The 1948–49 United States network television schedule began in September of 1948 and ended in the spring of 1949. This was the first season in which all four networks then in operation in the United States offered nightly prime time schedules Monday through Friday.
The schedule below reflects the fall lineup as it all settled into place throughout October 1948, before any subsequent time changes were made and additional new series appeared in November.
New fall series are highlighted in bold. A number of ABC's new fall shows began as early as mid-August, when the network first began broadcasting a seven-night schedule. CBS and DuMont also had some new shows begin in the latter half of August. These shows are noted as such by (Aug.). NBC began airing Saturday Night Jamboree in December.
Sunday[]
| PM | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Local | The Southernaires Quartet | Hollywood Screen Test | Actors Studio | Local | |||
| CBS | 7:00 The Week in Review / 7:15 Local | Ford Television Theatre Hour (monthly) | Local | Toast of the Town | 10:00 America Speaks / 10:15 Local | Local | ||
| NBC | 7:00 Mary Kay and Johnny / 7:20 Review of the Week | Admiral Presents the Five Star Revue — Welcome Aboard | Author Meets the Critics | Meet the Press | The Philco Television Playhouse | Local | ||
| DMN | The Original Amateur Hour | Local | ||||||
Note: The Ed Sullivan Show, AKA Toast of the Town, premiered June 20, 1948 at 9:00 p.m. on CBS.
Monday[]
| PM | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | 7:00 News and Views (Aug.) / 7:15 Local | Kiernan's Corner (Aug.) | Quizzing the News (Aug.) | Local | ||||
| CBS | 7:00 Local / 7:15 Places Please (Aug.) | 7:30 CBS Television News / 7:45 Face the Music | Local | |||||
| NBC | Local | 7:30 America Song / 7:50 Camel Newsreel Theatre | The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre | Americana | 9:00 Local / 9:10 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena | |||
| DMN | Doorway to Fame | 7:30 Camera Headlines / 7:45 Local | 8:00 Champagne and Orchids / 8:15 Local | Local | Court of Current Issues | Local | ||
Tuesday[]
| PM | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | 7:00 News and Views (Aug.) / 7:15 Local | Movieland Quiz (Aug.) | Local | America's Town Meeting | Local | |||
| CBS | 7:00 The Roar of the Rails / 7:15 Local | 7:30 CBS Television News / 7:45 Face the Music | Local | We, the People | People's Platform (Aug.) | Local | ||
| NBC | Local | 7:30 Musical Miniatures / 7:50 Camel Newsreel Theatre | Texaco Star Theater | Mary Margaret McBride | Local | Wrestling from St. Nicholas Arena | ||
| DMN | 7:00 The Alan Dale Show / 7:15 Local | 7:30 Camera Headlines / 7:45 I.N.S. Telenews | Operation Success | Local | Boxing from Park Arena | |||
Wednesday[]
| PM | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | 7:00 News and Views (Aug.) / 7:15 Local | Critic at Large (Aug.) | The Gay Nineties Revue (Aug.) | 8:30 Candid Microphone (Aug.) / 8:45 Three About Town (Aug.) | Local | Wrestling from Washington, D.C. (Aug.) | ||
| CBS | 7:00 Local / 7:15 Places Please (Aug.) | 7:30 CBS Television News / 7:45 Face the Music | Kobbs' Korner | Winner Take All | Tournament of Champions | |||
| NBC | Local | 7:30 You Are an Artist / 7:50 Camel Newsreel Theatre | Girl About Town | 8:30 The Ted Steele Show / 8:45 Story of the Week | Kraft Television Theatre | 10:00 Local / 10:10 Village Barn | ||
| DMN | Birthday Party | 7:30 Camera Headlines / 7:45 Local | Local | The Growing Paynes | Boxing from Jamaica Arena | |||
Thursday[]
| PM | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | 7:00 News and Views (Aug.) / 7:15 Local | Local | Club Seven (Aug.) | ABC Feature Film | Local | |||
| CBS | Local | 7:30 CBS Television News / 7:45 Face the Music | To the Queen's Taste | Local | ||||
| NBC | Local | 7:30 NBC Presents / 7:45 Girl of the Week / 7:50 Camel Newsreel Theatre | 8:00 Princess Sagaphi / 8:15 The Nature of Things | The Swift Show | The Gulf Road Show Starring Bob Smith | Juvenile Jury | Local | |
| DMN | Local | 7:30 Camera Headlines / 7:45 Local | Local | Charade Quiz | Wrestling from Park Arena | |||
Friday[]
| PM | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | 7:00 News and Views (Aug.) / 7:15 Local | 7:30 Tales of the Red Caboose / 7:45 Local | Teenage Book Club (Aug.) | That Reminds Me (Aug.) | Break the Bank | Local | ||
| CBS | 7:00 Local / 7:15 Places Please (Aug.) | 7:30 CBS Television News / 7:45 Face the Music | 8:00 Sportsman's Quiz / 8:05 What's It Worth | Captain Billy's Mississippi Music Hall | Local | |||
| NBC | Local | 7:30 Musical Merry-Go-Round / 7:50 Camel Newsreel Theatre | Musical Miniatures | Stop Me If You've Heard This One | 9:00 The Ted Steele Show / 9:15 Local | 9:30 Gillette Cavalcade of Sports / 10:45 Greatest Fights of the Century | ||
| DMN | Key to the Missing | 7:30 Camera Headlines / 7:45 Local | Fashions on Parade (Aug.) | Local | Wrestling from Jamaica Arena | |||
Saturday[]
| PM | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | 7:00 News and Views (Aug.) / 7:15 Local | 7:30 Sports with Joe Hasel (Aug.) / 7:45 Local | Local | |||||
| CBS | Local | |||||||
| NBC | Local | Television Screen Magazine | Local | |||||
| DMN | Local | |||||||
References[]
- Bergmann, Ted; Skutch, Ira (2002). The DuMont Television Network: What Happened?. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4270-X.
- Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
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