Here’s the schedule for NBC’s commercial station WNBT in New York City for the week starting Sunday, December 14th, 1941, straight from daily television listings printed in The New York Times.
This week saw the return of Thursday broadcasts for the first time since October. Otherwise, it was a fairly typical week of sporting events, films and programs featuring WNBT regulars. In addition to the programs listed below, the station likely broadcast news reports relating to the nation’s entry into World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor the previous week.
Scheduled for Thursday was something called “America’s Town Meeting,” with retired Navy admiral Yates Stirling, Jr. and others.
Films for the week included Riders of the Dawn (1937), The Mill on the Floss (1937) and Port of Missing Girls (1938).
Other highlights included a drama titled “The Heiress” on Sunday, episodes of Search for Beauty and Thrills and Chills on Tuesday, and another installment of WNBT’s Children’s Matinee on Saturday.
Sunday, December 14th, 1941 [1]
3:30-4:30PM – Film: Gun Smoked Trails
8:30-9:30PM – The Heiress–DramaMonday, December 15th, 1941 [2]
9-11PM – Boxing: Jamaica ArenaTuesday, December 16th, 1941 [3]
3:30PM – Search for Beauty–Ned Wayburn
3:45-4:30PM – Radio City Matinee
8:30PM – Thrills and Chills–Doug Allan
8:50PM – Jean Clair, Accordion
9:00PM – Civilian Defense Program
9:10PM – Film: March of Time
9:30PM – Wrestling: Ridgewood GroveWednesday, December 17th, 1941 [4]
3:30-4:30PM – Film: Riders of the Dawn, with Jack Randall
8:30-9:40PM – Film: Mill on the Floss, with Geraldine FitzgeraldThursday, December 18th, 1941 [5]
8:45-10:15PM – America’s Town Meeting: Admiral Yates Stirling, Hanson Baldwin, Hugh Grant, Arthur MenkenFriday, December 19th, 1941 [6]
3:30-4:35PM – Film: Port of Missing Girls
8:30PM – Silvermine Stags, Variety
9:15PM – Civilian Defense Program
9:25PM – Face of the War–Sam Cuff
9:30PM – Ray Forrest, NewsSaturday, December 20th, 1941 [7]
3:30-4:30PM – Children’s Matinee
8:30PM – Song Shop
9-11:15PM – Basketball: N.Y.U. vs. Syracuse; Oklahoma vs. St. John’s, Madison Square Garden
Note: Television listings published in newspapers were based on information provided by stations and were subject to change at the last minute. They may not be an accurate representation of what actually aired.
Works Cited:
2 “Radio Today.” New York Times. 15 Dec. 1941: 37.
3 “Radio Today.” New York Times. 16 Dec. 1941: 55.
4 “Radio Today.” New York Times. 17 Dec. 1941: 55.
5 “Radio Today.” New York Times. 18 Dec. 1941: 55.
6 “Radio Today.” New York Times. 19 Dec. 1941: 51.
7 “Radio Today.” New York Times. 20 Dec. 1941: C37.
The telecast of “AMERICA’S TOWN MEETING” was a simulcast of the radio program (with an extra half-hour before the radio version began), as heard on NBC’s Blue Network that evening [9:15-10:15pm(et)], moderated by George V. Denny. The topic that evening was “The Outlook in the Pacific”.