1998 in American television
The following is a list of events affecting American television during 1998. Events listed include television series debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel initiations, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and disputes.
Events
January
February
| Date |
Event |
| 9 |
Prevue Channel (now Pop) revamps its programming to include short-form segments. The revamp lasts until January 31, 1999, when the channel is renamed TV Guide Channel. |
March
April
May
June
August
| Date |
Event |
| 15 |
More than a year after its acquisition by News Corporation's Fox Kids Worldwide, Inc., The Family Channel is re-initiated as Fox Family Channel, with the network now targeting a younger family-oriented audience than that of its predecessor. |
| A pre-season football game in Vancouver, British Columbia between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks is CBS's first NFL football broadcast since January 1994. |
| 16 |
KATH-LP in Juneau, Alaska signs on the air, giving the Juneau market its first full-time NBC affiliate. The sign-on was delayed for a month due to delays in receiving the equipment required to place the station on the local GCI cable system (Sister station KSCT-LP in Sitka, the market's former Fox affiliate, had already switched to NBC).[3][4] |
| 31 |
Pax TV (now named Ion Television), a family-oriented broadcast network owned by Paxson Communications, begins broadcasting. The network was originally carried for Paxson-owned stations by a number of paid programming services (as well as the overnight christian block The Worship Network), branded as the Infomall Television Network until at the time of its network launch.[5] |
September
| Date |
Event |
| 14 |
The revived edition of Hollywood Squares resumes syndication. Tom Bergeron serves as host. |
| 21 |
The WB launches its programming service of cable-only networks, branded as the 100+ Station Group. It was originally known as The WeB, which was from its launch until March of next year. Several cable providers that carried The WB's programming on WGN Superstation feed (until it was dropped the following September) were replaced by its own service.[6] |
October
November
| Date |
Event |
| 18 |
The Powerpuff Girls premieres on Cartoon Network for the first time. |
| 20 |
Nickelodeon's hit series Rugrats: A Real Bunch of Babies takes over the big screen in their first theatrical movie entitled The Rugrats Movie. The movie introduces the character of Dil Pickles, who will become a main character in Rugrats: A Real Bunch of Babies the following day. The Rugrats Movie becomes a commercial success, making a grand total of $100,494,675 domestically and another $40,400,000 in international markets.[7] |
Programs
Debuts
Ending this year
Returning this year
Change of network affiliation
Births
| Date | Name | Notability |
| January 4 |
Coco Jones |
Actress (So Random!, Good Luck Charlie) |
| January 23 |
Rachel Crow |
Actress |
| January 24 |
Ariel Winter |
Actress (Modern Family) |
| February 15 |
Zachary Gordon |
Actor (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) |
| March 22 |
Paola Andino |
Actress (Every Witch Way) |
| April 6 |
Peyton List |
Actress (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jessie, Bunk'd) |
| Spencer List |
Actor |
| April 9 |
Elle Fanning |
Actress |
| April 24 |
Ryan Newman |
Actress (Zeke and Luther, See Dad Run) |
| June 16 |
Lauren Taylor |
Actress (Best Friends Whenever) and singer |
| June 19 |
Atticus Shaffer |
Actor (The Middle, Steven Universe) |
| June 24 |
Coy Stewart |
Actor (Bella and the Bulldogs) |
| July 7 |
Dylan Sprayberry |
Actor (Teen Wolf) |
| July 8 |
Jaden Smith |
Actor |
| July 9 |
Robert Capron |
Actor (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) |
| July 10 |
Haley Pullos |
Actress (General Hospital) |
| July 22 |
Madison Pettis |
Actress (Cory in the House, Life with Boys, Lab Rats) |
| July 24 |
Bindi Irwin |
Australian actress (Dancing with the Stars season 21 [winner]) |
| Logan Grove |
Voice actor (Gumball on The Amazing World of Gumball (2011–14) |
| August 1 |
Khamani Griffin |
Actor (All of Us, Carpoolers) |
| August 8 |
Shawn Mendes |
Canadian singer |
| August 13 |
Devan Leos |
Actor (Mighty Med) |
| August 25 |
China Anne McClain |
Actress (Tyler Perry's House of Payne, A.N.T. Farm) and singer |
| September 4 |
Elizabeth Elias |
Actress (Every Witch Way) |
| October 28 |
Nolan Gould |
Actor (Modern Family) |
| November 22 |
Eric Unger |
Actor |
| November 23 |
Bradley Steven Perry |
Actor (Good Luck Charlie, Mighty Med, Lab Rats: Elite Force) |
| November 24 |
Peyton Meyer |
Actor (Girl Meets World) |
| December 2 |
Amber Montana |
Actress (The Haunted Hathaways) |
| December 22 |
G Hannelius |
Actress (Dog with a Blog) and singer |
| December 23 |
Jackie Radinsky |
Actor (Bella and the Bulldogs) |
| December 29 |
Paris Berelc |
Actress (Mighty Med, Lab Rats: Elite Force) |
Deaths
References
- ↑ "News Lite: TV Guide Deal Sets Up Broadcast Opportunity". Los Angeles Daily News. HighBeam Research. June 12, 1998. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ↑ "The $2 Billion Acquisition of TV Guide". Folio. HighBeam Research. January 1, 1999. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Juneau-based television station to hit airwaves soon". Juneau Empire. June 26, 1998. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ↑ "New local television station to hit airwaves Monday". Juneau Empire. August 16, 1998. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ↑ Lisa de Moraes (August 29, 1998). "On Monday, the Genesis of PAX TV". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved February 25, 2013 – via HighBeam Research. (subscription required (help)).
- ↑ "A Salute to The WB 100+ Station Group on its Fifth Anniversary" (PDF). TelevisionWeek. September 22, 2003 – via RussellMyerson.com.
- ↑ "THE RUGRATS MOVIE". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 25, 2016.