Overview of the events of 1944 in television
The year 1944 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television -related events during 1944.
May 22 – The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC ) increases its limits for single ownership of television stations from three to five. May 25 – First commercial U.S. telecast by relay . Eddie Cantor is broadcast from NBC 's Manhattan station WNBT to Philco 's Philadelphia station WPTZ , via an automatic relay tower halfway between the two cities. (The AT&T corporation 's coaxial cable between the cities is unavailable because of the war .) NBC stops broadcasting Cantor in the middle of his rendition of the song "We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me" when it finds some of the lyrics and his gestures "objectionable." August 16 Paris télévision – Fernsehsender Paris stops broadcasting. Broadcasting is resumed by the new French government in October 1944 under the name Télévision française with the same technical equipment. John Logie Baird demonstrates the world's first color television picture tube. Color movies are shown from a flying-spot scanner. Television shows [ edit ] January 4 - Jim Bohannon , broadcaster (died 2022) January 6 - Bonnie Franklin , actress and director, One Day at a Time (died 2013) January 10 - William Sanderson , actor, Newhart , Deadwood , True Blood January 19 - Shelley Fabares , actress and singer, The Donna Reed Show , Coach January 21 - Keith Strachan , composer January 23 - Rutger Hauer , Dutch actor (died 2019)[2] January 28 - Susan Howard , American actress February 3 - Trisha Noble , Australian singer and actress (died 2021) February 8 February 13 February 17 - Nick Hewer , English television presenter February 28 - Kelly Bishop , actress, Gilmore Girls February 29 March 3 - Lee Holdridge , composer March 10 - Richard Gant , actor March 17 - Petra Markham , actress March 22 - Michael Zinberg , writer March 24 - R. Lee Ermey , actor and drill instructor (died 2018) March 26 - Diana Ross , singer and actress March 28 - Ken Howard , actor, The White Shadow (died 2016) April 1 - Frank Gari , singer April 3 - Tony Orlando , singer April 4 - Craig T. Nelson , actor, Coach , The District , Parenthood April 6 - Judith McConnell , actress April 7 April 8 - Hywel Bennett , Welsh actor, Shelley (died 2017) April 10 - Vin Di Bona , producer April 20 - Cuba Gooding Sr. , singer (died 2017) April 25 - Len Goodman , English professional, Dancing with the Stars (died 2023) April 29 April 30 - Jill Clayburgh , actress (died 2010) May 5 - John Rhys-Davies , Welsh actor, Sliders May 14 - George Lucas , director and producer May 16 - Danny Trejo , actor May 23 - Ronald L. Schwary , producer (died 2020) May 24 - Patti LaBelle , singer and actress May 25 May 28 - Patricia Quinn , actress June 2 - Marvin Hamlisch , composer (died 2012) June 4 - Michelle Phillips , singer and actress June 20 - John McCook , actor, The Bold and the Beautiful June 21 - Tony Scott , actor (died 2012) June 25 - Gary David Goldberg , producer (died 2013) June 29 - Gary Busey , actor June 30 - Terry Funk , actor July 8 July 12 - Denise Nicholas , actress, Room 222 , In the Heat of the Night July 15 - Jan-Michael Vincent , actor, Airwolf (died 2019) July 22 - Peter Jason , actor July 31 - Geraldine Chaplin , actress August 1 - Christopher Lewis , screenwriter (died 2021) August 4 - Richard Belzer , actor, Homicide: Life on the Street , Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (died 2023) August 7 August 9 - Sam Elliott , actor August 11 - Ian McDiarmid , Scottish actor August 13 - Kevin Tighe , actor, Emergency! August 25 - Anthony Heald , actor, Boston Public August 27 August 30 - Molly Ivins , author (died 2007) September 1 - Beau Starr , actor September 6 - Swoosie Kurtz , actress, Sisters September 13 - Jacqueline Bisset , English actress September 16 - Linda Kaye Henning , actress, Petticoat Junction September 21 - Fannie Flagg , actress, Match Game September 25 September 26 - Anne Robinson , presenter September 27 September 28 - Matthew Cowles , actor September 29 - Mike Post , composer October 15 - Haim Saban , American composer October 28 November 2 - Michael Buffer , ring announcer November 4 - Linda Gary , American actress, voice actress, Spider-Man (died 1995) November 12 - Al Michaels , sportscaster November 16 - Jay Hammer , actor, Guiding Light November 17 November 20 - John Pasquin , television director November 21 November 25 - Ben Stein , television actor November 27 - Gregory Hoblit , television director December 2 - Cathy Lee Crosby , actress and host, That's Incredible! December 6 - Kit Culkin , actor December 11 December 17 - Bernard Hill , English actor December 19 - Tim Reid , actor, Sister, Sister December 31 - Neil Ross , voice actor References [ edit ]