1949 in radio

• 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 official launch of DZBC 1000 kilohertz on AM, owned by Bolinao Electronics Corporation (the predecessor of ABS-CBN Corporation) in the Philippines. ==Debuts==

Programs • January 9 – Screen Directors Playhouse premieres on NBC. • April 24 - Richard Diamond, Private Detective debuts on NBC. • May 1 – The Adventures of Frank Race, a syndicated program, debuts in some markets. • July 4 • Add a Line debuts on ABC. • Leave It to Joan debuts on CBS. • September 4 – Chance of a Lifetime debuts on ABC. 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). • 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). ==References==