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2008 in American television

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In American television in 2008, notable events included television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.

Notable events

January

DateEvent24727
An interim agreement between Worldwide Pants Incorporated and the Writers Guild of America allows the Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, both on CBS, to return with their full writing staffs, in spite of the ongoing WGA strike. By contrast, NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Last Call with Carson Daly and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which are all produced by their respective networks, went back on the air without writers (except for Jay Leno, who writes his own material).
Jason Luna become the program's first (and only) $1,000,000 winner in the NBC's game show 1 vs. 100 during the program's second-season premiere titled Battle of the Sexes.
Due to the writers strike, it is announced that plans to hold the 65th Golden Globe Awards ceremony will be scrapped. A press conference that announced the winners is substituted for the program, and NBC, which would have broadcast the ceremony, airs Golden Globe-related programming in its place.
Discovery Times was renamed "Investigation Discovery". In addition to the television network, an Investigation Discovery website was also launched. Contributors to the website include crime writers David Lohr, Corey Mitchell, and Gary C. King.

February

DateEvent234891722242529
VH1 Uno is discontinued by MTV Networks to expand distribution of mtvU beyond college campuses and onto regular cable systems.
Fox's telecast of Super Bowl XLII surpasses Super Bowl XXX as the most-watched Super Bowl game on television (up to this point), and the most-watched program in the network's history. It also becomes the second most-watched television program trailing the 1983 MASH* series finale and the highest-rated telecast in Nielsen ratings since Super Bowl XXXIV.
url=http://www.prweekus.com/Animal-Planet-presents-new-face-to-the-world/article/104257title=Animal Planet presents new face to the worldwork=PR Weekdate=January 16, 2008last=Brunefirst=Adrianaccess-date=February 2, 2008}} As part of the relaunch, Animal Planet replaced its elephant and spinning globe logo for a starker text image that allows more flexibility in its usage.
The Mr. Men Show debuts on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. Based on the British book series of Mr. Men Little Miss.
The CW Television Network and the WWE announced that WWE Friday Night SmackDown would leave the CW primetime schedule at the end of the 2007–2008 season. The news stepped in after negotiations between the CW and WWE failed to reach a deal to keep the show on the CW lineup. Three weeks later on February 26, MyNetworkTV announced that they would pick up the program and would add it to its lineup in September.
Both the Writers Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reach a tentative deal resolving the strike. Members vote three days later to end the strike.
The conversion of NTSC analog channels to DT channels using the ATSC system begins in the United States, with TV stations making last-minute filings and their intentions about when they will start their switchover ahead of the February 17, 2009, mandatory date. Also, the US government starts mailing out (USD)$40.00 coupons/rebates to consumers to use in buying DTV converters before the switchover.
In a two-hour television film, Knight Rider returned to NBC with a new KITT being portrayed as a black 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang and voiced by actor Val Kilmer.
Adam Rose become the first $1,000,000 winner in Drew Carey's first primetime episode of The Price is Right on CBS. At $1,153,908 cash & prizes won, Rose surpassed Joanne Segeviano's winnings of A$664,667 (about $406,274.45; or $475,593 by Inflation as of ) from the Australian version as the franchise's largest winnings record in the show's history. Until James Holzhauer's Jeopardy! appearance in 2019, Rose was placed in the top ten largest game show winners in history until April 24, 2019 (Holzhauer's total game show career winnings at the time after the episode was $1,193,508.33 (including J!'s career winnings of $1,135,175; Holzhauer's final winnings were $2,464,216 after his defeat on his 33rd game on June 3, and $3,022,549 as of Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament, the latter currently was placed third in the top ten list)).
ABC's telecast of the 80th Academy Awards draws record-low ratings in the history of the ceremony's telecast surpassing the ratings from the ceremony that took place in 2003. 31.76 million on average watched the show over its entire run with a Nielsen rating of 18.66 households watching.
Fox News Channel rebrands its Fox News Live and Weekend Live telecasts as America's Election Headquarters, a news program related to the 2008 presidential election. The weekday edition replaces The Big Story in the 5 p.m. timeslot. The Fox News Live name would still be used for headline segments through November.
CBS's soap opera Guiding Light unveils a new opening for the town of Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, while still filming in New York City, New York.

March

DateEvent710152027
Michael Hanes, a former contestant on Press Your Luck, wins $1,127,062 on a prime-time episode of The Price is Right on CBS.
title=FSNY to be renamed MSG Plusurl=http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-spmedia265592087feb26,0,661191.column?track=rssauthor=Neil Bestnewspaper=Newsdaypublisher=Cablevision Systems Corporationdate=February 26, 2008access-date=February 26, 2008archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080426204438/http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-spmedia265592087feb26,0,661191.columnarchive-date=April 26, 2008df=mdy-all}}
Laurie Dhue, anchor of Fox Report Weekend, leaves Fox News Channel after opting not to renew her contract. She is replaced by Julie Banderas, co-anchor of America's Election Headquarters on weekends.
As part of that same rebranding effort, The History Channel dropped "The" and "Channel" from its name to become simply "History".
WNBC/New York City, NBC's flagship station, scraps the scheduled airing of Access Hollywood in favor of an infomercial for Lend America. Station GM Frank Comerford resigned in the wake of the controversy and the station management apologized a day after the incident. 6 days after the incident, the station restored the "4 New York" branding for non-news programming and News 4 New York for news programming.

April

DateEvent471728
In CBS, Cynthia Azevedo became the third and final $1,000,000 winner (the only winner who won the $1,000,000 bonus from a Pricing Game, Clock Game) on a prime-time episode of The Price is Right with a total winning of $1,089,017. Another contestant from the same episode won an $87,910 Dodge Viper on Golden Road, and this was the game's last win until December 23, 2014. Price would later cancel the $1,000,000 spectacular on May 7 due to budget.
Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks defeat John Calipari's Memphis Tigers 75–68 at the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and celebrate their victory in front of a national television audience on CBS.
On F, former American Idol contestant Kimberley Locke became the first contestant in history to attempt, but unsuccessfully, the final level ($1,000,000 song; Ringo Starr's You're Sixteen) in the game show Don't Forget the Lyrics! and left with $100,000 that was raised for Camp Heartland. Locke, however, announced after the game that she would raise the $400,000 that she risked earlier along with the help of host Wayne Brady.
The WB Television Network, a former television channel launches again as an online website only.

May

DateEvent11162124
On CBS, former model Parvati Shallow was announced the winner of Survivor: Micronesia. It was also announced that the next season will be filmed in high definition.
The ABC drama series Brothers & Sisters airs its second season finale, which depicts the wedding of Kevin Walker and Scotty Wandell. Although it is the ninth same-sex wedding ceremony to be portrayed on American network television, it is the first same-sex wedding of series regulars on an American television series.
The Wilmington, North Carolina television market is selected by the FCC to be the first television market in the United States to sign off their analog channels for ATSC early, starting September 8.
On Fox, David Cook became the seventh winner of American Idol.
After over thirteen years, Kids' WB, The CW's children's programming block, ceases airing and becomes The CW4Kids when the network sells the air time to Grupo Clarin (through its subsidiary Kids WB was shut down 4Kids Entertainment). (Kids' WB, like The WB Television Network that the block originated, then relaunches as an online-only video on demand service.)
Superstation WGN changed its name to WGN America (initially, the use of the new name was limited to on-air promotions, as the Superstation WGN channel IDs remained in place). The new WGN America name and logo went into full-time use on May 26, 2008. The new logo was also the first used by the superstation feed to not incorporate WGN-TV's on-air logo branding in some capacity (the "WGN" text was similar in resemblance, although the "G" was not formed into an ovular arrow as it is in WGN-TV's logo), and its design featured the eyes of a female, which was used alongside the new slogan "TV You Can't Ignore".

June

DateEvent14171928
A large fire damages portions of Universal Studios Hollywood near Los Angeles, south of Burbank where NBC's soap opera Days of Our Lives is filmed.
Facing increased competition in the home-oriented programming sector, Discovery Communications planned a 24-hour channel focused on eco-friendly living in an attempt to capitalize on a rising environmental movement. Discovery Home was relaunched as the environmentally-themed Planet Green at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Game 6 of the NBA Finals is broadcast on ABC. The Boston Celtics won their 17th world championship, and first since 1986, against the longtime rivals Los Angeles Lakers. Paul Pierce was awarded the Finals MVP. A memorable post-game interview had a very emotional Kevin Garnett claiming out loud that "anything is possible".
Big Ten Network and Comcast announced a carriage agreement deal. The channel was added to Comcast on August 15.
The first episode of Saturday Night Live is rerun on NBC following the death of first host George Carlin, who died six days earlier on June 22.

July

DateEvent721
The Jewelry Channel, a U.S. home shopping service that was shown mostly on DirecTV and Dish Network, launches a going-out-of-business sale for its remaining items that was shown on the channel that would last until December 1. From December 1 onwards, TJC is now doing business as The Liquidation Channel.
MGM Television and Weigel Broadcasting announce the launching of a new broadcast network designed for digital subchannels in the United States called This TV.
Film critic Richard Roeper announces that he will be leaving the syndicated movie review show At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper after he and Disney-ABC Domestic Television did not reach an agreement on a new contract, with his last show airing the weekend of August 16. Roger Ebert (who had been sidelined from the program for two years due to various cancer surgeries) announced that he would also be no longer be associated with the program after Disney had decided to take the show in a different direction. The following day, Disney announced that E! Entertainment's Ben Lyons and Turner Classic Movies' Ben Mankiewicz would take over as the new hosts of the newly-titled At the Movies beginning the week of September 6-7.

August

DateEvent167811282931
Bowing to concerns by the Fox network over its Mexican-based operations, XETV, its affiliate in San Diego licensed to Tijuana, Mexico, swaps affiliations with CW affiliate KSWB-TV.
Disney-ABC Television Group announced they would close Toon Disney in early 2009 and replace it with Disney XD, which would be aimed at kids from ages 6 and up.
The Florence/Myrtle Beach, South Carolina television market gets its first-ever NBC affiliate, WMBF-TV. This move also gives Florence/Myrtle Beach in-market affiliates of all four major commercial networks.
After 50 years of being served by WTAE-TV/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Wheeling-Steubenville and Clarksburg-Fairmont TV markets get their first full-time ABC affiliates (as well as in-market affiliates of all four major commercial networks), as CBS affiliate WTRF/Wheeling, West Virginia adds an ABC affiliate on its DT3 subchannel and sister station & NBC affiliate WBOY-TV/Clarksburg, West Virginia does the same on its DT2 subchannel. Both stations had been ABC secondary affiliates in the past.
Sesame Street is broadcast in HD for the first time.
ESPNU launches its HD version to only five American cable television or satellite carriers.
After 10 years on the air, PBS pulls Teletubbies off the PBS Kids block. The show remains off the air until 2015.
Big Ten Network reached carriage deal agreements with Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Brighthouse Networks, Mediacom and Cox Communications, ending the "cable carriage controversies" that the network had in its first year of existence. The network is now on all major cable TV systems in The Big Ten Region.

September

DateEvent1481520212326
Music: High Definition (MHD) is renamed Palladia.
PBS Kids re-brands its idents and promos, which are created by Primal Screen; Primal Screen had produced promotional elements for PBS Kids since 2000.
Jessica Robinson become the program's first (of two) $1,000,000 winner in NBC's Deal or No Deal during the Million Dollar Mission special. Nearly two months later on October 29, Winnow "Tomorrow" Rodriquez became the second $1,000,000 winner after Rodriquez opened the last non-million briefcase before the final deal.
Stand Up to Cancer, an event designed to raise cancer awareness, airs on ABC, CBS, NBC and E! in the United States, and on CTV, Citytv and Global in Canada.
Then-Georgian superintendent Kathy Cox became the program's first (of two) $1,000,000 winner in FOX's game show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?.
The Wilmington, North Carolina television market officially becomes the first TV market in the United States to have all of its stations broadcast exclusively in digital, using the ATSC system.
The 26th season of Wheel of Fortune premiered with a new wedge introduced from the Australian version where contestants acquiring said wedge can win up to $1,000,000 in the bonus round, replacing with the usual $100,000 top prize. Its first such bonus round did not occur until October 3, and was not won until the October 14 episode. The first top prize loss happened on April 2, 2015.
WTMJ-TV/Milwaukee drops almost all syndicated programming except for Better and weekend niche programs in late night, featuring a lineup that consists of local news (including a four-hour afternoon news block from 3 to 7 pm, a first in the United States Central Time Zone) and NBC programming.
After 11 years of run on the Cartoon Network, the successful action-adventure block, Toonami, has been canceled, effective 11 pm EST and later it returned in 2012.
The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards broadcasts on ABC.
The pilot episode of The Mentalist airs on CBS.
Programming block Ready Set Learn! ends on TLC and children's programming are moved over to Discovery Kids. It would be re-branded as The Hub two years later.
Senators McCain and Obama participate in the first of three presidential debates with Jim Lehrer moderating.

October

DateEvent271014151720242529
Gwen Ifill moderates the vice presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden which ends up being the most watched vice presidential debate of all time.
NBC announces that NBC Weather Plus would sign off at the end of the year.
McCain and Obama participate in the second presidential debate at Belmont University with Tom Brokaw moderating.
Jeopardy! veteran Ken Jennings won $500,000 in the FOX's game show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? though he chose not to risk his $475,000 winnings to attempt the $1,000,000 question (in which he answered correctly); with the total winnings accounted to $3,623,414.29, Jennings, for the first time since 2005, surpassed Brad Rutter's (another Jeopardy! veteran and then-current All-time champion) record of $3,455,102 as the biggest game show winner in the history of American and international television, a record which he would hold till this day (Jennings' record was surpassed by Rutter between May 16, 2014, after the finals of Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades until January 14, 2020, on Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time).
Michelle Lowenstein became the first $1,000,000 winner in the game show Wheel of Fortune. At $1,026,080 in cash & prizes won, Lowenstein surpassed Peter Argyropolous and Deborah Cohen's all-time winnings record of $146,529 back in February 1996, and Christine Denos and Jack Wagner's single-day record of $142,550 on February 28, 2006, to become the largest single-day winner in the show's history until on May 30, 2013, where another contestant Autumn Erhard (who won $1,030,340) surpassed Lowenstein's total.
Bob Schieffer of CBS News moderates the final presidential debate between senators John McCain and Barack Obama.
United States Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota 6th) makes headlines when she asks for an investigation into whether members of the United States Congress are anti-American during a live interview on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews.
CBS announces it has signed an affiliation deal with ABC affiliate WENY-TV in Elmira, New York, giving the Elmira-Corning market both its first locally based CBS affiliate and in-market affiliates of all four major commercial networks. The affiliation takes effect on cable on February 17, 2009 (when WENY-TV requests a flash-cut from analog to digital broadcasting), and over-the-air on WENY-DT2 at the end of May (when WENY-TV performs its flash-cut).
Barack Obama airs a 30-minute infomercial that airs on CBS, NBC, Fox, BET, Univision, MSNBC and TV One. The infomercial is seen by 33.6 million viewers.
K07YM in Bend, Oregon, a translator of CBS affiliate KOIN in Portland, Oregon, is converted to a stand-alone station as KBNZ-LD, giving the Bend market both its first-ever CBS affiliate and in-market affiliates of all four major commercial networks.
Game 5 of the World Series is broadcast on Fox. The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the team's first title since 1980 and second in franchise history. This marked the end of the Curse of Billy Penn.

November

DateEvent14517192029
Cookie Jar Toons/This is for Kids debuts on This TV.
CNN becomes the first channel in history to use hologram technology on television, during the 2008 United States Presidential Election. CNN's Jessica Yellin became the first person to be transmitted via hologram, followed by Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.
At the end of the 2008 presidential election, Fox News Channel rebrands America's Election Headquarters as America's News Headquarters. Also, the headline segments now use that name.
Kathy Cox, who earlier appeared in Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? as the first $1,000,000 winner on September 4, along with his husband, declared Chapter 7 Bankruptcy because of a $3.5 million debt that came from the failure of her husband's home construction business. Fidelity Investments, who's responsible for charging a fund for the donor schools, donated the winnings back to Fox in December 2008 from the schools and placed the $1,000,000 prize won in a limbo that would not benefit anyone.
Flint, Michigan PBS member station WFUM-TV (a.k.a. Michigan Television) permanently turns off its analog signal and begins broadcasting exclusively in digital, 9 months before the federally mandated analog shut off date of June 12, 2009, becoming the first station in its market, as well as the first PBS station in Michigan, to do so.
The CW announces that it has terminated its Sunday night deal with Media Rights Capital. At the end of the season, the network returns its Sunday night programming time to its local affiliates.
To settle a court dispute between itself and rival NBC affiliate WLIO, Metro Video Productions, owners of three low-power stations in Lima, Ohio (Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate WOHL-CA, CBS affiliate WLMO-LP, and ABC affiliate WLQP-LP), sells all three stations to West Central Ohio Broadcasting, a division of Block Communications (parent company of WLIO). The dispute stems from Fox's plans in late 2007 to leave WOHL-CA and enter into talks to join a digital subchannel of full-power WLIO, despite WOHL-CA outrating WLIO in primetime. The sale is finalized on February 5, 2009.

December

DateEvent1347816272931
WBQC-CA/Cincinnati, Ohio asks the FCC permission to change its callsign to WKRP in honor of the television series that was set in the city.
The 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is broadcast on CBS. 8.7 million people tune in.
For the first time ever, a live music special is used to announce the nominees for the 51st Grammy Awards. As usual for the Grammies, the special is broadcast by CBS.
In CBS, siblings Nicholas "Nick" Spangler and Emily "Starr" Spangler won the thirteenth season of the five-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning reality show The Amazing Race, with a record of becoming the youngest winning team in the show's history, and a record seven legs won in one season (which would later tie with the winners of the fifteenth season nearly a year later) until the twentieth season, where it was first surpassed by winners Rachel & Dave Brown Jr. with eight legs in May 2012 (tying Rovilson Fernanzes & Marc Nelson's record of eight legs from The Amazing Race Asia 2 in last year, and Tom & Tyler later on The Amazing Race Australia 4 in November 2019).
HD versions of Comcast's cable channels The Style Network, E! Entertainment Television and G4 launch. Golf Channel and Versus also break apart from their combined HD network to full simulcasts of their regular schedule on separate HD networks.
The Tribune Company, owners of WGN-TV/Chicago and KTLA/Los Angeles, among other properties, files for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Contestant Terry Kniess became the first contestant to achieve a perfect showcase bid on The Price is Right by guessing the exact price ($23,743) of the showcase he was offered, amid allegations of cheating.
After over eighteen years, Fox drops children's programming. Its final children's programming block, 4Kids TV, goes off the air, and 4Kids Entertainment directs its programming to The CW4Kids, the block it programs for The CW. 4Kids TV would later launch as an online-only website on the same day.
After four years, Adult Swim adds an hour to its operating day (the block, which used to begin at 11:00 p.m., now starts at 10:00 p.m. and runs to 6:00 a.m.)
Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks announce they are no longer carrying Viacom channels unless they come to an agreement with Viacom. They come to an agreement at the last minute.
NBC Weather Plus is shut down.

Programs

Debuts

The following is a list of shows that premiered in 2008.

DateShowNetwork
January 6
January 8
January 8
January 9
January 12
January 13
January 14
January 20
January 23
January 25
January 28
January 31
February 4
Welcome to The Captain
February 7
Lipstick Jungle
Ni Hao, Kai-lan
February 18
February 24
March 2
March 4
March 8
March 10
March 14
March 16
March 18
March 30
April 1
April 12
April 16
April 18
April 22
The Big Green Help
April 26
Farmer Wants a Wife
May 2
May 14
May 26
Living Lohan
June 1
June 5
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
June 11
June 15
June 21
June 24
Wipeout
Atom TV
June 27
Three Delivery
July 1
July 6
July 9
July 10
July 11
Queen Bees
July 13
July 14
July 15
July 21
Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire
July 23
July 29
August 3
August 4
August 15
August 18
August 21
September 1
Martha Speaks
Sid the Science Kid
September 2
September 3
September 6
September 7
True Blood
Wunderkind Little Amadeus
September 8
The Doctors
The Rachel Maddow Show
September 9
Fringe
September 10
September 15
September 22
Judge Jeanine Pirro
September 23
Opportunity Knocks
The Mentalist
September 24
CBS
September 26
September 27
September 28
September 30
October 3
The Secret Saturdays
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
You Are Here
October 4
Making Fiends
October 5
In Harm's Way
Valentine
October 6
Worldfocus
October 7
October 8
October 9
Kath & Kim
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday
Life on Mars
Testees
October 10
October 11
Zane's Sex Chronicles
October 13
Unsolved Mysteries
October 15
October 17
Crusoe
Ghost Adventures
Jane Velez-Mitchell
October 18
Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling
October 20
Real Chance of Love
Scream Queens
October 22
October 25
October 27
October 30
November 1
November 2
November 5
November 8
Tasty Time with ZeFronk
November 14
November 29
December 6
December 7
December 9
December 16
December 29
The City

Entering syndication this year

ShowSeasonsIn ProductionSource
Boston Legal
CSI: NY
Desperate Housewives
Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Monk
Punk'd
Storm Stories

Changes of network affiliation

ShowMoved fromMoved to
MaisyNogginQubo
The Zula PatrolPBS Kids
Franny's FeetPBS Kids Sprout
1st and 10ESPNESPN2
The ContenderVersus
Emeril LiveFood NetworkFine Living
Friday Night LightsNBCThe 101 Network
High School ReunionThe WBTV Land
Inside the NFLHBOShowtime
Phineas and FerbDisney ChannelToon Disney (second-run airings)
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
The Whitest Kids U' KnowFuseIFC
Jon & Kate Plus 8Discovery Health ChannelTLC
Nashville StarUSANBC
FuturamaFox, TBS, and Adult SwimComedy Central
Paradise HotelFoxMyNetworkTV
WWE Friday Night SmackDownThe CW
World Poker TourTravel Channel and GSNGSN and Fox Sports Net
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles4KidsTVThe CW4Kids
Viva Piñata
The Spectacular Spider-ManKids' WB
Johnny TestCartoon Network
Skunk Fu!
Legion of Super Heroes
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!
Tom and Jerry Tales
Unsolved MysteriesLifetimeSpike
Mr. MeatyNickelodeonNicktoons
My Life as a Teenage Robot

Returning this year

ShowPrevious networkLast airedNew TitleNew networkReturning
Paradise Hotel
Bratz
My Life as a Teenage Robot
Futurama
The Bachelorette
The Mole
ChalkZone
The Batman
Knight Rider

Ending this year

DateShowChannelDebutStatus
January 6I Love New YorkVH12007Cancelled
January 7Higglytown HeroesPlayhouse Disney2004
January 15SeeMore's PlayhousePBS Kids2006
January 18Game HeadCartoon Network2005
January 21Codename: Kids Next Door2002
January 23The Land Before Time2007
Power of 10CBS
January 24Big ShotsABC
January 30Crowned: The Mother of All PageantsThe CW
February 1Star JonesTruTV
February 3Life Is WildAnimal Planet
February 4Animal Precinct2001
February 8Flash GordonSci-Fi2007
February 11Notes from the UnderbellyABC
GirlfriendsThe CW2000
February 15Las VegasNBC2003
February 20Cashmere MafiaABC2008
February 221 vs. 100 (returned in 2010)NBC2006
The Big StorySyndication2001
February 24CW NowThe CW2007
Fox News Live (returned in 2021)Fox News1999
Weekend Live2002
February 26BratzFox2005
February 29About a GirlNoggin2007
March 3Welcome to The CaptainCBS
March 8The BatmanKids' WB2004
March 9My Fair BradyVH12005
QuarterlifeVH12008
The WireHBO2002Ended
March 10October RoadABC2007Cancelled
March 14TuckerMSNBC2005
March 15Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!Kids' WB2006
Control Room PresentsMyNetworkTV2007
March 21WilburDiscovery Kids
The Return of Jezebel JamesFox2008
March 22Tom and Jerry TalesKids' WB2006
March 23Frisky DingoAdult Swim
March 24The Salt-N-Pepa ShowVH12007
March 25JerichoCBS2006
March 27Camp LazloCartoon Network2005
March 28In the Loop with iVillageIVillage2006
March 29How Much Is Enough?GSN2008
March 30UnhitchedFox
April 3Miss GuidedABC2008
April 5Legion of Super HeroesKids' WB2006
April 7My Dad Is Better Than Your DadNBC2008
April 8Secret Talents of the StarsCBS
April 11AmnesiaNBC
April 13DirtFX2007
April 14New AmsterdamFox2008
April 15Ben 10Cartoon Network2005
Rob & BigMTV2006
April 16Human Giant2007
April 17Atomic BettyCartoon Network2004
April 18Canterbury's LawFox2008
April 20Oprah's Big GiveABC
April 23Pussycat Dolls PresentThe CW2007
April 27John AdamsHBO2008
April 28High School ConfidentialWe TV
April 29The RichesFX2007
May 2Zoey 101Nickelodeon2005
May 9Merv Griffin's CrosswordsSyndication2007
May 13Beauty and the GeekThe CW2005
Women's Murder ClubABC2007
May 14Back to YouFox
May 15Lil' BushMTV
May 16MoonlightCBS
The Montel Williams ShowSyndication1991
May 18Aliens in AmericaThe CW2007
May 19Life of RyanMTV
Paradise Hotel (returned in 2019)MyNetworkTV2003
May 20SharkCBS2006
May 23Judge HatchettSyndication2000
Temptation2007
May 24Showtime at the Apollo (returned in 2018)1987
May 25Class of 3000Cartoon Network2006
May 26Flavor of LoveVH1
WildfireABC Family2005
May 29Out of Jimmy's HeadCartoon Network2007
May 30WWE HeatWWE1998
May 31Space Ghost Coast to CoastCartoon Network1994
June 10ToddWorldDiscovery Kids2004
Work OutBravo2006
June 11Men in TreesABC2006
June 13America's Pulse with E.D. HillSyndication2007
June 14World of QuestKids' WB2008
June 18The Zula PatrolPBS Kids2005
June 21Growing Up CreepieDiscovery Kids2006
June 25Farmer Wants a Wife (returned in 2023)The CW2008
June 26I Love the New MillenniumVH12008
June 28EnduranceDiscovery Kids2002
July 1Signing Time!Syndication2002
July 4Just InFox News2008
July 5The Future Is WildDiscovery Kids2007
July 6Assy McGeeAdult Swim2006
July 11Dance MachineABC2008
July 16Celebrity CircusNBC
July 19Avatar: The Last AirbenderNickelodeon2005
July 23Mind of MenciaComedy Central
July 25DuelABC2007
July 27Living LohanE!2008
July 29Celebrity Family Feud (returned in 2015)NBC2008
August 4American GladiatorsNBC2008
August 7PassionsThe 101 Network1999
August 11The MoleABC2001
August 13Click and Clack's As the Wrench TurnsPBS2008
August 17All Grown Up!Nickelodeon2003
ShootoutAMC
Code MonkeysG42007
Fat Guy Stuck in InternetAdult Swim
August 23Just JordanNickelodeon2007
ChalkZone2002
August 24Generation KillHBO2008
August 29Queen BeesThe N
August 30Disney Channel GamesDisney Channel2006
September 1The Suite Life of Zack & Cody2005
September 5SwingtownCBS2008
Judge Maria LopezSyndication2006
Northwest Afternoon1984
September 10Greatest American DogCBS2008
September 12Cory in the HouseDisney Channel2007
September 13El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny RiveraNickelodeon
The Planet's Funniest AnimalsAnimal Planet1999
September 16Must Love KidsTLC2008
September 18WaysideNickelodeon2007
September 20Kappa MikeyNicktoons2006
E!'s Pam: Girl on the Loose!E!2008
September 24Do Not DisturbFox
September 26Fried DynamiteCartoon Network2007
September 27My Family's Got GutsNickelodeon2008
October 2MTV's Top Pop GroupMTV
October 3Outsiders InnCMT
October 11TutensteinDiscovery Kids2003
October 14Opportunity KnocksABC2008
October 21General Hospital: Night Shift2007
The Janice Dickinson Modeling AgencyOxygen2006
October 22Jurassic Fight ClubHistory2008
October 24The Ex ListCBS2008
October 25America's Toughest JobsNBC2008
Bindi the Jungle GirlDiscovery Kids2007
October 26In Harm's WayThe CW2008
October 30Edgar & EllenNicktoons2007
November 1Making Fiends2008
November 3Power Rangers Jungle FuryJetix and Toon Disney2008
November 8Rap CityBET1989
November 133-2-1 Penguins!Qubo2006
November 16Total Request Live (returned in 2017)MTV1998
November 20The Emperor's New SchoolDisney Channel2006
Tim Gunn's Guide to StyleE!2007
November 25The ShieldFX2002Ended
November 27My Gym Partner's a MonkeyCartoon Network2005Cancelled
December 6Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship WrestlingCMT2008
HorselandCookie Jar TV2006
Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-lot2007
DinoSquad
December 7Rugrats Pre-School DazeNickelodeon2008
December 8Boston LegalABC2004Ended
December 12South of NowhereThe N2005Cancelled
December 13Trading Spaces (returned in 2018)TLC2000
December 15My Own Worst EnemyNBC2008
December 17Chocolate NewsComedy Central
StylistaThe CW
December 18TesteesFX
DragonflyTVPBS Kids2002
Moral OrelAdult Swim2005
December 21NextMTV
BrotherhoodShowtime2006
December 24The Black CarpetNBC

Made-for-TV movies

Date of airingTitleChannel
January 25
February 17
March 16
April 20
June 6
June 8
June 20
July 13
July 19
August 22
September 6
September 12
October 12
October 18
Living Proof
November 8
November 27
December 5

Miniseries

PremiereTitleChannel
March 16
May 26
July 13
November 16

Networks and services

Network launches

NetworkTypeLaunch dateNotesSource
Kentucky ChannelOver-the-air multicast (Kentucky only)January 1A public television service provided by the Kentucky Educational Television network, the channel is devoted to Kentucky-related programming from several sources, including the statewide PBS member's vast in-house production archives.
HuluOTT streamingMarch 12
Pursuit ChannelCable and satellite
Over-the-air multicast (in some markets)April 23Airs programming centered on outdoor sports, hunting, and fishing
LAT TVCable televisionMay 20
SWX Right NowRegional cable-only/over-the-air multicastAugust 30A regional network providing high school and college sporting events and weather information throughout central and western Montana, the Idaho Panhandle, and eastern Washington state, by way of digital subchannels of several Cowles Company-owned stations.
This TVOver-the-air multicastNovember 1Announced on July 21, it is a premium movie channel for over-the-air stations designed for digital subchannels. It originally launched in a joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weigel Broadcasting.
My Family TVCable televisionDecember 15
The Ski ChannelCable and satelliteDecember 25

Conversions and rebrandings

Old network nameNew network nameTypeConversion dateNotesSource
CourtTVTruTVCable televisionJanuary 1,2008
Discovery TimesInvestigation DiscoveryCable and satelliteJanuary 27,2008
College Sports TelevisionCBS College Sports NetworkCable televisionMarch 16,2008
BBC WorldBBC World NewsCable televisionApril 21
Discovery Home ChannelPlanet GreenCable televisionJune 4
World Championship Sports NetworkUniversal SportsCable televisionJune 16
Music: High DefinitionPalladiaCable televisionSeptember 1
The Prayer ChannelNew Evangelization TelevisionCable televisionDecember 8

Network closures

NetworkTypeLaunch dateClosure dateNotesSource
VH1 UnoCable/satellite network2000February 2, 2008
Shop at Home NetworkCable/satellite and over-the-air network1987March 8, 2008
International ChannelCable television1990April 9, 2008
NBC Weather PlusCable/satellite and over-the-air multicastNovember 15, 2004December 31, 2008

Television stations

Station launches

DateCity of License/MarketStationChannelAffiliationNotes/Ref.
January 15Corpus Christi, TexasKUQI38Independent
February 18Gainesville, Georgia (Atlanta)WGGD-LD15Daystar
April 28Fayetteville, ArkansasKHOG-DT229.2The CW Plus
Fort Smith, ArkansasKHBS-DT240.2
May 7Wilmington, North CarolinaWWAY-DT23.2Independent (local weather)
May 28Memphis, TennesseeWTWV23.1Religious independent
July 8Tulsa, OklahomaKXAP-LP14Spanish independent
August 1Wheeling, West VirginiaWTRF-DT37.2ABC
August 7Florence, South CarolinaWMBF-TV32NBC
August 8Clarksburg/Fairmont, West VirginiaWBOY-DT212.2ABC
Wheeling, West Virginia
(Steubenville, Ohio)WTRF-DT37.3
October 25Bend, OregonKBNZ-LD7.1CBSConverted from a former translator of KOIN/Portland
November 27Great Falls, MontanaKFBB-DT25.2Fox
December 27Hibbing, MinnesotaWRPT31PBSSatellite of WDSE/Duluth
December 31Gainesville, FloridaWNBW-DT9.1NBC
Unknown dateHattiesburg, MississippiWDAM-DT27.2This TV
Jonesboro, ArkansasKAIT-DT28.2Independent (Local weather)
Key West, FloridaWEYW-LP19Independent
Nashville, TennesseeWKRN-DT22.2Independent (Local weather)Nashville WX Channel
Tupelo, MississippiWTVA-DT29.2FamilyNet

Network affiliation changes

DateCity of License/MarketStationChannelOld affiliationNew affiliationNotes/Ref.
February 4Corpus Christi, TexasKUQI38IndependentFox
August 1San Diego, CaliforniaKSWB-TV69.1The CWFox
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
(San Diego, California)XETV-TV6.1FoxThe CW
December 31Charlottesville, VirginiaWVIR-DT229.2NBC Weather PlusIndependent (local weather)
Unknown dateMarquette, MichiganWLUC-DT26.2NBC Weather PlusUniversal Sports

Station closures

DateCity of license/MarketStationChannelAffiliationSign-on dateNotes
January 25Havre, MontanaKBBJ9NBCJanuary 2, 2001Satellite of KTVH-DT/Helena, Montana
Lewistown, MontanaKBAO13January 3, 2001
May 25Walla Walla, WashingtonKCWK9The CWMarch 23, 2001 (as KBKI)
September 30Rockford, IllinoisWCFC-CA51Total Living NetworkMarch 6, 1986 (as W68BR)
Unknown dateOntario, OregonKMDA-LP19America OneSeptember 18, 1985

Births

DateNameNotability
January 3
March 14
May 29
July 15
August 1
August 5
August 6
September 17
October 10
October 24
November 3
December 11
December 22

Deaths

DateNameAgeclass="unsortable"Notability
January 6
January 15
January 17
January 18
January 19
January 22
January 24
February 1
February 4
February 6
February 10
Roy Scheider
Steve Gerber
February 12
February 14
February 18
February 27
William F. Buckley, Jr.
March 16
April 5
April 8
May 1
May 2
May 11
May 15
May 18
May 24
May 25
May 26
Sydney Pollack
May 29
June 2
June 7
Neil MacNeil
June 12
June 13
June 15
June 17
June 21
June 22
George Carlin
June 29
July 3
July 4
July 12
July 17
July 21
July 22
August 6
August 7
August 9
August 10
August 12
August 19
August 22
August 31
September 1
Jerry Reed
September 12
October 5
October 11
October 15
October 25
November 4
November 11
December 1
December 5
December 8
December 12
December 13
December 18
December 25

References

References

  1. {{cite episode. (January 4, 2008)
  2. (February 28, 2008). "Mr. Trivia". San Diego Magazine.
  3. (September 2010). "'Dateline' presents Golden Globes pre-show - The Envelope - LA Times". Los Angeles Times}} {{Dead link.
  4. (January 26, 2008). "Discovery Investigates". [[Newsday]].
  5. Brune, Adrian. (January 16, 2008). "Animal Planet presents new face to the world". PR Week.
  6. Becker, Anne. (January 14, 2008). "Animal Planet Changes Its Stripes". Broadcasting & Cable.
  7. (22 February 2008). "The Price Is Right".
  8. (7 March 2008). "The Price Is Right".
  9. Neil Best. (February 26, 2008). "FSNY to be renamed MSG Plus". [[Cablevision.
  10. [http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/laurie-dhue-leaves-fnc/19609 Laurie Dhue leaves FNC] ''TVNewser'', March 15, 2008
  11. International Herald Tribune [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/20/arts/TV-History-Channel.php Television's The History Channel Drops 'The' and 'Channel' from Its Name, Keeps History] March 20, 2008
  12. "Ch.4 lends itself out for 'Loan newscast'". NY Daily News.
  13. (April 2008). "WNBC Does the Time Warp Again". Gothamist.
  14. (4 April 2008). "The Price Is Right".
  15. (7 April 2008). "After 20-year drought, Kansas rallies to beat Memphis for NCAA title". ESPN.com.
  16. (October 2, 2007). "CW turns to 4Kids on Saturdays". Variety.
  17. "Discovery to Start Channel Focusing on Green Movement (Published 2007)".
  18. [http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6590153.html ESPNU Counts Five Distributors as Launch Nears]
  19. "CPD: September 26, 2008 Debate Transcript".
  20. "Second Presidential Debate - McCain and Obama - Transcript - Election Guide 2008 - The New York Times - Election Guide 2008 - The New York Times".
  21. link. (October 4, 2009 . From Sony's Web site.)
  22. Halperin, Mark. (2008-10-15). "Grading the Final Presidential Debate".
  23. Todd Spangler. "Multichannel News November 5, 2008 CNN goes holographic".
  24. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090927045215/http://www.ajc.com/news/fayette/protest-set-today-over-118789.html Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Protest set today over Cox's winnings: Superintendent won game show jackpot, then filed bankruptcy", 8/18/2009.]
  25. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=662755 WFUM-TV report to FCC]
  26. [http://www.michigantelevision.org/ Michigan Television Homepage] {{webarchive. link. (October 14, 2008)
  27. Andreeva, Nellie (2009-05-06). [https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE54514E20090506 CW Drops Sundays In Another Blow to Broadcast Model]. Reuters. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  28. (November 17, 2008). "Stars come out for Fontainebleau". [[The Miami Herald]].
  29. Abravanel, Lesley. (November 14, 2008). "Singin' the Fontainebleau shut-out blues?". [[The Miami Herald]].
  30. "The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (2008)". [[Internet Movie Database]].
  31. Micchandani, Raakhee. (December 3, 2008). "Backstage Secrets – Behind The Brassieres At The Victoria's Secret Fashion". [[New York Post]].
  32. (November 19, 2008). "Quick Chemistry". [[New York Post]].
  33. Jones, Chris. (July 11, 2010). "TV's Crowning Moment of Awesome".
  34. (12 March 2008). "NBC and News Corp. Launch Hulu.com". CNBC.
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