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CBS AT 75 FEATURE

FEATURE
CBS AT 75
Broadcast Date: Sunday, Nov. 2
(8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)

CBS TIMELINE OF MILESTONES

Sept. 1928 - During the month he turns 27-years-old, William S. Paley acquires United Independent Broadcasters Inc., a network of 16 independent radio stations, changes name to Columbia Broadcast System and becomes President of the Company.

Nov. 1928 - CBS Radio covers presidential election night - Herbert Hoover vs. Alfred E. Smith. Ted Husing, one of CBS's earliest announcers, reports returns from a microphone in the city room of The New York World from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM. CBS receives 12,000 telegrams of congratulations.

Jan. 8, 1929 - Paley appears on the air for the first time to announce that CBS now has the largest regular chain of broadcasting stations in radio history. In the three-and-one-half months since Paley took the helm, CBS has tripled its broadcasting coverage, and now serves 49 stations in 42 cities throughout the country.

1931 - CBS radio has Bing Crosby on every night in its spot for new talent. The Mills Brothers hitchhike to New York from Cincinnati to audition at CBS radio and are hired on the spot. Kate Smith gets her own CBS show.

July 21, 1931 - CBS begins the first regularly scheduled television broadcasting in the country on experimental station W2XAB in New York City. By year's end, CBS is broadcasting seven hours daily, seven days a week. Programming includes "Bill Schudt's Going to Press," an interview show with correspondents, columnists and editors. It was the first regularly scheduled program to be simulcast on radio and television.

1933 - CBS News Editor Paul White organizes the Columbia News Service, the first network news operation, with bureaus in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles and stringers, who are newspaper reporters, in most of the country's large cities.

1935 - CBS becomes the nation's largest radio network with 97 stations.

1935 - Edward R. Murrow joins CBS.

1935 - Frank Stanton, a 27-year-old instructor of psychology at Ohio State, receives a telegram urging him to join CBS. He moves to New York and joins CBS as number three in a three-person research department. His early work focuses on audience measurement - program ratings, geographical studies of CBS station coverage and effectiveness studies on radio's ability to sell goods.

1936 - CBS introduces the first radio quiz show, "Professor Quiz."

1936 - CBS lures Major Bowes from NBC to create an hour show of amateur talent. Bowes would interrupt failing acts with a gong. One of the show's winners in its early days was the very young Frank Sinatra.

1936 - CBS Radio's broadcast roster includes entertainers George Burns and Gracie Allen, Eddie Cantor, Ed Wynn and Joe ("Wanna buy a duck?") Penner.

1936 - H. V. Kaltenborn reports on the Spanish Civil War from French/Spanish border. This is the first battlefield broadcast in radio news history.

1936 - CBS launches radio's foremost experimental theater, the Columbia Workshop. Its production of Archibald MacLeish's verse drama, "The Fall of the City," with Burgess Meredith and Orson Welles, quickly brings other manuscripts into CBS.

1936 - Dr. Peter Goldmark joins CBS as chief television engineer.

1937 - The daytime drama "Guiding Light" premieres on radio.

1937 - In the face of mounting war tensions, Edward R. Murrow is dispatched to London as CBS's European Director. He hires William L. Shirer, who is based in Vienna, the first of a group of reporters who would famously become known as "Murrow's Boys."

1937 - CBS is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

1938 - By the late 1930s, there are about 20 daytime serials on CBS, with a following of millions. Among them are "Our Gal Sunday," "Ma Perkins," "The Romance of Helen Trent," "Life Can Be Beautiful" and "Joyce Jordan, Girl Intern."

1938 - For the first time, Edward R. Murrow begins his radio broadcast with the phrase, "This is London."

1938 - CBS opens a new $2 million studio and office building in Hollywood.

March 13, 1938 - CBS broadcasts a 35-minute special report from multiple locations around the world as the pre-war crisis mounts.? It is the first time that on-the-scene European field correspondents are linked with a central anchor in New York for a daily national broadcast. The program is later named "World News Roundup," and it remains the longest running news presentation in the history of broadcasting.

Oct. 30, 1938 - "CBS Mercury Theater of the Air" broadcasts Orson Welles' "War or the Worlds." The fictional news report, imitating the format then used for news flash bulletins, keeps interrupting dance music to inform listeners of the spreading destruction caused by Martians that had landed in New Jersey. Terror-stricken listeners rush into the streets.


1939 - Studio equipment for CBS television broadcasting in New York is installed in Grand Central Terminal and transmitters are installed in the Chrysler Building tower.

Aug. 1940 - First color television broadcast from CBS transmitter atop the Chrysler Building is received in the CBS building at 485 Madison Avenue.

1941 - CBS gets its first FM station, WCBS in New York. After the war, CBS picks up its other FM frequencies.

1941 - Dr. Stanton persuades Arthur Godfrey to move from a local Washington, D.C. station to do a radio show from WCBS in New York.

July 1, 1941 - Fifteen hours a week of black and white television programming begins at New York station WCBW (later renamed WCBS). News is prominent in the schedule.

Dec. 7, 1941 - John Daly of CBS News interrupts network programming to announce that the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (CBS experimental station WCBW in New York goes on the air with a nine-hour broadcast on the attack on Pearl Harbor, which is the first television news instant special.) CBS broadcasts nearly 35,700 programs connected with the war effort throughout the war.

1942 - WCBW television cuts programming back from 15 hours a week to four for the rest of the war.

1942 - Many CBS radio broadcasts are done from army bases - and big bands often play for the USOs. Amateur shows put on talent from local army bases.

1943 - Paley takes a leave of absence from CBS to serve as a colonel in the U.S. Army. Attached to General Eisenhower's staff in London, Col. Paley heads the Office of Psychological Warfare. Paul Kesten, whose genius for promotion was critical in making CBS competitive, is named Executive Vice President and heads CBS during Paley's absence. Dr. Stanton, now Vice President and General Executive, is one of CBS's top four executives.

1943 - Along with the war reporting, radio listeners still hear some favorite CBS entertainment shows, such as "Hit Parade," "Suspense," "Inner Sanctum" and "Lux Radio Theater."

1944 - CBS Radio Network has 147 stations.

1945 - Back from the war, Paley becomes Chairman of the CBS Board, Paul Kesten requests a less active role and Dr. Frank Stanton is named President of the Company.

1946 - CBS, which has been developing a color television system under Dr. Peter Goldmark since the late 1930s, petitions the FCC to permit it to begin broadcasting commercially in color. The problem with the CBS system is that broadcasts transmitted in color can't be picked up on existing black and white sets. The FCC denies the petition.

1946 - CBS Television Network presents first-ever television broadcast of the National Football League.

1946-1948 - CBS radio begins to produce its own shows, including "My Friend Irma," "Our Miss Brooks," "Crime Photographer" and "Life with Luigi."

1947 - CBS telecasting expands beyond New York to feed programming to other stations - Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and then Philadelphia.

1947 - CBS broadcasts the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1948 - Paley lures some of NBC's biggest stars - Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Edgar Bergen (father of future CBS star Candice Bergen) and Amos 'n' Andy - to CBS. Though first on CBS radio, most moved on to become CBS television stars. ?

1948 - Arthur Godfrey debuts on CBS Television with "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts," (which was already on CBS Radio), followed by "Arthur Godfrey and His Friends" (title later changed to "The Arthur Godfrey Show") on Jan. 12, 1949 - which runs until April 28, 1959. He also does a daytime show, "Arthur Godfrey Time" (which also aired on radio and TV). Other Godfrey programs included "Arthur Godfrey and His Ukelele" and "Metropolitan Parade." The popular "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" becomes the number one rated regularly scheduled prime time program of the 1951-52 season.

March 1948 - Television was the baby of broadcasting back when CBS Chairman William S. Paley announced that on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:00 PM,???"CBS-TV cameras visit the Alvin Theater in New York City to present... actual play scenes and behind-the-scene glimpses of the Broadway smash hit,???'Mr. Roberts,?' starring Henry Fonda." It was the first program in a series called?"Tonight on Broadway," and the first program broadcast on the CBS Television Network.

May 3, 1948 - Douglas Edwards begins "The CBS-TV News," a regular 15-minute nightly newscast later named "Douglas Edwards with the News." It is broadcast weeknights at 7:30 PM and is the first regularly scheduled television news program.

June 20, 1948 - Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town" debuts (and runs through June 6, 1971). The name is changed to "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Sept. 18, 1955, the year in which it won an Emmy Award for Best Variety Series. (See Sept. 9, 1956 and Feb. 9, 1964)

Nov. 2, 1948 - CBS News provided its first dual radio and television coverage of the political conventions: Radio coverage is nationwide, television coverage is primarily in the East. CBS also provides all-night reporting of presidential election returns - from Tuesday night (8:00 PM) into Wednesday morning (5:40 AM).

Nov. 7, 1948 - "Studio One" begins producing an hour of live, original television drama each week. In its 11-year run, "Studio One" produces fine dramas such as "Twelve Angry Men" and "The Scarlet Letter." The series runs through Sept. 29, 1958 and wins an Emmy for Best Dramatic Series for the 1951 season.

1948 - The CBS Television Network is formed, with WCAU-TV Philadelphia as the first affiliate. There are 30 affiliate stations within the year.

1948 - Plans are announced to build the largest and most modern television studios in the world in Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.

Sept. 1949 - "Candid Camera," hosted by Allen Funt, joins CBS for one season, then returns from Oct. 1960 to Sept. 1967.

1950 - Jack Benny began appearing on CBS Television in 1950 with specials that aired infrequently. Beginning in 1952, "The Jack Benny Show" was televised once every four weeks. Beginning in 1953, he returned following a summer hiatus and the series aired on an alternate week basis. This lasted until 1960, when the series began airing every week through Sept. 1965. It wins an Emmy for Best Comedy Series (1958-59 season) and Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor (1960-61 season).

1950 - CBS has 14 out of Nielsen's top 20 nighttime radio listings for the year, and eight of the top 10 daytime shows.

Feb. 16, 1950 - "What's My Line" premieres (and runs through Sept. 3, 1967). It wins three Emmy Awards for Best Audience Participation, Quiz or Panel Program in 1952, 1953 and 1958. It was the longest running game show in prime time.

June 26, 1950 - "The Garry Moore Show" premieres and runs through Dec. 27, 1951. His later show, with the same name, debuts Sept. 30, 1958 and airs until Jan. 8, 1967. It wins an Emmy as Outstanding Program Achievement in the field of Variety for the 1961-62 season.

July 23, 1950 - The "Gene Autry Show" premieres. This popular western's last broadcast is August 7, 1956.

Oct. 12, 1950 - The televised "The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show" premieres and runs through Sept. 22, 1958.

1951 - CBS Radio and Television are split into two separate divisions.

1951 - Sig Mickelson becomes the first President of News and Public Affairs. He became Chief Executive of a combined radio and television division in 1954 and then President of an autonomous division which is formally designated "CBS News."

June 25, 1951 - CBS televises one-hour premiere of color television (it was the CBS Field Sequential System - not Compatible Color). "Premiere," a program which aired from 4:35 to 5:34 PM, included entertainment by leading personalities such as Arthur Godfrey, Faye Emerson, Sam Levenson, Robert Alda, Ed Sullivan, Isabel Bigley and Garry Moore - and statements by William S. Paley and Dr. Frank Stanton. It was presented by 16 sponsors at 4:35 PM and fed to Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

June 27, 1951 - The first regularly-scheduled color television series on CBS is Ivan T. Sanderson's "The World is Yours!" It airs Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 5:00 PM.

June 28, 1951 - "Amos 'n' Andy" television series premieres, running through June 11, 1953. Aug. 11, 1951 - CBS broadcasts the first baseball game on color television. (Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Boston Braves from Ebbets Field).

Sept. 4, 1951 - The first live coast-to-coast sustaining television program is a speech by President Truman at the opening of the Japanese Peace Conference in San Francisco. It is carried by 87 stations in 47 cities. The San Francisco-Chicago portion was considered an experimental circuit by AT&T and facilities were set up on microwave without charge. In Chicago, they were patched into existing coaxial Network facilities.

1951 - Stanton asks William Golden, Creative Director, CBS Television Network, Advertising and Sales Promotion Department, to develop a new trademark for CBS television. The CBS "Eye" logo is created and introduced to the public on Oct. 20, 1951. It was originally to be used as a Network identification during station breaks.

Oct. 15, 1951 - "I Love Lucy" debuts and runs through Sept. 24, 1961. The last original half-hour episode of "I Love Lucy" aired in 1957. The series continued in primetime rebroadcasts until Sept. 1961. There were also 13 hour-long Lucy-Desi programs featuring the "I Love Lucy" characters which aired from Nov. 1957 to April 1960. "I Love Lucy" is the first series to film before a live audience and the first to use three cameras. The series wins two Emmys for Best Situation Comedy (1952, 1953). (See Jan. 19, 1953) The hugely popular series is the Number One rated regularly scheduled prime-time program for the 1952-53, 1953-54, 1954-55 and the 1956-57 seasons.

Nov. 18, 1951 - "See It Now," CBS-TV's first news documentary series, debuts showing viewers the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans simultaneously - a wonder made possible by the newly laid coaxial cable. The program becomes the first live commercial coast-to-coast television broadcast and runs through July 7, 1958. The program, hosted by Edward R. Murrow, produced by Fred Friendly and directed by Don Hewitt - is credited as inventing the television news documentary as we know it and wins three Emmy Awards (1952, Best Public Affairs Program; 1953, Best Program of News or Sports; 1953, Best Public Service Series.)

Dec. 15, 1951 - "Hear It Now," a radio newsmagazine hosted by Edward R. Murrow, premieres in prime time. On the air only three times before year's end, it wins a Peabody Award.

1952 - Radio listeners continue to tune in to popular CBS radio entertainment series such as "The FBI in Peace and War," "People Are Funny," "Hallmark Playhouse," "The Line-Up," "Jack Benny," "Amos 'n' Andy," "Gangbusters," "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy," "Perry Mason," "Bing Crosby" and "The New York Philharmonic."

1952 - Television City, CBS's landmark production facility, opens in Los Angeles.

June 30, 1952 - "Guiding Light" premieres on television and becomes the longest running daytime drama. The series premiered on radio in Jan. 1937. By combining the radio and television totals, it entered its 66th year Jan. 2003. It became the longest running entertainment program in television history on June 30, 2002.

July 7, 1952 - The term "anchor" is coined to describe Walter Cronkite's role at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The conventions also mark the first nationally televised convention coverage, and CBS News provides 139 hours of it.

Sept. 1, 1952 - "Art Linkletter's House Party," a daytime variety show, premieres and is broadcast through Nov. 15, 1968. (Art Linkletter's CBS radio show, "House Party," premiered in 1944 and ran through Oct. 1967.)

Oct. 3, 1952 - "Our Miss Brooks," starring Eve Arden, premieres on television and runs until Sept. 21, 1956. It had originated on CBS radio in 1948 and was heard on both radio and television throughout the mid-1950s.

1952 - New television series include "The Red Buttons Show" (premiering on Oct. 14 and running on CBS through June 1954), "The Jackie Gleason Show" (debuting Sept. 20 and having its last broadcast Sept. 12, 1970) and "Life with Luigi" (premiering Sept. 22 and airing until June 4, 1953).

Nov. 4, 1952 - CBS News covers election returns on the Network from 8:00 PM Tuesday night until 3:00 AM on Wednesday morning. Both conventions are "network" in 1952.

1953 - CBS broadcasting operations are mushrooming all over New York - and the CBS Production Center (now the CBS Broadcast Center) is put into full operation after renovations. The nightly Douglas Edwards news, with offices in Grand Central, occasionally broadcasts from another location - Liederkranz Hall.

Jan. 19, 1953 - It's a national event when Lucy Ricardo gives birth to Little Ricky on "I Love Lucy." Coincidentally, Lucille Ball gives birth to Desi Arnaz, Jr. the same night.

Feb. 1, 1953 - "You Are There," narrated by Walter Cronkite, begins its dramatic re-creations of historical events. Its last broadcast is Oct. 13, 1957.

Feb. 1, 1953 - "General Electric Theater," a filmed anthology series, premieres. Ronald Reagan becomes host at the start of the 1954 season through the end of the program, which runs until Sept. 16, 1962.

June 15, 1953 - The first sponsored television variety show is "Ford 50th Anniversary Program." It airs from 9:00 to 11:00 PM and the sponsor is the Ford Motor Company.

Sept. 1953 - "The Red Skelton Show" joins CBS through June 1970.

Oct. 2, 1953 - "Person to Person," Edward R. Murrow's relaxed, at-home television visits with famous people, debuts. In the next six years, he interviews approximately 500 newsmakers, including U.S. Senator-elect John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, Gypsy Rose Lee, Marilyn Monroe, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Oct. 4, 1953 - "Omnibus," hosted by Alistair Cooke, makes its CBS debut. It won three Emmy awards throughout its CBS run in its category.

Oct. 8, 1953 - The first compatible color television program on CBS is "Eye Opener." 1954 - CBS News is officially created when the News and Public Affairs departments of the CBS Radio and Television Divisions are combined, marking the first autonomous news organization in network television designed to serve both the radio and television networks of CBS.

March 9, 1954 - Edward R. Murrow makes Sen. Joseph McCarthy the subject of an entire episode of "See It Now." McCarthy's televised reply on "See It Now" airs on April 6 and is a severe personal attack on Murrow, suggesting that Murrow, too, is politically suspect. The two broadcasts are credited with beginning to turn public opinion against McCarthy.

Aug. 26, 1954 - The first network radio and television editorial is broadcast when Dr. Frank Stanton, the CBS President, takes to the airwaves to plea for open hearings by the U.S. Senate committee with respect to the censure resolution against Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Several days later, on Sept. 2, Judge Harold R. Medina of the U.S. Court of Appeals presents the case against allowing radio and television coverage of the hearings.

Fall 1954 - New series include "Father Knows Best" (which premieres on Oct. 3, runs through March 1955 - and returns to CBS Sept. 1958 through Sept. 1962), "Lassie" (which premieres Sept. 12, runs through Sept. 12, 1971 and wins two Emmys for Best Children's Program - one each for the 1954 and 1955 seasons) and "December Bride" (which premieres Oct. 4 and runs through April 20, 1961).

Nov. 7, 1954 - "Face the Nation," a news interview program moderated by Ted Koop, debuts on the CBS Television and Radio Networks. Sen. Joseph McCarthy is the first guest. The interview takes place two days prior to the Senate's 10 days of debate ending in a vote to condemn McCarthy. Other long-term moderators of "Face the Nation" and their start dates are: Stuart Novins (8/21/55), Howard K. Smith (11/14/60), Paul Niven (11/17/63), Martin Agronsky (7/11/65), George Herman (2/2/69), Lesley Stahl (9/18/83) and Bob Schieffer (5/26/91).

June 7, 1955 - "The $64,000 Question," hosted by Hal March, is the first big television quiz show. It runs through Nov. 1958 and is the Number One rated scheduled primetime program of the 1955-56 season. It wins an Emmy for Best Audience Participation Series (Quiz, Panel, etc.) in 1955.

Sept. 10, 1955 - "Gunsmoke," the first adult western, premieres on the CBS Television Network and runs through Sept. 1, 1975. It stars James Arness, becomes the longest running series with continuing characters and wins an Emmy in 1957 for Best Dramatic Series with Continuing Characters. It is the Number One regularly scheduled primetime program for the 1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons - and is a top 10 show for 13 years. It ends up spurring westerns on all of the networks. (It began as a CBS Radio show in the spring of 1952 starring William Conrad.)

Oct. 1, 1955 - "The Honeymooners" debuts and runs with the original cast through Sept. 1956.

Oct. 2, 1955 - "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," hosted by Alfred Hitchcock, premieres, runs through Sept. 1960 and returns to CBS from Sept. 1962 through Sept. 1964. Robert Altman, Sydney Pollack and William Friedkin are among the episodes' directors. Guest stars include Bette Davis, Robert Redford, Steve McQueen and Robert Duvall.

Oct. 3, 1955 - "Captain Kangaroo," played by Bob Keeshan, premieres and runs until 1984, making it the longest-running network children's series.

April 2, 1956 - "As the World Turns" premieres and is the first half-hour serial in television history. Helen Wagner debuts as Nancy Hughes in the first episode. She stars on the show to this day, making her the only actress in television history to have played the same role for more than 40 years.

April 6, 1956 - CBS broadcasts its first Masters®. Forty-seven years later, the longest-running annual sports event presented on one network has earned multiple Sports Emmys as well as the Peabody Award for the 1991 Masters broadcasts.

July 26, 1956 - CBS News produces a 30-minute program devoted to the sinking of the ocean liner Andrea Dorea in the Atlantic Ocean. The "CBS Evening News" is the only program with actual footage of the sinking ship.

Sept. 9, 1956 - Elvis Presley appears on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Sept. 30, 1956 - CBS begins broadcasting the first 12-week regular series of NFL games.

Oct. 4, 1956 - CBS's "Playhouse 90" premieres. This live 90-minute weekly anthology drama series is the most ambitious and prestigious of its kind during the "Golden Age" of television. Original productions included "Requiem for a Heavyweight," "The Days of Wine and Roses" and "The Miracle Worker." One of the most difficult productions was an adaptation of Faulkner's "Old Man," for which they needed to flood two studios for the flood scenes and on which they used and edited video tape for the first time. It runs through Sept. 19, 1961 and wins Emmys for the best program in its category for the 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59 and 1959-60 seasons.

Nov. 3, 1956 - "The Wizard of Oz" makes its television debut as the final presentation of "The Ford Star Jubilee."

Nov. 30, 1956 - CBS airs first videotaped news broadcast in the form of "Douglas Edwards With the News." The program uses magnetic tape.

1957 - Dr. Stanton negotiates for Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to appear on CBS's "Face the Nation" from Moscow. However, Moscow correspondent Daniel Schorr must persuade Khrushchev, who arrives late and angrily refuses makeup, to go along with the unrehearsed questions. The broadcast is acclaimed by Time as "the season's most extraordinary hour of broadcasting."

Jan. 21, 1957 - The Ampex Video Tape Recorder is used for the first time to play back the historic moment when Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States, administers the Presidential Oath of Office to Eisenhower. The ceremony is at 12:25 PM and the recording is repeated at 12:55 PM and at 1:25 PM.

1957 - New series on the Network include "Perry Mason" (which premieres on Sept. 21 and runs with original stars Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale and William Hopper through Sept. 1966), "Have Gun, Will Travel" (which debuts Sept. 14 and runs through Sept. 21, 1963) and "The Danny Thomas Show" (which joins CBS in Oct. 1957 and runs on CBS through Sept. 1965).

1958 - CBS Television restructures into two major operating divisions: the CBS Television Network (with 243 affiliates) and the CBS Television Stations (with five CBS Owned stations).

Sept. 6, 1958 - "Wanted: Dead or Alive" debuts with star Steve McQueen and runs through March 29, 1961.

Sept. 9, 1959 - "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" premieres and runs through Sept. 18, 1963.

1959 - New series include "The Twilight Zone" (a science fiction anthology series which premieres Oct. 2 and runs, with host and writer Rod Serling, through Sept. 1965), "Rawhide" (starring Clint Eastwood, which premieres Jan. 9 and runs through Jan. 1966), and "Dennis the Menace" (which debuts Oct. 4 and runs through Sept. 22, 1963).

Oct. 27, 1959 - "CBS Reports," the CBS News' acclaimed documentary series, debuts.

1960 - CBS is the first network to broadcast the Olympics - 13 hours of the Winter Games from Squaw Valley, Calif. 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.

Feb. 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.

Sept. 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.

Oct. 3, 1960 - "The Andy Griffith Show" premieres. During its eight-year run, which ends Sept. 16, 1968, it's consistently in the top 10. It is the Number One regularly scheduled primetime program in the 1967-68 season.

Nov. 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.

1961 - CBS Sports becomes a division of the CBS Television Network.

1961 - Edward R. Murrow leaves CBS to head the United States Information Agency.

1961 - 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.

1961 - News expands 40 percent in the television Network's schedule. By now a separate CBS division, News also produces 55 percent of network radio programming.

Jan. 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.

Feb. 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 Feb. to April 1966 (acting president) and April 1966-March 1979.

Sept. 16, 1961 - "The Defenders," starring E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed, premieres and runs through Sept. 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.

Sept. 17, 1961 - CBS Sports broadcasts 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.

1961 - "Mr. Ed," which started in syndication, is one of the few shows to subsequently be picked up by a network to air in prime time. This comedy, which revolves around a talking horse, runs on CBS from Oct. 1, 1961 through Sept. 8, 1965.

Oct. 3, 1961 - "The Dick Van Dyke Show" premieres and runs through Sept. 7, 1966. It wins four Emmys for Outstanding Program Achievement in Humor/Comedy/Entertainment, during its 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965 seasons.

Dec. 30, 1961 - CBS uses first film slow motion replay during the Gator Bowl.

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.

1962 - CBS Television Network obtains the broadcast rights to the NFL professional and NCAA college football games. This is a first.

1962 - CBS daytime programming is so strong that it's said CBS "invented daytime television." CBS has 10 out 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.

Sept. 29, 1962 - "The Beverly Hillbillies" debuts and runs for nine years (through Sept. 7, 1971). It's television's Number One regularly scheduled primetime program for its first two seasons.

Oct. 1, 1962 - "The Lucy Show" debuts and runs through Sept. 2, 1974.

Sept. 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.

Sept. 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.

1963 - Series premieres this fall include "Petticoat Junction" (airing from Sept. 24 through Sept. 12, 1970), "My Favorite Martian," (running from Sept. 29 through Sept. 4, 1966), "The Judy Garland Show" (airing from Sept. 29 through March 29, 1964) and "The Danny Kaye Show" (airing from Sept. 25 through June 7, 1967. It wins an Emmy for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Variety for the 1963-64 season).

Nov. 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 Nov. 22 and concluding at 11:37 PM on Nov. 25.

Dec. 7, 1963 - CBS makes technological history as it introduces first-ever "Instant Replay" during the Army-Navy football game.

1964 - Fred Friendly becomes President, CBS News after Richard Salant leaves to become Special Assistant to the President of CBS and Vice President, Corporate Affairs.

1964 - CBS Television Network broadcasts more sports events than any other network.

Feb. 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 Sept. 18, 1929, is on July 25, 1964.

1964 - Series premiering this fall include "Gomer Pyle, USMC" (which runs from Sept. 25 through Sept. 9, 1970), "Gilligan's Island" (which runs from Sept. 26 through Sept. 4, 1967) and "The Munsters" (which runs from Sept. 24 through Sept. 1, 1966).

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 52 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.

March 24, 1965 - 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, Calif.

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.

Nov. 25, 1965 - The first-ever color broadcast of an NFL game airs on Thanksgiving Day.

Aug. 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 Jan. 31, 1966.

1965 - Series premiering this fall include "Hogan's Heroes" (running from Sept. 17 through July 4, 1971), "Green Acres" (airing from Sept. 15 through Sept. 7, 1971), "The Wild, Wild West" (running from Sept. 17 through Sept. 7, 1970), "Lost in Space" (broadcast from Sept. 15 through Sept. 11, 1968), "My Three Sons" (which began on another network, premiered on CBS in Sept. and ran through Aug. 1972), and "The Smothers Brothers Show" (which ran from Sept. 17 through Sept. 9, 1966).

Dec. 9, 1965 - "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Charles Schultz's first animated television special, has its debut broadcast, becoming an annual classic on the Network. It runs on the Network until Dec. 25, 2000.

Feb. 15, 1966 - Fred Friendly resigns the presidency of CBS News when the Network 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 Sept. 17 and airs through Sept. 1973. It wins two Emmys for Outstanding Dramatic Series - one for the 1966 season and the other for the 1967 season.) "Family Affair" premieres Sept. 12 and runs through Sept. 1971.

1967 - Studio Center, a 29-acre television production facility in Los Angeles, is acquired.

1967 - 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.)

Jan. 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.

Feb. 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.

Fall 1967 - New series include "The Carol Burnett Show," which premieres and runs through Sept. 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 (Sept. 16) and runs through Aug. 27, 1975.

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.

Aug. 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 Sept. 26 and, airing through April 26, 1980, was the longest continuously running police show in television's history. "Mayberry R.F.D." premieres on Sept. 23 and runs through Sept. 6, 1971.

Sept. 24, 1968 - "60 Minutes" premieres as a bi-weekly 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.

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!"

Sept. 1969 - After a run on another network, "Get Smart" premieres on CBS and runs through Sept. 1970.

Sept. 24, 1969 - "Medical Center" premieres and runs through Sept. 6, 1976.

Jan. 11, 1970 - CBS Sports broadcasts Super Bowl IV with Kansas City beating Minnesota, 23-7, with Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson connecting with Otis Taylor on a 46-yard play for the final Chiefs touchdown. Jack Buck and Pat Summerall call the game.

May 10, 1970 - CBS Sports broadcasts the Stanley Cup finals as Boston Bruins phenom Bobby Orr flies through the air after scoring the winning goal against the St. Louis Blues.

June 23, 1970 - Fred Silverman becomes CBS's chief of primetime programming.

Sept. 19, 1970 - "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" premieres and takes its final bow with the unforgettable "group hug" on March 19, 1977. It wins three Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series (for 1974-75, 1975-76 and 1976-77 seasons).

1971 - Dr. Stanton moves up to Vice Chairman, CBS.

Jan. 12, 1971 - "All in the Family" premieres and runs through Sept. 16, 1979. "All in the Family" is the Number One show in prime time for five consecutive seasons (1971-72 through the 1975-76 seasons) and it wins five Emmys. One Emmy is for Outstanding New Series and the other four are for Outstanding Comedy Series (for the 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73 and 1977-78 seasons).

Feb. 23, 1971 - CBS News' controversial documentary, "The Selling of the Pentagon," is broadcast and then rebroadcast a month later with a 20-minute postscript that included Vice President Spiro Agnew's views and a rebuttal by CBS News President Richard Salant. On April 8, the House Commerce Committee's subcommittee on investigations subpoenaed from CBS News all televised and un-televised materials related to the broadcast. That same day, CBS President Dr. Frank Stanton said the Network would give the committee only the material that was contained in the broadcast, claiming the same First Amendment rights for broadcast journalists that print journalists' enjoyed. The House Committee recommended that Stanton be cited for contempt, but he refused to relent, thereby risking a jail sentence. The full House, by a 226-181 vote, rejected the committee's recommendation.

Aug. 1, 1971 - "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" premieres and runs through Aug. 29, 1977.

Sept. 14, 1971 - "Cannon" premieres and runs through Sept. 19, 1976.

1971 - "60 Minutes" is expanded from a bi-weekly to a weekly program, and its first Sunday evening broadcast occurs on Sept. 19 that year. (It moves permanently to Sundays at 7:00 PM on Dec. 7, 1975, where it has remained ever since.)

1972 - Bill Cosby's "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" is added to the children's Saturday morning schedule.

Jan. 16, 1972 - The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI on CBS. Cowboys MVP Roger Staubach connects with Mike Ditka for final touchdown to win 24-3. Ray Scott and Pat Summerall provide the commentary.

Fall 1972 - New series include "MAS*H" (which premieres Sept. 17, runs through Sept. 19, 1983 and wins an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for the 1973-74 season, see Feb. 28, 1983), "Maude" (which premieres Sept. 12 and runs through April 29, 1978), "The Waltons" (which premieres Sept. 14, runs through Aug. 20, 1981 and wins an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series - Continuing, 1972-73) and "The Bob Newhart Show" (which premieres Sept. 16 and runs through Aug. 26, 1978).

Sept. 4, 1972 - "The Price Is Right" premieres. (See May 1, 2000)

Oct. 16, 1972 - "The Country Music Association Awards" first airs on CBS. It was the sixth annual presentation.

Dec. 8, 1972 - The animated holiday classic special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" begins its annual run on CBS (after an eight-year run on another network) and has been broadcast on the Network each year since.

1973 - Dr. Stanton retires. His accomplishments, leadership and character have earned him the respect of high-level government officials and virtually every award the broadcasting industry could offer. At the 1973 annual meeting, top management laud Stanton as having "a brilliant career" and having brought to CBS and the broadcasting industry "deep intellectual insight, uncompromising integrity and a devotion to excellence."

Jan. 28, 1973 - "Barnaby Jones" premieres and runs through Sept. 4, 1980.

March 3, 1973 - "The Grammy Awards" first airs on CBS. It was the 15th annual presentation.

March 26, 1973 - "The Young and the Restless" premieres. At the end of Dec. 2003 it will celebrate 15 years as the week-in week-out Number One daytime drama.

April 2, 1973 - AFI (American Film Institute Salutes) premieres on CBS.

June 9, 1973 - In one of the great sports moments, CBS Sports broadcasts the Belmont Stakes as Secretariat wins the Triple Crown, beating the rest of the field by more than 31 lengths.

Fall 1973 - New series include "Kojak," which premieres Oct. 24 and runs on CBS through April 1978.

Jan. 31, 1974 - The Emmy Award-winning special movie "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" is broadcast. Cicely Tyson earns two Emmys for playing the title character (one for Actress of the Year - Special, and the other for Best Lead Actress in a Drama (For a Special Program...).

Feb. 1, 1974 - "Good Times" premieres and runs through Aug. 1, 1979.

April 17, 1974 - The Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. officially changes its name to CBS Inc.

July 3, 1974 - "Tony Orlando and Dawn" premieres and runs through Dec. 28, 1976.

July 4, 1974 - "Bicentennial Minutes," 60-second descriptions of important moments in American history, begins its two-year run, ending on July 4, 1976. They win an Emmy in 1976 under Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement.

Sept. 9, 1974 - "Rhoda" premieres and runs through Dec. 9, 1978.

1975 - "60 Minutes" moves to its Sunday at 7:00 PM time period permanently. Dan Rather joins Mike Wallace and Morley Safer on the program as co-editor.

1975 - CBS pioneers the NFL pre-game studio show, "The NFL Today," with Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Irv Cross and Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder. "The NFL Today" sets the gold standard for all network and cable studio shows to follow winning 13 Emmys.

1975 - "The Price Is Right" and "As the World Turns" are expanded to one hour.

Jan. 18, 1975 - "The Jeffersons" premieres and runs through July 23, 1985.

March 4, 1975 - "The People's Choice Awards" premieres on CBS.

April 12-13, 1975 - CBS Sports broadcasts The Masters®. In one of the greatest performances in golf history, with Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller battling, Nicklaus sinks a 40-foot putt at 16 for a record fifth Masters title.

Sept. 8, 1975 - "Phyllis" premieres and runs through Aug. 30, 1977.

Jan. 18, 1976 - CBS Sports' Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier call Super Bowl X as Lynn Swann's acrobatic catches lead the Pittsburgh Steelers past the Dallas Cowboys to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

April 1-2, 1976 - "Helter Skelter" is broadcast and is one of the highest-rated two-part movies in Network history.

Aug. 31, 1976 - "Alice" premieres and runs through July 2, 1985.

Dec. 16, 1976 - "One Day at a Time" premieres and runs through Sept. 2, 1984.

1977 - CBS News Correspondent Eric Sevareid retires after a career spanning 38 years.

March 1977 - "Ask President Carter," the radio call-in to the President, is conceived and proposed by CBS News and carried exclusively on the CBS Radio Network.

Sept. 1977 - "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" makes its CBS debut and runs through Sept. 1979.

Sept. 20, 1977 - "Lou Grant" premieres and runs through Sept. 13, 1982. It wins two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series (for 1978-79 and 1979-80 seasons).

1978 - Olympic gold medalist Leon Spinks, a decided underdog, takes on champion Muhammad Ali and wins the heavyweight championship.

Jan. 15, 1978 - The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII, the largest audience ever to watch a sporting event. CBS scores a 47.2/67 national household rating/share, the highest-rated Super Bowl to date.

March 10, 1978 - "The Incredible Hulk" premieres and runs through June 2, 1982.

April 2, 1978 - "Dallas" premieres and runs through May 3, 1991. It is the Number One primetime series in the 1980-81, 1981-82, and 1983-84 seasons. (See Nov. 21, 1980)

June 4, 1978 - The Tony Awards® is first broadcast on CBS. It is the 32nd annual presentation.

June 10, 1978 - In one of horse racing's greatest rivalries, CBS Sports broadcasts the Belmont Stakes that features a stretch-drive run with Affirmed edging Alydar to win and become the last horse to win horse racing's Triple Crown.

Sept. 17, 1978 - "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney" becomes a regular segment of "60 Minutes."

Sept. 18, 1978 - "WKRP in Cincinnati" premieres and runs through Sept. 20, 1982.

Oct. 27, 1978 - David Copperfield's first of many CBS specials, "The Magic of David Copperfield," is broadcast.

Nov. 27, 1978 - "The White Shadow" premieres and runs through Aug. 12, 1981.

Dec. 5, 1978 - "The Kennedy Center Honors" premieres on CBS.

Jan. 26, 1979 - "The Dukes of Hazzard" premieres and runs through Aug. 16, 1985.

Jan. 28, 1979 - "CBS New Sunday Morning" debuts. In addition to covering hard news, the program explores culture, religion, entertainment and other topics not usually covered in regularly scheduled hard-news broadcasts. Charles Kuralt, the anchor, conceived the program with executive producer Shad Northshield.

Feb. 18, 1979 - CBS Sports' broadcasts the first live flag-to-flag NASCAR race during the Daytona 500. Richard Petty takes the checkered flag. Viewers are introduced to pictures from Race-Vision, the stationary camera mounted inside a car.

August 1979 - CBS Sports covers 16-year-old Tracy Austin's defeat of Chris Evert Lloyd to become the youngest U.S. Open women's singles champion ever. John McEnroe takes the first of three straight men's championships.

Fall 1979 - "Trapper John, M.D." premieres Sept. 23 and runs through Sept. 4, 1986, and "Archie Bunker's Place" premieres Sept. 23 and runs through Sept. 21, 1983.

Dec. 20, 1979 - "Knots Landing" premieres and runs through May 13, 1993.

May 24, 1980 - CBS Sports' broadcasts the New York Islanders' Stanley Cup victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Nov. 21, 1980 - The "Who Shot J. R.?" episode of "Dallas" is the most-watched television program up to that time. Ninety million viewers, nearly 80 percent of all television viewers that night, were tuned into the episode. It remains the second most-watched primetime broadcast in television history.

Dec. 11, 1980 - "Magnum, P.I." premieres and runs through Sept. 12,1988.

March 6, 1981 - Walter Cronkite retires as the anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News." During Cronkite's 19 years on the job, he is called "the most trusted man in America."

March 6, 1981 - CBS Sports starts its Road to the Final Four, acquiring the television rights to the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship for three years.

March 9, 1981 - Dan Rather takes over as anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News." In 2001, Rather becomes the longest-running anchor of a network news program in history.

Nov. 24, 1981 - "Simon & Simon" premieres and runs through Dec. 31, 1988.

Dec. 4, 1981 - "Falcon Crest" premieres and runs through May 17, 1990.

Jan. 23, 1982 - "CBS Reports: The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception," anchored by Mike Wallace, is broadcast. The program examined charges that U.S. military intelligence in Vietnam consciously suppressed and altered data on enemy strength and numbers prior to the Tet Offensive in January 1968. It also resulted in the famous CBS lawsuit involving Mike Wallace and Gen. William Westmoreland.

Jan. 24, 1982 - CBS Sports broadcasts the highest rated (49.1/73) Super Bowl of all time as the San Francisco 49ers led by Joe Montana defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21. Pat Summerall and John Madden call their first Super Bowl together as they go on to be one of the most popular NFL announce teams ever.

March 7, 1982 - For the first time ever, the "NCAA Selection Show" is broadcast live to a national audience by CBS Sports.

March 25, 1982 - "Cagney & Lacey" premieres and runs through Aug. 25, 1988. It wins two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series (1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons).

March 29, 1982 - In CBS Sports' first ever broadcast of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game, University of North Carolina, with freshman Michael Jordan, beats Georgetown for the NCAA crown. CBS Sports wins the Outstanding Live Sports Special Emmy Award for its coverage.

Oct. 3, 1982 - "CBS News Nightwatch," the first overnight news program on CBS, debuts.

Oct. 25, 1982 - "Newhart" premieres and runs through Sept. 8, 1990. The last original episode, which ran in the spring of 1990, features one of television's cleverest plot twists: Dick (Bob Newhart) wakes up with Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) - his wife from "The Bob Newhart Show" - and tells her that he'd had a strange dream about owning an inn in Vermont (the plot of "Newhart").

Feb. 28, 1983 - Final episode of "MAS*H" broadcasts to an audience of 106 million. It is, to this day, the largest ever audience to watch a television broadcast.

April 14, 1983 - In an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game upset, Gary Bender and Billy Packer call North Carolina State's upset of the University of Houston.

Fall 1983 - New series include "AfterMASH" (which premieres Sept. 26 and runs through Dec. 18, 1984) and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" (which premieres Oct. 3 and runs through Sept. 10, 1987).

1984-87 - Coverage of the NBA ON CBS hails a new era that will forever link two of the game's greatest players - Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

March 19, 1984 - "Kate & Allie" premieres and runs through Sept. 11, 1989.

Aug./Sept. 1984 - CBS Sports provides almost 38 hours of U.S. Open tennis coverage, including "Super Saturday," then the longest continuous coverage of a sporting event in American television history.

Sept. 30, 1984 - "Murder, She Wrote" premieres and runs through Aug. 4, 1996.

Nov. 23, 1984 - CBS Sports covers Boston College's quarterback Doug Flutie's "Hail Mary" to the end zone for a miraculous comeback victory that seals Flutie's bid as the Heisman Trophy winner.

April 1, 1985 - In the biggest upset in college basketball history Villanova beats heavily favored Georgetown 66-64 to win the NCAA Championship. Eighth seed Villanova is the lowest-seeded team ever to win the NCAA championship. CBS Sports' broadcast of this game is the second highest rated championship game of all time (23.3/33).

Dec. 3, 1985 - The first original movie musical is "Copacabana," starring Barry Manilow.

Feb. 25, 1986 - The first stereo program on CBS Television is "The 28th Annual Grammy Awards."

April 13, 1986 - CBS Sports cameras focus in on 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus as he rediscovers his old form and wins his sixth Masters®.

July 15, 1986 - The first stereo venture for news, sports on CBS Radio is the 57th All-Star Game.

Sept. 29, 1986 - "Designing Women" premieres and runs through May 24, 1993.

1987 - William S. Paley elected Chairman and Laurence A. Tisch elected President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Inc.

March 23, 1987 - The daytime drama "The Bold and the Beautiful" premieres.

March 27, 1987 - "The Price Is Right" becomes the daytime game show with the longest continuous run on any one network.

Fall 1987 - New series include "Wiseguy" (which premieres Sept. 16 and runs through Dec. 8, 1990) and "Jake and the Fatman" (which premieres Sept. 26 and runs through Sept. 12, 1992).

Dec. 8, 1987 - Cathy Barreto becomes the first woman to direct an NFL game at network television level. (Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions)

Jan. 1988 - "48 Hours" launches as a weekly broadcast. Dan Rather is the anchor and becomes the first network journalist to anchor both a daily evening news broadcast and a weekly news program at the same time.

Nov. 14, 1988 - "Murphy Brown" premieres and runs through Aug. 10, 1998. It wins two Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series (1989-90 and 1991-92 seasons). It wins a Peabody Award in 1992. (See Sept. 21, 1992)

Feb. 5-8, 1989 - "Lonesome Dove," the highly rated and critically acclaimed mini-series based on the Larry McMurtry novel, is broadcast. It wins a Peabody Award for Outstanding Accomplishment.

June 3, 1989 - In the midst of Chinese student protests in Tiananmen Square, CBS viewers watch as Correspondent Richard Roth is taken off to jail for his coverage of the event and as Chinese authorities cut the electricity to CBS News offices in Beijing during a live broadcast.

Fall 1989 - Among the new series are "Major Dad" (which premieres Sept. 17 and runs through Sept. 13, 1993) and "Rescue 911" (which premieres Sept. 5 and runs through Sept. 3, 1996). "Rescue 911" is credited with helping many viewers respond successfully to their own emergencies.

1990-93 - Major League Baseball on CBS. The highlight is Oct. 23, 1993, when Toronto's Joe Carter hits a World Series-ending home run against the Philadelphia Phillies giving the Blue Jays their second consecutive World Series crown.

Sept. 9, 1990 - "The NFL Today" kicks off with all-new talent lineup of Greg Gumbel, Terry Bradshaw, Pat O'Brien and Lesley Visser.

Fall 1990 - New series include "Evening Shade" (which debuts Sept. 21 and runs through May 30, 1994) and "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill" (which begins Sept. 17 and runs through May 30, 1992).

Oct. 26, 1990 - William S. Paley, Chairman of the Board and Founder of CBS Inc., dies.

Dec. 1990 - Laurence A. Tisch named Chairman of the Board, in addition to President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Inc.

Jan. 16-18, 1991 - CBS News coverage of the Persian Gulf War totals 41 hours and 33 minutes over three consecutive days. That is the most uninterrupted coverage of a news event by CBS News since the assassination of President Kennedy. CBS News Correspondent Bob Simon is taken hostage by the Iraqis, and he and three CBS News colleagues are held for 40 days before being released.

Sept. 20, 1991 - "Brooklyn Bridge" premieres and runs through Aug. 6, 1993.

Jan. 26, 1992 - In a special post-Super Bowl edition of "60 Minutes," Correspondent Steve Kroft interviews presidential candidate Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, in the midst of the Gennifer Flowers scandal. The interview is viewed as a turning point in Clinton's campaign for president.

Feb. 1992 - CBS broadcasts the first of three consecutive Winter Olympics from Albertville, France, with an estimated 184 million viewers tuning in. The 1992 Winter Games also mark the first time since 1973 that CBS is able to win ten consecutive nights in prime time. Tim McCarver and Paula Zahn co-host the prime time broadcasts of the XVI Olympic Winter Games.

March 28, 1992 - Duke's Christian Laettner scores on a last second shot in overtime to beat Kentucky 104-103 and send Duke to the Final Four on its way to a second consecutive national championship. CBS Sports' (22.7/35), with an estimated 20.9 million homes tune in, making it the most watched NCAA Championship game ever.

April 1992 - "60 Minutes" becomes the first and only program in history to finish at Number One for the season in three different decades.

Sept. 4, 1992 - First non-news event to be carried in prime time by three networks is "Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse."

Sept. 1992 - New series include "Picket Fences" (which runs from Sept. 18 through June 26, 1996 and wins two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series, 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons).

Sept. 21, 1992 - Murphy Brown responds to Vice President Dan Quayle's comment: "...TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice."

Oct. 1992 - "In the Heat of the Night" joins CBS after a run on another network. It is broadcast until July 1994.

Jan. 1, 1993 - "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" premieres and runs through June 27, 1998.

April 21, 1993 - "Walker, Texas Ranger" premieres and runs through July 28, 2001.

Aug. 30, 1993 - "The Late Show with David Letterman" debuts. In January, CBS announced that David Letterman would bring his Late Night Show to CBS. In February, CBS purchases the landmark Ed Sullivan Theater. The late night show has won six Emmys for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series (1993-94, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons).

Sept. 1993 - "The NFL Today" celebrates its 18th year as a 30-minute pre-game show, and holds distinction of highest-rated program in its time slot for 18 years, longer than any other program on television.

Fall 1993 - New series include "The Nanny" (which runs from Nov. 3 to June 23, 1999), "Diagnosis Murder" (which runs from Oct. 29 through Sept. 7, 2001) and "Dave's World" (which premieres Sept. 20 and runs through July 18, 1997).

Dec. 12, 1993 - CBS broadcasts "Gypsy," the first made for television movie based on a Broadway musical.

Feb. 1994 - 204 million viewers tune in to CBS Sports' coverage of the XVII Olympic Winter Games from Lillehammer, Norway - the most-watched Winter Games in history. Highlighted by the figure skating controversy surrounding Americans Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, the Games earned an average primetime rating/share of 27.8/42 for 16 nights, the highest average rating in Olympic history. The ladies' figure skating broadcasts in the second week of coverage became the highest-rated Wednesday (48.5/64) and Friday (44.1/64) of any network in television history and were the sixth and eighth-most watched broadcasts of all time, respectively. Greg Gumbel hosts the Network's primetime coverage.

Sept. 1994 - "Due South" is the first foreign-originated TV drama series on Network television. (It is the first Canadian production to air in prime time in Canada and the United States at the same time.)

Fall 1994 - New series include "Touched By An Angel" (which runs from Sept. 21 through April 27, 2003) and "Chicago Hope" (which debuts Sept. 18 and runs through May 4, 2000).

Jan. 2, 1995 - "Cybill" premieres and runs through July 13, 1998.

July 1995 - Leslie Moonves is named President, CBS Entertainment.

Nov. 28, 1995 - Westinghouse Electric Corporation merges with CBS Inc.

Jan. 8, 1996 - Andrew Heyward is named President, CBS News. He currently holds the second-longest tenure in that job in the Division's history.

March 24, 1996 - The first simulcast of "60 Minutes" on radio occurs - on CBS Owned stations - first on KNX Los Angeles and, within the next month, on WCBS New York, WBBM Chicago and WCCO Minneapolis.

March 29, 1996 - "Nash Bridges" premieres and runs through July 13, 2001.

June 20, 1996 - Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Infinity Broadcasting Corporation announce decision to merge.

Aug. 19, 1996 - CBS News provides the first live, gavel-to-gavel video coverage of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions by a network news division on the Internet.

Sept. 1996 - New series include "Everybody Loves Raymond" (which premieres Sept. 13 and wins an Emmy for Best Comedy Series, 2002-03 season), "Early Edition" (which premieres Sept. 28 and runs through June 3, 2000) and "Cosby" (which runs from Sept. 16 through April 28, 2000).

November 1996 - Sean McManus is named President, CBS Sports and leads CBS's efforts in reacquiring broadcast rights to the National Football League. During his seven years as President of the Division, CBS Sports has become the year-round leader in sports television.

Jan. 1997 -" JAG" (which began on another network) premieres on CBS.

April 12-13, 1997 - CBS Sports, anchored by Jim Nantz, covers Tiger Woods stunning Masters® victory. The round is the most-watched golf broadcast in history with an estimated 52 million people.

Oct. 21, 1997 - The CBS Building, one of the premier post-World War II-era skyscrapers, located at 51 W. 52 Street, is declared a New York City Landmark site by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Dec. 1, 1997 - Westinghouse Electric Corporation changes its name to CBS Corporation. The new Company launches as the largest combined television, radio and out-of-home media entity in history. CBS Corporation unites the successful legacies of two broadcasting leaders, Westinghouse Electric Corporation and CBS, and newer media Infinity Broadcasting, TDI and Gaylord Entertainment. CBS Corporation is traded under the "CBS" symbol, as the "WX" of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation is retired.

Dec. 1, 1997 - CBS Corporation is launched, uniting CBS and Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Jan. 8, 1998 - First continuous usage of brand ID (CBS Eye logo in left corner) begins with primetime schedule.

Jan. 12, 1998 - CBS acquires rights to broadcast American Football Conference games until 2005.

Feb. 1998 - CBS broadcasts the XVIII Winter Olympic Games from Nagano, Japan. The games attract 184 million viewers, making it the third most-watched event in television history at the time. The ladies figure skating between Tara Lipinski and Michele Kwan is one of the most-watched events in television history. Jim Nantz hosts CBS Sports' primetime coverage from a Buddhist Temple.

April 1998 - Leslie Moonves named President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Television.

April 22, 1998 - "The Academy of Country Music Awards" is first broadcast on CBS after a 19-year run on another Network.

August 17, 1998 - Nancy Tellem named President, CBS Entertainment.

Sept. 6, 1998 - After 1,687 days since the last broadcast of "The NFL Today," host Jim Nantz welcomes back viewers to CBS for its coverage of "The NFL on CBS."

Sept. 21, 1998 - "The King of Queens" premieres.

Sept. 22, 1998 - One of the first "60 Minutes" stopwatches is added to the Smithsonian Institution's collection of cultural artifacts.

Nov. 2 - "Becker" premieres.

Nov. 8, 1998 - First NFL games broadcast in HDTV on CBS.

Nov. 18, 1998 - First broadcast of a primetime series episode in HDTV: "Chicago Hope."

Jan. 13, 1999 - After years of internal debate and external speculation, "60 Minutes II" debuts to critical acclaim.

March 30, 1999 - "Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" premieres.

Sept. 19, 1999 - New series include "Judging Amy."

Oct. 29, 1999 - CBS News presents the first news program in HDTV, a "CBS News Special Report" on the launch of the space shuttle Discovery with John Glenn. The program was sent to eight CBS digitally equipped stations.

2000 - CBS Sports celebrates its 50th year broadcasting golf, including the 45th consecutive appearance of The Masters®.

February 5, 2000 - Al McGuire, Billy Packer and Dick Enberg reunite to call the Connecticut and Michigan State game - their first together since the 1981 NCAA Championship.

April 2000 - CBS Sports is rated as the Number One supplier of sports event/anthology programming on television according to "The TV Sports Report" from Magna Global USA.

April 9, 2000 - "Fail Safe" is the first live broadcast of a dramatic movie since "Playhouse 90," which was broadcast from Oct. 1956 through Sept. 1961 on the Network.

May 1, 2000 - Bob Barker's contract with CBS and Pearson Television is extended as host and executive producer of "The Price Is Right" for an unprecedented 29th year. Barker holds the record for the longest number of consecutive daily appearances for a non-news television personality. Other records are a) the longest-running game show in television history, b) the highest number of episodes taped by an individual performer for a single network series, c) the greatest number of Emmy Awards won by a performer. "The Price Is Right" premiered Sept. 4, 1972.

May 4, 2000 - The Viacom and CBS merger is complete. The Company is now known as Viacom Inc. It is composed of MTV Networks, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television Group, Paramount Stations Group, Blockbuster, Paramount Parks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Sports, CBS News, CBS Television.

May 14, 2000 - This marks the first time a mini-series is broadcast in Spanish to markets that have SAP (Second Audio Program) transmission capabilities. The mini-series is the two-part, four-hour "Jesus."

May 24, 2000 - New Viacom Television Stations Group is formed. It consists of 35 television stations reaching the 13 largest and 18 of the top 20 television markets in the U.S. and includes duopolies in six major markets, with both CBS and UPN owned-and-operated network stations in Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, and Pittsburgh.

May 31, 2000 - Reality series "Survivor" premieres and wins an Emmy for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Special Class) for that season. It is the first Emmy Award presented to a "reality" show. "Survivor" becomes a viewing sensation, with its Aug. finale attracting over 50 million viewers.

July 5, 2000 - Summer reality series "Big Brother" premieres.

July 15, 2000 - CBS marks Walter Cronkite's 50 years at CBS News, to the day, with a series of anniversary and retrospective reports.

August 2000 - Tiger Woods outduels Bob May in the first three-hole playoff in PGA Championship history, seen by an estimated 38.5 million total viewers, the largest audience ever for a PGA Championship.

Sept. 13, 2000 - "The Latin Grammy Awards" premieres on the Network in its first annual presentation. It is the first multi-lingual broadcast on a major American network. "The Latin Grammy Awards" (the talk is mostly in English and Spanish, the singing in Spanish and Portuguese) is available to owned and affiliated stations in a Spanish-language version via the second audio program (SAP). This is the first SAP offering of a CBS primetime entertainment special.

Oct. 3, 2000 - CBS News provides the first live simultaneous Spanish-language translation of the presidential and vice presidential debates by a network.

Oct. 2000 - New series include "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (which premieres Oct. 6 and is the Number One rated prime time program of the 2002-03 season), "The District" (which premieres Oct. 7) and "Yes, Dear" (which premieres Oct. 2).

Jan. 20, 2001 - CBS Sports and Sony produce the 2001 Sony Open golf tournament as first unified broadcast for both HDTV (high definition television) and conventional standard definition analog coverage, with both feeds originating from one production facility.

Jan. 28, 2001 - CBS Sports, Core Digital and Princeton Video Image introduce state-of-the-art, three dimensional replay technology called "EyeVision" for its coverage of Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa. CBS Sports broadcasts its first Super Bowl since 1992 and draws 131.2 million viewers for the Baltimore Ravens win over the New York Giants, the most watched television program of the year.

Jan. 28, 2001 - "Survivor: The Australian Outback" premieres after the Super Bowl. It is one of the highest-rated premieres ever. It becomes the Number One primetime program for the 2000-01 season.

Feb. 2001 - Ken Venturi has worked as a commentator for CBS since 1968, making him the longest-tenured analyst in network sports television. He begins his 2001 schedule at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He retires June 2, 2002.

Feb. 21, 2001 - Infinity Broadcasting Corp. merges with Viacom as a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom.

April 1, 2001 - "60 Minutes" broadcasts its 1,500th program, the second program in history to reach this milestone. Only the Disney-named network entertainment programs on ABC, CBS, and NBC have more total broadcasts. 2001 marks "60 Minutes'" 33rd season, making it the longest continuously run primetime series in television history. This date also marks the broadcasts 3,159th original segment.

May 28, 2001 - "The Bold and the Beautiful" is the first daytime drama to offer Spanish-language audio feed through SAP (Secondary Audio Program) technology. The feed is available to more than 40 owned or affiliated CBS stations that have SAP technology.

July 28, 2001 - "The Young and the Restless" is the first daytime drama produced and broadcast in HDTV format.

Sept. 2001 - CBS Sports broadcasts the women's U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the first ever grand slam final in prime time with Venus and Serena Williams, it also marks the first time sisters have met for a grand slam final since 1884. Venus defeated Serena (6-2, 6-4).

Sept. 2001 - New series include "The Guardian" (which premieres Sept. 25) and "The Amazing Race" (which premieres Sept. 5 and wins an Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program for the 2002-2003 season).

Sept. 11, 2001 - CBS News coverage of the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania totals a record 93 hours and 8 minutes. The non-stop, commercial-free coverage began at 8:55 AM, ET, on Tuesday, Sept. 11, and concludes at 6:00 AM, ET on Saturday, Sept. 15. Dan Rather anchors 53 hours and 35 minutes of that coverage. Viacom cable outlets VH1, MTV, CMT, BET and MTV Latin America all carry CBS News' coverage. The CBS Television Network feed is made available to UPN television stations and affiliates.

Sept. 17, 2001 - David Letterman and the "Late Show" make an emotional return to the airwaves, one week after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11. CBS News' Dan Rather and Regis Philbin are guests.

Oct. 11, 2001 - "Survivor: Africa" premieres.

Nov. 2001 - "Hallmark Hall of Fame" celebrates its 50th television anniversary this year. CBS announces a new 3-year agreement that keeps "Hallmark Hall of Fame," television's longest-running and most-honored series of dramatic specials, exclusively on the Network through May 2005.

Nov. 2001 - CBS Sports' Lesley Visser is the first woman to serve as an analyst for an NFL game, joining the Westwood One/CBS Radio broadcast team.

Nov. 29, 2001 - Dan Rather's first report on the war in Afghanistan (2001). A Reporter's Notebook filed from Bahrain - broadcast on the "CBS Evening News." The trip to the region continues with reports for the "CBS Evening News," "The Early Show," weekend editions of the "CBS Evening News" and "60 Minutes II." Rather's first trip to Afghanistan is broadcast on "60 Minutes" on April 6, 1980 for a story entitled "Inside Afghanistan." His first report from Afghanistan was 11/30/01 (from Kabul).

Jan. 2002 - UPN joins CBS under Viacom's CBS Television unit, reporting directly to Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS. Moonves is the first person to run two broadcast networks simultaneously.

Feb. 28, 2002 - "Survivor: Marquesas" premieres.

March 10, 2002 - "9/11," a two-hour CBS Special Presentation, is broadcast. It features footage that French filmmakers Gedeon and Jules Naudet captured on Sept. 11, 2001 - when they were in lower Manhattan taping a documentary on the Engine 7, Ladder 1 firefighters. It includes the only known video of the first plane striking the World Trade Center - and follows the firefighters into the heart of what would soon be known as Ground Zero. It also features 45 minutes of footage from inside the North Tower as the rescue effort is underway - and dramatic scenes of escape in the minutes before the building collapses. It wins an Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Special (Informational) as well as a Peabody Award.

April 6, 2002 - CBS Television begins broadcasts of programming with video description for the visually impaired. The service is delivered via SAP (Secondary Audio Program) technology and is available on CBS owned television stations and CBS Television Network affiliates in the 25 largest markets, plus stations with SAP capability.

May 9, 2002 - For the first time, CBS names an outdoor area in someone's honor: The Bob Barker Promenade - the new name for part of CBS's main television studio, for the host of "The Price Is Right," Bob Barker. A time capsule is planted to commemorate the 30th season of "The Price Is Right," the longest-running game show in television history.

Sept. 2002 - An estimated 25.0 million viewers watched all-or-part of the 2002 Men's Final as Pete Sampras defeats Andre Agassi to capture his fifth U.S. Open title and 14th career grand slam title. This would mark Sampras' last match of his career.

Sept. 2002 - Former NFL quarterbacks Dan Marino and Boomer Esiason join host Jim Nantz and former NFL-Baseball star Deion Sanders as studio analysts for "The NFL Today" broadcast live from the outdoor set at 59th and Fifth and the indoor studio at the CBS Broadcast center in New York City.

Sept. 11, 2002 - CBS devotes the entire day's programming schedule to the anniversary of the terrorist attacks with "9/11: The Day That Changed America" (6:00 AM to 8:00 PM), "60 Minutes II" ("9/11: The President's Story") and an encore presentation of "CBS Special Presentation" "9/11," which was originally broadcast March 10, 2002.

Sept. 23, 2002 - CBS announces that it will distribute all primetime programming on the HDTV feeds. In addition to the scheduled HDTV productions, CBS will also provide upconverted versions of non-HDTV programming (news magazines, reality shows, specials). This is done in an effort to reduce the amount of local affiliate switching during primetime hours.

Fall 2002 - New series premiering include "CSI: Miami" (on Sept. 23), "Without a Trace" (on Sept. 26), "Hack" (on Sept. 27), "Still Standing" (on Sept. 30) and "Survivor: Thailand" (on Sept. 19).

Feb. 13, 2003 - "Survivor: The Amazon" premieres.

Feb. 23, 2003 - "The 45th Annual Grammy Awards" is the first major awards show to be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound.

Feb. 26, 2003 - "60 Minutes II" broadcasts Dan Rather's world exclusive interview with Iraqi president Saddam Hussein as the United States seems headed for war. It is the first interview of Hussein by an American reporter in more than a decade.

March 19, 2003 - The war with Iraq begins with the U.S. bombing of a Baghdad bunker in which it is believed Saddam Hussein may be staying. Extensive coverage follows over the next three weeks, including live reports from CBS News correspondents "embedded" with U.S. troops, an experiment in which the Pentagon allowed journalists to travel with and report on U.S. combat forces.

March 19, 2003 - CBS Radio News is the first on the radio airwaves with news that the war has begun, feeding continuous coverage to over 500 stations, including Infinity stations affiliated with the Network.

March 20, 2003 - CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod, embedded with the U.S. Army's Third Infantry Division, is believed to be the first journalist in Iraq to file a live report of ground troops engaged in combat. In April, Axelrod is the first journalist to send live images from the tarmac of the Baghdad airport moments after coalition forces take control.

April 2003 - Leslie Moonves named Chairman and CEO, CBS.

April 9, 2003 - CBS News Correspondents Lara Logan, Byron Pitts, John Roberts report on the fall of Baghdad. As Logan describes the jubilation of Iraqis at the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein in one part of Baghdad, Pitts is broadcasting from a live firefight between U.S. and Iraqi forces in another part of the city.

June 4, 2003 - "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" becomes the first crime drama to be Number One in a television season. The series is CBS's third primetime drama to be Number One in a season, following "Gunsmoke" and "Dallas." "CSI" is only the eighth drama in television history to finish the season as the top program.

July 2003 - CBS Sports broadcasts the final stage of the Tour de France, as American Lance Armstrong becomes the first person to win five consecutive titles, and ties as only the third man to win the Tour de France five times. Coverage of the Tour de France wins three Sports Emmys since the event returned to CBS.

July 15, 2003 - The oldest continuous nationwide radio broadcast in America is "Music and the Spoken Word." The Mormon Tabernacle Choir honors Charles Osgood, the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One (on July 2) for theirs contributions to the longevity of the spoken word broadcast as the Choir officially kicks-off 75 years of its weekly program.

Sept. 2003 - New series include "Joan of Arcadia" (premieres Sept. 26), "Cold Case" (premieres Sept. 28), "Two and a Half Men" (premieres Sept. 22), "Navy NCIS" (premieres Sept. 23), "The Handler" (premieres Sept. 26) and "Survivor: Pearl Islands" (premieres Sept. 18).

Sept. 28, 2003 - "60 Minutes" celebrates its 35th season on the air and its 1,632nd broadcast (including repeats) in prime time, a record for continuously produced programs. (Its debut was Sept. 24, 1968.) The program's three new segments brings the total to 3,389, and Andy Rooney's commentary is his 839th.

Data for this timeline was compiled from the CBS "Columbine" special history issue of 1974; The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 to Present by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, copyright 2003; and As It Happened: A Memoir by William S. Paley, Famous First Facts (3rd Edition).

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