# 1942 in television

The year 1942 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1942.

## Events

* February 26 — WRGB Signs on in Albany New York.
* April 1 – The U.S. War Production Board halts the manufacture of television and radio equipment for consumer use. The ban is lifted October 1, 1945.
* April 13 – The Federal Communications Commission minimum programming time required of U.S. television stations is reduced from 15 to 4 hours a week during the war.

## Debuts

February 23 - Air Raid Warden’s Basic Course debuts on NBC (1942-43)
February 27 - World This Week, an early news program hosted by Linton Wells, debuts on CBS (1942)
March 6 - America At War debuts on CBS (1942)

## Television shows

| Series | Debut | Ended | Network |
| Air Raid Warden’s Basic Course | February 23, 1942 | November 29, 1943 | NBC |
| World This Week | February 26, 1942 | April 10, 1942 | CBS |
| America At War | March 6, 1942 | May 20, 1942 | CBS |
| The Face of the War | 1941 | 1945 | Dumont |
| Thrills and Chills from Everywhere | 1941 | 1946 | Dumont |

## Programs ending during 1942

| Date | Show | Debut |
| February 19, 1942 | America's Town Meeting of the Air | December 19, 1941 |
| April 10, 1942 | World This Week | February 27, 1942 |
| May 18, 1942 | Boxing from Jamaica Arena | July 8, 1940 |
| May 1942 | Girl About Town with Joan Edwards | July 1, 1941 |
| May 1942 | Sports with Bob Edge | July 1, 1941 |
| May 1942 | Men At Work | July 7, 1941 |
| May 1942 | Stars of Tomorrow | July 16, 1941 |
| May 1942 | Songs by Harvey Harding | July 18, 1941 |
| May 1942 | Radio City Matinee | September 4, 1941 |
| May 12, 1942 | The Adam Hats Sports Parade: Wrestling at Ridgewood Grove | October 21, 1941 |
| May 20, 1942 | America At War | March 6, 1942 |
| January 19, 1942 | War Backgrounds | December 22, 1941 |

## Births

* January 3 – John Thaw, English actor (Inspector Morse) (died 2002)
* January 5 – Charlie Rose, journalist
* January 8
** Yvette Mimieux, actress (died 2022)
** Stephen Hawking, scientist (died 2018)
* January 10 – Walter Hill, director
* January 11 – Joel Zwick, director
* January 17 – Muhammad Ali, boxer (died 2016)
* January 21 – Edwin Starr, singer (died 2003)
* January 23 - Brian Croucher, actor
* January 27 - John Witherspoon, actor and comedian (Wayans Brothers) (died 2019)
* January 30 - Heidi Brühl, actress (died 1991)
* February 1
** Terry Jones, Welsh comedic actor and writer (Monty Python's Flying Circus) (died 2020)
** Bibi Besch, actress (died 1996)
* February 12 – George Schenck, screenwriter (died 2024)
* February 13 – Peter Tork, musician and actor (The Monkees) (died 2019)
* February 14 – Michael Bloomberg, namesake of Bloomberg TV
* February 16 – Patricia Maynard, actress
* February 17 – Dieter Laser, actor (died 2020)
* February 22 – Geoffrey Scott, actor (Dynasty) (died 2021)
* February 23 – Joop van den Ende, Dutch theatrical producer
* February 24 – Joe Lieberman, American politician (died 2024)
* February 25 – Karen Grassle, actress (Little House on the Prairie)
* February 28 – Frank Bonner, actor and director (WKRP in Cincinnati) (died 2021)
* March 3 – David Jacobs, gymnast
* March 4 – Lynn Sherr, broadcast journalist
* March 6 – Ben Murphy, actor (Alias Smith and Jones)
* March 14 – Nickolas Davatzes, television executive (died 2021)
* March 15 – The Iron Sheik, pro wrestler (died 2023)
* March 25 – Aretha Franklin, singer (died 2018)
* March 29 – Scott Wilson, American actor (died 2018)
* March 31 – Michael Savage, American host
* April 3
** Marsha Mason, actress and director
** Wayne Newton, actor and singer
* April 7 – Gabrielle Beaumont, director (died 2022)
* April 17 – David Bradley, actor
* April 23
** Sandra Dee, actress (died 2005)
** Sheila Gish, actress (died 2005)
* April 24 – Barbra Streisand, singer
* April 26 – Bobby Rydell, singer (died 2022)
* May 1 – Thomas Del Ruth, American cinematographer
* May 3 – Dave Marash, American television journalist
* May 5 – Marc Alaimo, American television actor
* May 6 – David Friesen, American jazz bassist
* May 12 – Marya Carter, actress
* May 20
** David Proval, actor (The Sopranos)
** Nancy Fleming, American beauty pageant titleholder
* May 22 – Barbara Parkins, actress (Peyton Place)
* May 23 – Alex Henteloff, actor (Barney Miller)
* May 27 – Sue Simmons, retired news anchor
* May 29 – Kevin Conway, actor (died 2020)
* June 16 – Suzan Farmer, actress (died 2017)
* June 18
** Paul McCartney, English singer-songwriter (The Beatles)
** Nick Tate, Australian actor (Space: 1999)
** Roger Ebert, American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author (died 2013)
* June 19 – Ned Schmidtke, actor
* June 24 – Michele Lee, actress, dancer and singer (Knots Landing)
* July 6 – Judith Barcroft, actress (Another World)
* July 7 – Chris Stamp, British music producer (died 2012)
* July 9 – Richard Roundtree, actor (died 2023)
* July 13 – Harrison Ford, actor
* July 22 – Toyohiro Akiyama, TV journalist
* July 23 – Madeline Bell, singer
* July 29 – Tony Sirico, actor (The Sopranos) (died 2022)
* August 7 – Tobin Bell, actor
* August 9 – David Steinberg, actor
* August 18 – Judith Keppel, quiz show contestant
* August 20 – Isaac Hayes, singer and actor (South Park) (died 2008)
* August 28 – Peter Bartlett, actor (One Life to Live)
* September 2 – Robert Shapiro, lawyer
* September 6 – Carol Wayne, actress (died 1985)
* September 17 – Lupe Ontiveros, actress (died 2012)
* September 20 – William F. Baker, broadcaster
* September 21 – Tracy Reed, actress (died 2012)
* September 23 – Carol Ann Abrams, American television and film producer (died 2012)
* September 26 – Kent McCord, actor (Adam-12)
* September 29
** Ian McShane, English actor (Lovejoy, Deadwood)
** Donna Corcoran, actress
* October 3 – Alan Rachins, actor (L.A. Law, Dharma & Greg)
* October 6 – Britt Ekland, Swedish actress
* October 7 – Joy Behar, American comedian
* October 12 – Petronella Barker, actress
* October 14
** Cyrus Yavneh, producer (died 2018)
** Jim Hougan, producer
* October 17 – Kelly Monteith, actor (died 2023)
* October 20 – Earl Hindman, actor (Home Improvement) (died 2003)
* October 21 – Judy Sheindlin, television personality, television producer, and author, and a former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge
* October 22 – Annette Funicello, actress and singer (The Mickey Mouse Club) (died 2013)
* October 23 – Michael Crichton, author and filmmaker (died 2008)
* October 29 – Bob Ross, television host (died 1995)
* October 31 – David Ogden Stiers, actor (M*A*S*H) (died 2018)
* November 1 – Marcia Wallace, actress and comedian (The Bob Newhart Show, The Simpsons) (died 2013)
* November 2 – Stefanie Powers, actress (Hart to Hart)
* November 9 – Tom Weiskopf, golfer (died 2022)
* November 17 – Martin Scorsese, actor
* November 18
** Linda Evans, actress (The Big Valley, Dynasty)
** Susan Sullivan, actress (Falcon Crest)
* November 19 – Calvin Klein, fashion designer
* November 20
** Bob Einstein, actor (died 2019)
** Joe Biden, politician (guest star on Parks and Recreation)
* November 22 – Dick Stockton, American retired sportscaster
* November 24 – Billy Connolly, actor
* November 29 – John Grillo, actor
* December 4
** Gemma Jones, actress
** Al Hunt, reporter
* December 6 – Chelsea Brown, actress (died 2017)
* December 7 – Peter Tomarken, game show host (Press Your Luck) (died 2006)
* December 9 – Dick Butkus, actor (died 2023)
* December 14 – Jack Cafferty, former CNN commentator
* December 23 – Brian McConnachie, actor (died 2024)
* December 27 – Charmian Carr, actress (died 2016)
* December 30
** Michael Nesmith, musician and actor (The Monkees) (died 2021)
** Fred Weinberg, composer
** Betty Aberlin, actress

## Deaths

* October – Bernard Natan, owner of Pathé and co-founder of France's first television company, Télévision-Baird-Natan, 56