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 official launch of DZBC 1000 kilohertz on AM, owned by Bolinao Electronics Corporation (the predecessor of ABS-CBN Corporation) in the Philippines.

Debuts

Programs January 9 – Screen Directors 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. April 24 - Richard Diamond, Private Detective debuts on NBC. 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 5 - The Green Lama premieres on CBS. June 18 - Murder by Experts premieres on Mutual. 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. Young Love debuts on CBS. August 1 - Make Believe Town 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. November 4 - Crime Correspondent debuts on CBS.

Stations January 25 – Bayerischer Rundfunk is reconstituted from Munich Radio in West Germany. This year it establishes the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. 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 — 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. June 27 - Child's World ends its run on network radio (ABC). July 1 - Ford Theater (radio series) ends its run on network radio (NBC). July 3 – Mayor of the Town ends its run on network radio. August 20 - The Green Lama ends its run on network radio (CBS). 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. December 25 - The House of Mystery 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 23 – Tom Joyner, American radio host November – Neal Conan, American NPR host, producer, editor and correspondent, captured during the 1991 Gulf War by the Iraqi Republican Guard (died 2021) 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