1949 in radio

List of years in radio (table)
… 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 …
In television 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 In music 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 In film 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Philosophy Science +...

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."
• 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 launch of DZBC 1000 kilohertz, 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.
• 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 29 – Candy Matson debuts on NBC West Coast.
• July 3 – Four Star Playhouse debuts on NBC.
• July 4
  • Add a Line debuts on ABC.
  • Leave It to Joan debuts on CBS.
  • Young Love debuts on CBS.
• August 25 – Father Knows Best debuts on NBC.
• September 4 – Chance of a Lifetime debuts on ABC.
• September 5 – Light-Up Time debuts on NBC.

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).