Television related events during 1972
This is a list of American television-related events in 1972.
Events
Date
|
Event
|
Ref.
|
January 21
|
The first convention of Star Trek fans is held at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in New York City.
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March 18
|
After losing a 15-year court battle over the legality of its business relationship with The Herald-Traveler, CBS' Boston, Massachusetts affiliate WHDH-TV Channel 5 signs off the air. At 3 a.m. on March 19, WCVB takes over the Channel 5 frequency, simultaneously switching affiliations to the ABC network following CBS' loss of interest in the channel during the long legal wrangle.
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May
|
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson relocates from New York City to the NBC Studios in Burbank, California. It would return to New York in 2014 when The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is launched.
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August 26
|
Effective with this issue, TV Guide discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome, saving a lot of printer's ink in the process. At the time about half of the TV households in the U.S. had color sets.
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September 4
|
The Price Is Right premieres on CBS. As of 2021, it is the longest-running game show on American television.
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October 1
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The famous Move Closer to Your World theme made its debut on WPVI-TV in Philadelphia.
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December 31
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The first installment of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve airs on NBC, beginning a yearly tradition of Dick Clark-hosted New Year's specials.
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Programs
Debuts
- January 13 – Me and the Chimp on CBS (1 season)
- January 14 – Sanford and Son on NBC (1972–1977)
- January 15 – Emergency! on NBC (1972–1977)
- June 21 – The Super (1972–1972) on ABC.
- September 4 – The New Price Is Right (1972–present), The Joker's Wild (1972–1975, 1977–1986), and Gambit (1972–1976) all on CBS. Any Number, Bonus Game, and Double Prices were the three games played on the first episode of The New Price Is Right, which loses the "New" by mid-1973, and is currently television's longest running game show in history, having started its 50th season in September 2021.
- September 9
- September 11 – The Rookies (1972–1976) on ABC
- September 12
- September 13 – The Julie Andrews Hour on ABC; although only on for one season, it won seven Emmy Awards including Best Musical Variety Series
- September 14 – The Waltons on CBS (1972–1981)
- September 15 – Ghost Story on NBC (1972–1973)
- September 16
- September 17
- October 3 – 4 Country Reporter on then-CBS affiliate KDFW Channel 4 (now a Fox O&O station); in 1986, the show moves into first-run syndication under the new name Texas Country Reporter, eventually airing nationally on the RFD-TV satellite/cable channel (As of October 2007[update], the show will mark 35 years on television)
- October 14 – Kung Fu on ABC (1972–75)
- November 4 – Great Performances on PBS (1972–)
Ending this year
Births
Deaths
Networks and services
Network launches
Network
|
Type
|
Launch date
|
Notes
|
Source
|
Home Box Office
|
Cable
|
November 8
|
First ever premium movie channel created by Time Life; oldest pay television service in the United States
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Television stations
Sign-ons
Date
|
City of License/Market
|
Station
|
Channel
|
Affiliation
|
Notes/Ref.
|
January 1
|
Aberdeen, South Dakota
|
KDSD-TV
|
16
|
PBS via SDPB
|
|
January 4
|
Chattanooga, Tennessee
|
WRIP-TV
|
61
|
Independent
|
|
January 14
|
Bude, Mississippi
|
WMAU-TV
|
17
|
PBS
|
Part of Mississippi ETV
|
Meridian, Mississippi
|
WMAW-TV
|
14
|
February 12
|
Washington, D.C.
|
WFAN-TV
|
14
|
Independent
|
March 5, 1963
|
|
March 8
|
Dayton, Ohio
|
WPTD
|
16
|
PBS
|
|
March 19
|
Boston, Massachusetts
|
WCVB-TV
|
5
|
ABC
|
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May 7
|
Greenville/Washington, North Carolina
|
WUNK-TV
|
25
|
PBS via UNC-TV
|
|
May 19
|
Oxford, Mississippi (Memphis, Tennessee)
|
WMAV-TV
|
18
|
NET
|
Part of Mississippi ETV
|
August 16
|
Los Angeles, California
|
KBSA
|
46
|
Independent
|
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August 29
|
Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
|
WTJX-TV
|
12
|
PBS
|
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September 12
|
Green Bay, Wisconsin
|
WPNE-TV
|
38
|
PBS
|
Part of Wisconsin Public Television
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September 14
|
Bethel, Alaska
|
KYUK-TV
|
|
PBS
|
Part of AlaskaOne
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September 15
|
Greenwood, Mississippi
|
WMAO-TV
|
23
|
PBS
|
Part of Mississippi ETV
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October 16
|
Corpus Christi, Texas
|
KEDT
|
16
|
PBS
|
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October 20
|
Farmington, New Mexico
|
KOBF
|
12
|
NBC
|
Satellite of KOB-TV/Albuquerque, New Mexico
|
October 23
|
Camden, New Jersey (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
|
WNJS
|
23
|
PBS
|
Part of the New Jersey Network
|
October 29
|
Greenville, South Carolina
|
WGGS
|
16
|
Religious independent
|
|
November 20
|
Huntington Beach, California/Los Angeles, California
|
KOCE-TV
|
50
|
PBS
|
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December 17
|
Grand Rapids, Michigan
|
WGVC
|
11
|
PBS
|
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December 28
|
Marquette, Michigan
|
WNMU-TV
|
|
PBS
|
|
Unknown date
|
Bethel, Alaska
|
KYUK-TV
|
4
|
PBS
|
Eventual AlaskaOne station
|
Hanford/Fresno, California
|
KFTV
|
21
|
SIN
|
|
Network affiliation changes
Date
|
City of license/Market
|
Station
|
Channel
|
Old affiliation
|
New affiliation
|
Notes/Ref.
|
March 23
|
Meridian, Mississippi
|
WHTV
|
24
|
Silent
|
NBC
|
Became a satellite of WTVA/Tupelo, Mississippi until becoming a CBS affiliate in 1980.
|
WTOK-TV
|
11
|
CBS (primary) NBC (secondary)
|
CBS (exclusive)
|
Now an ABC affiliate
|
Station closures
See also