The year 1970 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1970.
For the American TV schedule, see: 1970-71 American network television schedule.
Events
- January 3 - Jon Pertwee makes his first appearance as the Third Doctor in the Doctor Who serial Spearhead from Space. It also marks the first time that the series was broadcast in colour.
- January 19 - CBS launches Operation 100, an all-out campaign to discredit NBC and all it stands for, using the slogan "The man can't bust our network."
- March 7 - The "eclipse of the century" is covered by all three American networks.
- March 16 - The FCC's "Miami channel 10 case" comes to a definite end as the station becomes WPLG.
- April - TRT in Turkey launches television in that country.
- July 31 - Chet Huntley anchors his final newscast with David Brinkley and retires, bringing down the curtain on a 14-year career at NBC News and, thus, as chief anchor of The Huntley-Brinkley Report. The next Monday, August 3, the program is renamed NBC Nightly News, its title to this day.
- August 2 - NBC expands full-service newscasts to seven nights a week with NBC Sunday News; it replaces The Frank McGee Report.
- October 5 - The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) begins broadcasting and National Educational Television is shut down.
- December 25 - Pluto's Christmas Tree is broadcast on BBC1, the first complete Mickey Mouse cartoon to be shown on British television in colour.
- In a cliffhanger on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow, businessman Sam Reynolds is believed to be dead after he perished in Africa. One of the first "exotic" deaths for a soap opera character, it was in tune with actor Robert Mandan's wish to leave the show.
- "Country" comedienne and Grand Old Opry star Minnie Pearl makes her first appearance on Hee Haw.
- Lloyd Robertson replaces Warren Davis as anchor of CBC's The National.
Debuts
Television shows
1940s
1950s
1960s
Ending this year
Births
- January 29 - Heather Graham, actress.
- March 28 - Vince Vaughn, actor.
- April 13 - Rick Schroder, actor.
- May 17 - Jordan Knight, singer
- May 22 - Naomi Campbell, fashion model.
- August 23 - Jay Mohr, actor, comedian.
- August 31 - Debbie Gibson, singer.
- October 2 - Kelly Ripa, actress, television host.
- October 12 - Kirk Cameron, actor.
Deaths
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