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1960 CBS is the first network to broadcast the Olympics: 13 hours of the Winter Games from Squaw Valley, California. Walter Cronkite is anchor; Jim McKay, Harry Reasoner and Dick Button are reporters. Coverage is highlighted by U.S. Olympic Hockey team winning the gold. CBS also broadcasts the summer Olympics from Rome, Italy.
February 1960 Nancy Dickerson (nee Hanschman) becomes the first female network correspondent for CBS News. Dickerson had worked as a producer for CBS News in the 1950s before being promoted to correspondent.
April 1960 Arnold Palmer leads all rounds to win the Masters® on CBS, edging out CBS Sports legendary golf analyst Ken Venturi. Jim McKay and Chris Schenkel are among the announcers.
September 26, 1960 CBS News broadcasts the first of the four Kennedy/Nixon presidential debates from CBS's WBBM-TV studios in Chicago. The event, which brought the candidates face-to-face before the nation's television and radio audiences, was moderated by Howard K. Smith and produced by Don Hewitt. It is often cited as an event that changed politics forever.
October 3, 1960 "The Andy Griffith Show" premieres. During its eight-year run, which ends September 16, 1968, it is consistently in the top 10. It is the number one regularly scheduled primetime program in the 1967-68 season.
November 25, 1960 CBS News' landmark documentary about the lives of migrant farm workers in the United States, "CBS Reports: Harvest of Shame," is broadcast the day after Thanksgiving. In a rare editorial in the program, host and correspondent Edward R. Murrow calls for federal legislation to alleviate the migrants' plight in the program.
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1961 CBS Sports becomes a division of the CBS Television network.
Edward R. Murrow leaves CBS to head the United States Information Agency.
CBS announces plans to modernize its West 57th Street (New York) broadcasting center, a 500,000 sq. ft. building complex originally built as the dairy depot for Sheffield Farms.
News expands 40 percent in the CBS schedule. By now a separate CBS division, News also produces 55 percent of network radio programming.
January 25, 1961 John F. Kennedy's first formal news conference as president is broadcast live on the CBS Radio and Television Networks, marking the first time that has occurred.
February 1961 Richard Salant is named President of CBS News (for the first time). He serves in that capacity until March 1964 and then again from February to April 1966 (acting president) and April 1966-March 1979.
September 16, 1961 "The Defenders," starring E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed, premieres and runs through September 1965. This courtroom drama series occasionally addresses controversial topics such as abortion, mercy killing and political blacklisting. The program earns three Emmys for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama, beginning with the 1961-62 season and winning consecutive years through the 1963-64 season.
September 17, 1961 CBS Sports broadcasts the first remote 15-minute pre-game show, the first of its kind on network sports television. "Pro Football Kickoff" originates from NFL stadiums around the country with a comprehensive look at all the day's games.
October 1961 "Mr. Ed," which started in syndication, is one of the few shows to subsequently be picked up by a network to air in primetime. This comedy, which revolves around a talking horse, runs on CBS from October 1, 1961 through September 8, 1965.
October 3, 1961 "The Dick Van Dyke Show" premieres and runs through September 7, 1966. It wins four Emmys for Outstanding Program Achievement in Humor/Comedy/Entertainment during its 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965 seasons.
December 30, 1961 CBS uses first film slow-motion replay during the Gator Bowl.
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1962 CBS airs "A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy," produced by CBS News. Charles Collingwood is the host of the broadcast, and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy serves as the tour guide.
CBS Television Network obtains the broadcast rights to the NFL professional and NCAA college football games. This is a first.
CBS daytime programming is so strong that it is said CBS "invented daytime television." CBS has all of the top 10 daytime programs for the next five seasons.
April 16, 1962 Walter Cronkite is named anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News."
June 11, 1962 "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall," starring Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett, is broadcast and wins an Emmy for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Music.
September 29, 1962 "The Beverly Hillbillies" debuts and runs for nine years (through September 7, 1971). It is television's number one regularly scheduled primetime program for its first two seasons.
October 1, 1962 "The Lucy Show" debuts and runs through September 2, 1974.
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September 2, 1963 The "CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace," the first daily half-hour morning network news program, debuts from 10:00-10:30 AM, EDT.
September 2, 1963 The "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" expands from 15 minutes to 30, Monday through Friday. That broadcast leads off with an interview with President John F. Kennedy. Don Hewitt is the executive producer.
Fall 1963 Series premieres include "Petticoat Junction" (airing from September 24 through September 12, 1970), "My Favorite Martian" (running from September 29 through September 4, 1966), "The Judy Garland Show" (airing from September 29 through March 29, 1964) and "The Danny Kaye Show" (airing from September 25, 1963 through June 7, 1967. It wins an Emmy for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Variety for the 1963-64 season).
November 22, 1963 Walter Cronkite reports that President Kennedy has been shot. That afternoon, a special report interrupts "As the World Turns" at 1:40 PM, EST, and Dan Rather reports at 2:28 PM (on audio from Dallas) that the president is dead. The official confirmation of death is reported by Cronkite at 2:38 PM. CBS News broadcasts 54 hours and 53 minutes of uninterrupted coverage of the event and its aftermath beginning at 2:00 PM on November 22 and concluding at 11:37 PM on November 25.
December 7, 1963 CBS makes technological history as it introduces first-ever "Instant Replay" during the Army-Navy football game.
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1964 Fred Friendly becomes President of CBS News after Richard Salant leaves to become Special Assistant to the President of CBS and Vice President, Corporate Affairs.
CBS Television Network broadcasts more sports events than any other network.
February 9, 1964 The Beatles perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
July 26, 1964 The first radio program to emanate from the CBS Broadcast Center (524 W. 57 Street) occurs on this date. The last radio program to emanate from 484 Madison Avenue, the CBS headquarters since September 18, 1929, is on July 25, 1964.
Fall 1964 Series premieres include "Gomer Pyle, USMC" (which runs from September 25 through September 9, 1970), "Gilligan's Island" (which runs from September 26 through September 4, 1967) and "The Munsters" (which runs from September 24 through September 1, 1966).
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1965 Fifty percent of CBS's regular primetime schedule is broadcast in color.
March 24, 1965 CBS corporate headquarters in New York moves from 485 Madison Avenue to 51 West 52nd Street (Black Rock), a 38-story glass and black granite building, the last skyscraper designed by Eero Saarinen. CBS employees who have been working in more than 14 separate locations around New York are collected together in Black Rock.
CBS News presents the first live pictures from the Moon at 8:52-9:08 AM from the Ranger 9 satellite as fed from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
April 28, 1965 "My Name Is Barbra" is the first of many Barbra Streisand specials. The special wins an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Entertainment.
August 19, 1965 The "CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace" becomes the first major network news program broadcast in color. Later that day, the "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" becomes the first regularly scheduled evening half-hour network news program broadcast in color. The "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" begins continuous broadcasts in color on January 31, 1966.
Fall 1965 Series premieres include "Hogan's Heroes" (running from September 17 through July 4, 1971), "Green Acres" (airing from September 15 through September 7, 1971), "The Wild, Wild West" (running from September 17 through September 7, 1970), "Lost in Space" (broadcast from September 15 through September 11, 1968), "My Three Sons" (which began on another network, premiered on CBS in September and ran through August 1972), and "The Smothers Brothers Show" (which ran from September 17 through September 9, 1966).
November 25, 1965 The first-ever color broadcast of an NFL game airs on Thanksgiving Day.
December 9, 1965 "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Charles Schultz's first animated television special, has its debut broadcast, becoming an annual classic on CBS. It runs on CBS until December 25, 2000.
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February 15, 1966 Fred Friendly resigns the presidency of CBS News when CBS halts coverage of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Vietnam War. Richard Salant returns to CBS News as Acting President and is formally appointed President, CBS News in April.
Fall 1966 CBS launches its first primetime schedule that is all in color. New series include "Mission: Impossible" and "Family Affair." (The original "Mission Impossible" premieres September 17 and airs through September 1973. It wins two Emmys for Outstanding Dramatic Series, one for the 1966 season and the other for the 1967 season.) "Family Affair" premieres September 12 and runs through September 1971.
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1967 Studio Center, a 29-acre television production facility in Los Angeles, is acquired.
WCBS-AM in New York becomes the second CBS Radio station to adopt an all-news format. (WINS had begun an all-news format three years earlier).
January 15, 1967 CBS broadcasts Super Bowl I between Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs from Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford and Pat Summerall call the game for CBS with 39.9 million viewers watching Bart Starr's MVP performance.
February 20, 1967 First color broadcast of "As the World Turns."
March 13, 1967 First color broadcast of "Guiding Light."
Fall 1967 For the first time, the entire CBS schedule is broadcast in color.
New series include "The Carol Burnett Show," which premieres and runs through September 8, 1979. It wins three Emmys (1971 Outstanding Variety Series-Musical, 1973 Outstanding Music Variety Series, 1974 Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series). "Mannix" also premieres (September 16) and runs through August 27, 1975.
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1968 "CBS Reports: Hunger in America" explores the shortcomings of government food programs. So great is the program's impact that more than $200 million in additional funds are voted for food programs, and a U.S. Senate inquiry begins.
April 9-17, 1968 The "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" becomes the first network news program to be seen via satellite. The broadcast originates from Paris, where the Vietnam peace talks are taking place.
August 1968 The United States Tennis Championships at Forest Hills become the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the first time professionals and amateurs compete together. CBS Sports begins an uninterrupted stint as "the" network of the U.S. Open. The finale is estimated to have reached more than two million homes, a record audience for tennis. Arthur Ashe wins his first Grand Slam title and Virginia Wade beats Billie Jean King for the women's title.
August 28, 1968 On live television, CBS News Correspondent Dan Rather is knocked to the floor and dragged to the exit by security guards during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Fall 1968 "Hawaii Five-O" premieres on September 26 and, airing through April 26, 1980, was the longest continuously running police show in television's history. "Mayberry R.F.D." premieres on September 23 and runs through September 6, 1971.
September 24, 1968 "60 Minutes" premieres as a biweekly broadcast. Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner are the anchors and Don Hewitt is the creator and executive producer. The broadcast would become the most watched, acclaimed and influential news program in television history and a Sunday evening American institution.
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March 31, 1969 "CBS Morning News with Joseph Benti" becomes the first daily hour-long network news program.
June 15, 1969 "Hee Haw" premieres and runs on CBS through July 13, 1971.
July 20, 1969 Along with Walter Cronkite, Americans watch man's first lunar landing live. As the rocket lands on the lunar surface at 4:19 PM, EDT, Cronkite, known for his eloquence, famously exclaims, "Man on the moon!," "Oh, boy!," and then, "Whew, boy!"
September 1969 After a run on another network, "Get Smart" premieres on CBS and runs through September 1970.
September 24, 1969 "Medical Center" premieres and runs through September 6, 1976.
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