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)

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
 * 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
 * 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 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
 * 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
 * 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
 * December 14 – Jack Cafferty, former CNN commentator
 * December 23 – Brian McConnachie, actor
 * 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