NBC
October 2[9] The Hillbilly Bears NBC
October 2[10] Precious Pupp NBC
October 2[11] Squiddly Diddly NBC
October 2[12] Winsome Witch NBC
October 9[13] Milton the Monster ABC
November 8[14] Days of Our Lives NBC
December 20[15] Commander Tom Show WKBW-TV
December 20 The Dating Game ABC

Changes of network affiliation

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Show Moved from Moved to
My Three Sons ABC CBS
Hazel NBC

Ending this year

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Date Show Network Debut Notes
January 4 90 Bristol Court NBC October 5, 1964
Harris Against the World
Tom, Dick and Mary
January 16 The Outer Limits ABC September 16, 1963
March 11 Jonny Quest September 18, 1964
March 14 The Porky Pig Show ABC September 20, 1964 Repeats continued on ABC through 1967
April 10 Kentucky Jones NBC September 19, 1964
April 21 The Cara Williams Show CBS September 23, 1964
May 22 The Jack Benny Program CBS October 28, 1950
September 3 The Price Is Right ABC November 26, 1956 Returned in 1972 on CBS as The New Price Is Right
September 6 Summer Playhouse CBS July 4, 1964
November 9 ABC's Nightlife ABC November 9, 1964
December 25 The Magilla Gorilla Show ABC 1964 Network and syndicated reruns continued through 1967

Television films, specials and miniseries

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Title Network Date(s) of airing Notes/Ref.
A Charlie Brown Christmas CBS December 9 Reruns of this special became a holiday tradition in subsequent years until 2021.

Networks and services

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Network launches

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Network Type Launch date Source/Notes
Idaho Public Television Regional educational television network September 6
TVS Television Network Ad-hoc syndicated television network Unknown date Syndicator of college basketball broadcasts from several conferences, including the SEC. Pacific 8, Big 8, and a few others.
WOR-TV EMI Service Regional superstation feed of WOR-TV/Secaucus, New Jersey Unknown date Microwave relay of the WOR-TV signal from the studio to cable providers located in markets immediately surrounding the New York City metropolitan area, reaching as far west as Buffalo, New York, and as far south as Delaware, as well as throughout New England.

Television stations

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Sign-ons

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Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref.
February 7 Cleveland, Ohio WVIZ 25 NET
February 12 Austin, Texas KHFI-TV 42 Independent Now on channel 36
March 1 State College, Pennsylvania WPSX-TV 3 NET
March 15 Orlando, Florida WMFE-TV 24 NET
March 21 Los Angeles, California KPOL-TV 22 Independent (English language)
May 4 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota KTCI 17 NET
May 6 Linden, New Jersey/New York City, New York WNJU-TV 47 Independent
May 16 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania WIBF-TV 29 Independent
June 12 Wausau, Wisconsin WAOW 9 ABC
July 18 St. Petersburg-Tampa, Florida WLCY-TV 10 Independent
August 27 Charlotte, North Carolina WTVI 42 NET
September Chicago, Illinois WXXW 20 Instructional independent
September 1 Burlington, New Jersey
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
WKBS-TV 48 Independent
Terre Haute, Indiana WTWO 2 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
September 6 Lexington, Nebraska KLNE-TV 3 NET Part of Nebraska ETV
September 7 Allentown, Pennsylvania WLVT 39 NET
September 12 Rockford, Illinois WCEE-TV 23 CBS
September 15 Calais, Maine WMED-TV 13 NET Part of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network
September 17 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania WPHL-TV 17 Independent
September 20 Chicago, Illinois WXXW 20 NET
October 1 Superior, Nebraska KSNB-TV 4 ABC
October 15 Bangor, Maine WVII-TV 7 ABC
October 17 Birmingham, Alabama WBMG 42 CBS (primary)
NBC (secondary)
October 19 Omaha, Nebraska KYNE-TV 17 NET Part of Nebraska ETV
October 21 Topeka, Kansas KTWU 13 NET
October 27 Tuscaloosa, Alabama WCFT-TV 33 Independent
November 10 Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands WSVI-TV 8 ABC
November 14 San Diego, California KAAR 39 Independent
November 15 Huntsville, Alabama WHIQ 25 NET Part of the Alabama Public Television network
Salt Lake City, Utah KBYU-TV 11 NET
December 20 Syracuse, New York WCNY-TV 24 NET

Network affiliation changes

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Date City of license/Market Station Channel Old affiliation New affiliation Notes/Ref.
June 12 Wausau, Wisconsin WSAW-TV 7 CBS (primary)
ABC and NBC (secondary)
CBS (primary)
NBC (secondary)
ABC programming dropped upon the sign-on of WAOW.
September 1 St. Petersburg-Tampa, Florida WLCY-TV 10 Independent ABC
WSUN-TV 38 ABC Independent
September 12 Rockford, Illinois WREX-TV 13 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
ABC (exclusive)
Unknown date Dayton, Ohio WONE-TV 22 Independent ABC
Jonesboro, Arkansas KAIT 8 Independent ABC

Station closures

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Date City of license/Market Station Channel Affiliation Sign-on date Notes
August 11 Elk City, Oklahoma KSWB 8 CBS August 7, 1961
November 1 Salina, Kansas KSLN-TV 34 ABC January 2, 1962

Births

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Deaths

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References

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  1. ^ New Year's Eve incident
  2. ^ Sales, Soupy; Charles Salzberg (2001). Soupy Sez! My Life and Zany Times. New York: M. Evans and Co. ISBN 0-87131-935-7.
  3. ^ "Stories of Character :: Celebrating 75 Year" (SEC Milestones - the 1960's). Southeastern Conference. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  4. ^ Pitzer, Julian (November 2, 1964). "Pit's Sports Slants". Middlesboro Daily News. Middlesboro, Kentucky. p. 2. Retrieved September 25, 2023 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Terrace, Vincent (1980). The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs (1947-1979) (first ed.). Cranbury, New Jersey: A.S. Barnes and Co., Inc. p. 214. ISBN 0-498-02488-1.
  6. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2003). "Man Called Shenandoah, A (Western)". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (8th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 730. ISBN 978-0-345-45542-0.
  7. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  8. ^ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981. Scarecrow Press. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  9. ^ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part I: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 27–29. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  10. ^ Markstein, Don. "Precious Pupp". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Squiddly Diddly". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  12. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  13. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 551–553. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  14. ^ "Cinema". Time. November 5, 1965. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  15. ^ Toronto Mike (2007-05-29). "The Commander Tom Show". Retrieved 2015-08-16.
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