1949 in radio

The year 1949 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.

Events

* 2 January – ''The Jack Benny Program'' first appears on CBS after 16 years on NBC – one of the most visible results of CBS' "talent raids."Cox, Jim (2008). ''This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . p. 7.
* 1 April – The facilities and staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland are transferred to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on the former British colony joining Canada as its 10th province.
* 15 April – KPFA 94.1 FM in Berkeley, California, begins broadcasting as the first listener-sponsored radio station in the United States and the first of five stations founded by the Pacifica Radio network.
* 23 November – James Lindenberg branches into radio broadcasting with the launch of DZBC 1000 kilohertz, owned by Bolinao Electronics Corporation (the predecessor of ABS-CBN) in the Philippines.

Debuts

Programs

* January 9 – ''Screen Director's Playhouse'' premieres on NBC.
* January 31 – ''Book at Bedtime'' debuts on the BBC Light Programme.
* February 11 – ''Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' (1949–1962) debuts on CBS.
* February 27 – ''Broadway Is My Beat'' debuts on CBS.
* April 4 – ''Ray's a Laugh'' debuts on the BBC Light Programme.
* May 1 – ''The Adventures of Frank Race'', a syndicated program, debuts in some markets.
* May 7 – ''The Affairs of Peter Salem'' debuts on Mutual.
* June 3 – '' Dragnet'' premieres on NBC.
* June 29 – '' Candy Matson'' debuts on NBC West Coast.
* July 3 – ''Four Star Playhouse'' debuts on NBC.Dunning, John. (1976). ''Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925–1976''. Prentice-Hall, Inc. .
* July 4
** ''Add a Line'' debuts on ABC.Terrace, Vincent. (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. .
** '' Leave It to Joan'' debuts on CBS.
* August 25 – ''Father Knows Best'' debuts on NBC.Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. .
* September 4 – ''Chance of a Lifetime'' debuts on ABC.
* September 5 – '' Light-Up Time'' debuts on NBC.

Stations

* February 22 – KWPC-FM (99.7 FM) of Muscatine, Iowa, with a broadcasting power of 3,000 watts, signs on the air as a sister station of KWPC-AM (860 AM). Studios are located on the outskirts of Muscatine.
* June 26 – WWON-FM/105.5-Woonsocket, Rhode Island, begins broadcasting at 390 watts. It is the sister station of WWON/1240 in the same community.
* September 10 â€
WJMA
1340-Orange, Virginia, begins broadcasting with 250 watts full time.
* December 11 – KALA/1400-Sitka, Alaska, begins broadcasting. The owner is Baranof Enterprises.
* December 22 – WPEP/1570-Taunton, Massachusetts, begins broadcasting from studios atop the Roseland Ballroom, north of downtown Taunton.

Closings

* January 2 – '' Cabin B-13'' ends its run on network radio (CBS).
* January 9 – WWDX-FM, Paterson, New Jersey, ceases broadcasting.
* April 17 – ''Manhattan Merry-Go-Round'' ends its run on network radio (NBC Blue Network).
* June 4 – ''The Adventures of Frank Merriwell'' ends its run on network radio (NBC).
* June 5 – '' The Alan Young Show'' ends its run on network radio (NBC).
* June 10 – ''Herb Shriner Time'' ends its run on network radio (CBS).
* June 25 – ''Famous Jury Trials'' ends its run on network radio in the United States.
* July 3 – '' Mayor of the Town'' ends its run on network radio.
* August 22 – '' Leave It to Joan'' ends its run on network radio (CBS).
* September 4 – ''The Burl Ives Show'' ends its run on network radio (ABC).
* September 25 – ''Call the Police'' ends its run on network radio (CBS).
* September 26 – ''Add a Line'' ends its run on network radio (ABC).
* October 28 – ''The Abe Burrows Show'' ends its run on CBS.
* December 15 – ''Captain Midnight'' ends its run on network radio Mutual.

Births

* February 7 – Les Ross, né Meakin, English midlands DJ.
* March 12 – David Mellor, English politician and radio presenter.
* April 2 – Paul Gambaccini, American-born British music presenter.
* April 20 – Paul Heiney, English broadcaster.
* May 22 – Jesse Lee Peterson, American political radio host.
* November – Neal Conan, American NPR host, producer, editor and correspondent, captured during the 1991 Gulf War by the Iraqi Republican Guard.
* December 12 – Bill Nighy, English actor.
* Philip Dodd, English creative arts academic and broadcaster.
* David Stafford, English writer and broadcaster.

Deaths

* January 9 – Tommy Handley, English comedian (born 1892).
* February 15 – Patricia Ryan, American actress (born 1921); she was stricken with a severe headache the night before while performing in a broadcast of ''Cavalcade of America'', and her husband found her dead the next morning at home.
* June 10 – Sir Frederick Ogilvie, British broadcasting executive and university administrator (born 1893).

References

{{Reflist

Radio by year