1941 in television
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The year 1941 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
-related events during 1941.


Events

*April 30 – In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (
FCC The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdictio ...
) approves the National Television System Committee (
NTSC The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by National Television System Committee (NTSC)National Television System Committee (1951–1953), Report and Reports of Panel No. 11, 11-A, 12–19, with Some supplement ...
) standards of 525 lines and 30 frames per second, and authorizes commercial television broadcasting to begin on July 1. *May 2 – In the United States, 10 television stations are granted commercial TV licenses (effective July 1). These stations are required to broadcast 15 hours per week. Bulova Watch Co., Sun Oil Co., Lever Bros. Co. and
Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer he ...
sponsor the first commercial telecasts from WNBT (now
WNBC-TV WNBC (channel 4) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Linden, New Jersey–licensed Telemundo statio ...
) in New York. *July 1 **Commercial television is authorized by the FCC. **
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
television begins commercial operation by its affiliate WNBT New York using channel 1. The world's first legal television commercial advertisement, for
Bulova Bulova is an American timepiece manufacturing company that was founded in 1875 and has been owned by Japanese multinational conglomerate Citizen Watch Co. since 2008. The company makes watches, clocks and accessories, and it is based in New York ...
watches, airs at 2:29 PM on WNBT before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. An announcement for Bulova watches, for which the company pays anywhere from $4.00 to $9.00 (reports vary), displays a WNBT test pattern modified to look like a clock with the hands showing the time, and the Bulova logo, with the phrase "Bulova Watch Time" shown in the lower right-hand quadrant of the test pattern while the second hand sweeps around the dial for one minute On July 1, Ray Forrest reads the first formal on-camera TV announcement, followed on July 4 by the first live commercial, for Adam Hats. ** As a one-off special, the first quiz show called "Uncle Bee" is telecast on WNBT's inaugural broadcast day, followed later the same day by
Ralph Edwards Ralph Livingstone Edwards (June 13, 1913DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 86-87. – November 16, 2005) was an American radio ...
hosting the second game show broadcast on United States television, ''
Truth or Consequences ''Truth or Consequences'' is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–1957) and later on television by Edwards (1950–1954), Jack Bailey (1954–1956), Bob Barker (1956–1975), Steve Dunne (1957–1958), ...
'', as simulcast by radio and TV and sponsored by
Ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...
soap. Weekly broadcasts of the show commence during
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...
, with Bob Barker. ** CBS television begins commercial operation on New York station WCBW (now
WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–licensed independent station W ...
) using channel 2. *September 1 —
WPTZ WPTZ (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Plattsburgh, New York, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Burlington, Vermont–Plattsburgh, New York market. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside Montpelier, Verm ...
(now KYW-TV) signs on in Philadelphia, the third television station in America. *October 21 -
Professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
premieres during prime-time on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. *December 7 – Ray Forrest of WNBT broadcasts special news bulletin regarding the
Pearl Harbor attack The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ...
, interrupting regular programming, the film ''
Millionaire Playboy ''Millionaire Playboy'' originally entitled ''Playboy No. 2'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins from a screenplay by Bert Granet and Charles E. Roberts, based upon Granet's story. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pi ...
''. WNBT later broadcasts special news reports through the evening, pre-empting a scheduled
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
hockey telecast. WCBW also broadcasts a special that evening, from their Grand Central Terminal studios to the few thousand television set owners in the New York area.


Debuts

*July 1 - '' CBS Television News'', debuts on CBS (1941-1942, 1944-Present). *July 1 - ''Girl About Town with Joan Edwards'' debuts on CBS (1941-1942). *July 1 - ''Sports with Bob Edge'' debuts on CBS (1941-1942). *July 2 - '' CBS Television Quiz'' premieres as television's first regular game show (1941–1942). *July 2 - ''Table Talk with
Helen Sioussat Helen Johnson Doyle Sioussat (February 11, 1902 - December 2, 1995) was a network executive in the early days of American television, serving as CBS radio's director of talks and public affairs from 1937 to 1958. She created, and was the host of, ...
'', the first televised talk show, debuts on CBS (1941-1942). *July 7 - ''Men At Work'', an early variety show, debuts on CBS (1941-1942). *July 8 - ''The Boys in the Back Room,'' a half-hour series that took a behind-the-scenes look at the WCBW television studios, equipment, and staff'','' debuts on CBS (1941). *July 16 - ''Stars of Tomorrow'' debuts on NBC (1941-1942). *July 18 - ''The Face of the War'', an early news show hosted by '' Sam Cuff'', debuts on NBC (1941-1945). *July 18 - ''Songs by Harvey Harding'' debuts on NBC (1941-1942). *August 27 - ''Thrills and Chills from Everywere'' debuts on NBC (1941-1946). *September 4 - ''Radio City Matinee'' debuts on NBC (1941-1942). *September 18 - ''Fashion Discoveries in Television'' debuts on NBC (1941). *October 18 - ''Saturday Night Jamboree'' debuts on NBC (1941). *October 21 - ''The Adam Hats Sports Parade: Wrestling at Ridgewood Grove,'' debuts on NBC (1941-42). *December 19 - '' America's Town Meeting of the Air,'' a simulcast of the
NBC Blue Network The Blue Network (previously known as the NBC Blue Network) was the on-air name of a now defunct American radio network, which broadcast from 1927 through 1945. Beginning as one of the two radio networks owned by the National Broadcasting Comp ...
public affairs discussion program, debuts on NBC (1941-42). *December 22 - ''War Backgrounds'' debuts on CBS (1941-42).


Television shows


Programs ending during 1941


Births

*January 4 –
John Bennett Perry John Bennett Perry (born January 4, 1941) is an American actor, singer and former model. He is the father of actor Matthew Perry. Life and career Perry was born on January 4, 1941, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the son of businessman, bank dir ...
, actor *January 14 –
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France mad ...
, actress *January 24 – Neil Diamond, actor *January 30 – Dick Cheney, politician *January 31 –
Jessica Walter Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in t ...
, actress (died 2021) *February 1 –
Joy Philbin Bette Joy Philbin ( née Senese; born February 1, 1941) is an American television personality, and the widow of television personality Regis Philbin. Career In the late 1960s, Senese worked as an assistant to comedian and talk show host Joey Bis ...
, television personality. *February 3 –
Bridget Hanley Bridget Ann Elizabeth Hanley (February 3, 1941 – December 15, 2021) was an American actress, known for her starring and supporting roles in TV comedy, western, adventure, and drama programs, including as Candy Pruitt in the Western dramedy ser ...
, actress. *February 5 ** David Selby, actor. ** Stephen J. Cannell, producer (died 2010) *February 8 –
Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tides''. He received ...
, actor. *February 10 **
Michael Apted Michael David Apted, (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was a British television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the '' Up'' documentary series (1964–2019). He later directed '' Coal Miner's ...
, actor (died 2021) ** Dick Carlson, journalist *February 12 – Chas. Floyd Johnson, actor. *February 13 –
David Jeremiah David Jeremiah is an American evangelical Christian author, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in El Cajon, California, a suburb of San ...
, pastor. *February 27 –
Charlotte Stewart Charlotte Stewart (born February 27, 1941) is an American film and television actress. Biography Stewart is most famous for her role as the school teacher Miss Beadle on ''Little House on the Prairie'' and her work with director David Lynch. ...
, actress. *March 4 –
Richard Benjamin Harrison Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. (March 4, 1941 – June 25, 2018), also known by the nicknames "The Old Man" and "The Appraiser", was an American businessman and reality television personality, best known as the co-owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn ...
, television personality (died 2018) *March 5 –
Sam Nover Sam Nover (March 5, 1941 – December 4, 2018) was an United States of America, American sportscaster. His run of 30 years of sportscasting at the same station is one of the longest in Pittsburgh broadcasting history. Broadcasting career From 1 ...
, television sportscaster (died 2018) *March 7 –
Joanna Frank Joanna Frank (born Johanna Bochco; March 7, 1941) is an American actress. Career Her first role was in Elia Kazan's 1963 film ''America, America'' as the character "Vartuhi", and she also appeared in ''The Young Animals'' (1968) and the cult bi ...
, television actress *March 8 – Adrienne Ellis, actress *March 9 –
Trish Van Devere Trish Van Devere (born Patricia Louise Dressel; March 9, 1941) is a retired American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the film ''One Is a Lonely Number'' (1972), and won a Genie Award for the film '' The Changeling'' (1980 ...
, actress *March 16 –
Chuck Woolery Charles Herbert Woolery (born March 16, 1941) is an American game show host, talk show host, and musician. He has had long-running tenures hosting several game shows. Woolery was the original host of ''Wheel of Fortune'' (1975–1981), the orig ...
, game show host. *March 20 –
Paul Junger Witt Paul Junger Witt (March 20, 1941 – April 27, 2018) was an American film and television producer. He, with his partners Tony Thomas and Susan Harris (also his wife), produced such television shows as ''Here Come the Brides'', ''The Partridge ...
, producer. *March 28 – Alf Clausen, composer. *April 3 –
Eric Braeden Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast; April 3, 1941) is a German-born film and television actor, known for his roles as Victor Newman on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', as Hans Dietrich in the 1960s TV series '' The Rat Patr ...
, German-born actor. *April 5 –
Michael Moriarty Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is an American-Canadian actor and jazz musician. He received an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his first acting role on American television as a Nazi SS officer in the 1978 mini-series ''Holocaust'' ...
, American-Canadian actor. *April 7 – Cornelia Frances, actress (died 2018) *April 20 –
Ryan O'Neal Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Pla ...
, actor. *April 28 –
Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...
, Swedish-born actress, dancer and singer. *May 4 –
George Will George Frederick Will (born May 4, 1941) is an American libertarian-conservative political commentator and author. He writes regular columns for ''The Washington Post'' and provides commentary for NBC News and MSNBC. Gold, Hadas (May 8, 2017)." ...
, American libertarian-conservative political commentator. *May 13 –
Senta Berger Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; ''Austrian German:'' , ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include three Bambi Awards, two Romys, an A ...
, Austrian actress and producer. *May 17 –
Grace Zabriskie Grace Zabriskie (' Caplinger; born May 17, 1941) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sarah Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), Lois Henrickson in '' ...
, actress. *May 18 –
Miriam Margolyes Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The ...
, actress. *May 29 –
Bob Simon Robert David Simon (May 29, 1941 – February 11, 2015) was an American television correspondent for CBS News. He covered crises, war, and unrest in 67 countries during his career.Gottlieb, Hooper. Shearer, Benjamin F. ed., ''Home Front Her ...
, American television correspondent (died 2015) *June 2 –
Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...
, actor. *June 12 –
Marv Albert Marv Albert (born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig; June 12, 1941) is an American retired sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball". From 1967 to 2004, he wa ...
, American sportscaster. *June 13 –
Paul Moyer Paul Moyer (born June 13, 1941) is an American journalist. He co-anchored the 5 PM and 11 PM weekday editions of KNBC-TV's ''Channel 4 News'' with Colleen Williams for a decade after earlier co-anchoring with Kelly Lange.Nieto, Rebecca (2009-05- ...
, American journalist. *June 17 –
William Lucking William Lucking (June 17, 1941 – October 18, 2021) was an American film, television, and stage actor, best known for his role as Piney Winston in '' Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2011), and for his movie roles in '' The Magnificent Seven Ride!'' ...
, American actor (died 2021) *June 21 ** Joe Flaherty, Canadian-American actor and comedian. ** Lyman Ward, Canadian actor. *June 22 ** Michael Lerner, actor. **
Barry Serafin Barry Serafin (born June 22, 1941) is an American television journalist and former weekend anchor of ABC World News. An Oregon native, born in Coquille, and raised in Roseburg, Serafin graduated from Washington State University in 1964, and b ...
, television journalist. *July 3 –
Gloria Allred Gloria Rachel Allred ( Bloom; born July 3, 1941) is an American attorney known for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particularly those involving the protection of women's rights. She has been inducted into the National Women's ...
, attorney. *July 8 –
Michael K. Frith Michael Kingsbury Frith (born 8 July 1941) is a British artist and television producer. He is the former Executive Vice-President and Creative Director of The Jim Henson Company. His contributions to Muppet projects have been extensive and vari ...
, producer. *July 10 –
Robert Pine Robert Pine (born Granville Whitelaw Pine, July 10, 1941) is an American actor who is best known as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the television series ''CHiPs'' (1977–1983). Including ''CHiPs'', Pine has appeared in over 400 episodes of television. ...
, actor. *July 13 –
Robert Forster Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in '' Medium Cool'' (1969), Captain Dan Holland in ''The Black Hole'' (1979), Abdul Rafai in '' The Delta Force'' (1986 ...
, actor (died 2019) *July 22 – George Clinton, funk musician. *July 28 –
Peter Cullen Peter Claver Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the original 1980s ''Transformers'' animated series, reprising the role many times since 2007. He has also voiced many other ...
, voice actor. *July 29 –
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...
, actor (died 2022) *July 30 –
Rod Perry Rodney Cornell Perry (born September 11, 1953) is an American football coach and former professional player who is the defensive backs coach for the Oregon State Beavers. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL), primar ...
, actor (died 2020) *August 3 –
Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing pu ...
, writer. *August 4 – Paul Mooney, comedian, writer and actor (died 2021) *August 27 –
Harrison Page Harrison Page (born August 27, 1941) is an American television and film actor who has appeared in many popular series, including ''Sledge Hammer!'', ''Cold Case'', '' JAG'', '' ER'', '' Ally McBeal'', '' Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero'', '' Melrose ...
, actor. *September 6 –
Edgar Snyder Edgar Snyder (born September 6, 1941) is a Pittsburgh-area personal injury lawyer. One of the first attorneys in the area to advertise extensively on television, he became recognizable from his marketing campaign, which began in the mid 1980s. In ...
, Pittsburgh-area personal injury lawyer who appeared in commercials. *September 17 –
Gary DeVore Gary Martin DeVore (September 17, 1941 – June 28, 1997) was a Hollywood screenwriter, best known for witty action films and for his own bizarre death in 1997. Early career DeVore began his writing career in the late 1960s on shows like Chuck B ...
, screenwriter (died 1997) *September 18 –
Gerry Bamman Gerald G. Bamman (born September 18, 1941) is an American actor and playwright. He is best known for playing Uncle Frank in the films ''Home Alone'' (1990) and '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992), and has also guest starred in several te ...
, actor. *October 4 –
Lori Saunders Lori Saunders (born Linda Marie Hines October 4, 1941, in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American film and television actress, probably best known for her role as Bobbie Jo Bradley in the television series ''Petticoat Junction'' (1965–19 ...
, actress. *October 5 –
Stephanie Cole Patricia Stephanie Cole (born 5 October 1941) is an English stage, television, radio and film actress, known for high-profile roles in shows such as '' Tenko'' (1981–1985), ''Open All Hours'' (1982–1985), ''A Bit of a Do'' (1989), '' Waiti ...
, actress. *October 7 –
John Ford Noonan John Ford Noonan Jr. (October 7, 1941 – December 16, 2018) was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He is best known for his Off-Broadway hit two-hander comedy "A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking." Noonan's first major pr ...
, actor (died 2018). *October 10 –
Peter Coyote Peter Coyote (born Robert Peter Cohon; October 10, 1941) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, author and narrator of films, theatre, television, and audiobooks. He worked on films such as ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), '' Cro ...
, actor. *October 31 –
Sally Kirkland Sally Kirkland (born October 31, 1941) is an American film, television and stage actress and producer. A former member of Andy Warhol's The Factory and an active member in 1960s New York avant-garde theater, she has appeared in more than 250 fi ...
, actress. *November 1 – Robert Foxworth, actor. *November 5 –
Tony Guida Tony Guida (born November 5, 1941) is a New York-based local television and radio personality. He is currently a news anchor for WCBS Newsradio 880 and a business correspondent for CBS News. Life and career Guida began his career working as a re ...
, radio personality. *November 18 –
Ron Powers Ron Powers (born November 18, 1941) is an American journalist, novelist, and non-fiction writer. His works include ''No One Cares About Crazy People: My Family and the Heartbreak of Mental Illness in America''; ''White Town Drowsing: Journeys to Ha ...
, American journalist. *November 21 **
Juliet Mills Juliet Maryon Mills (born 21 November 1941) is an English-American actress. She is the daughter of actor Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell and the eldest of three siblings; her younger siblings are actress Hayley Mills and director Jonathan ...
, actress. ** David Porter, musician. **
Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...
, singer. *November 23 –
Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...
, actor. *
December 4 Events Pre-1600 * 771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom. * 963 – The lay papal protonotary is elected pope and takes the name Leo VIII, being consecrated on 6 ...
David Johnston David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commis ...
, Australian newsreader *December 6 **
Leon Russom Leon Russom (born December 6, 1941) is an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, particularly soap operas. He portrayed Admiral Toddman (in the ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' episode " The Die is Cast") and the Starfleet Com ...
, actor. **
Rolland Smith Rolland G. Smith (born December 6, 1941) is an American poet, retired television news reporter and anchor who was based in New York for most of his long career. Broadcasting career Smith's earliest broadcasting job was for Metromedia Televisi ...
, news anchor. *December 9 ** Beau Bridges, actor. ** César Mascetti, Argentine television host (died 2022) *December 10 –
Fionnula Flanagan Fionnghuala Manon "Fionnula" Flanagan (born 10 December 1941) is an Irish stage, television, and film actress. For her contributions to the entertainment industry, she was given the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Flanagan is known f ...
, actress. *December 13 – John Davidson, actor, singer and game show host. *December 16 – Lesley Stahl, television journalist.


References

{{Years in television TV