1942 in television

• February 26 — WRGB Signs on in Albany New York.
• April 1 – The U.S. War Production Board halts the manufacture of television and radio equipment for consumer use. The ban is lifted October 1, 1945.
• April 13 – The Federal Communications Commission minimum programming time required of U.S. television stations is reduced from 15 to 4 hours a week during the war.

February 23 - Air Raid Warden’s Basic Course debuts on NBC (1942-43)^[1]

February 27 - World This Week, an early news program hosted by Linton Wells, debuts on CBS (1942)

March 6 - America At War debuts on CBS (1942)

• January 3 – John Thaw, English actor (Inspector Morse) (died 2002)
• January 5 – Charlie Rose, journalist
• January 8
  • Yvette Mimieux, actress (died 2022)
  • Stephen Hawking, scientist (died 2018)
• January 10 – Walter Hill, director
• January 11 – Joel Zwick, director
• January 17 – Muhammad Ali, boxer (died 2016)
• January 21 – Edwin Starr, singer (died 2003)
• January 23 - Brian Croucher, actor
• January 27 - John Witherspoon, actor and comedian (Wayans Brothers) (died 2019)
• January 30 - Heidi Brühl, actress (died 1991)
• February 1
  • Terry Jones, Welsh comedic actor and writer (Monty Python's Flying Circus) (died 2020)
  • Bibi Besch, actress (died 1996)
• February 12 – George Schenck, screenwriter (died 2024)
• February 13 – Peter Tork, musician and actor (The Monkees) (died 2019)
• February 14 – Michael Bloomberg, namesake of Bloomberg TV
• February 16 – Patricia Maynard, actress
• February 17 – Dieter Laser, actor (died 2020)
• February 22 – Geoffrey Scott, actor (Dynasty) (died 2021)
• February 23 – Joop van den Ende, Dutch theatrical producer
• February 25 – Karen Grassle, actress (Little House on the Prairie)
• February 28 – Frank Bonner, actor and director (WKRP in Cincinnati) (died 2021)
• March 3 – David Jacobs, gymnast
• March 4 – Lynn Sherr, broadcast journalist
• March 6 – Ben Murphy, actor (Alias Smith and Jones)
• March 14 – Nickolas Davatzes, television executive (died 2021)
• March 15 – The Iron Sheik, pro wrestler (died 2023)
• March 25 – Aretha Franklin, singer (died 2018)
• March 29 – Scott Wilson, American actor (died 2018)
• March 31 – Michael Savage, American host
• April 3
  • Marsha Mason, actress and director
  • Wayne Newton, actor and singer
• April 7 – Gabrielle Beaumont, director (died 2022)
• April 17 – David Bradley, actor
• April 23
  • Sandra Dee, actress (died 2005)
  • Sheila Gish, actress (died 2005)
• April 24 – Barbra Streisand, singer
• April 26 – Bobby Rydell, singer (died 2022)
• May 1 – Thomas Del Ruth, American cinematographer
• May 3 – Dave Marash, American television journalist
• May 5 – Marc Alaimo, American television actor
• May 6 – David Friesen, American jazz bassist
• May 12 – Marya Carter, actress
• May 20
  • David Proval, actor (The Sopranos)
  • Nancy Fleming, American beauty pageant titleholder
• May 22 – Barbara Parkins, actress (Peyton Place)
• May 23 – Alex Henteloff, actor (Barney Miller)
• May 27 – Sue Simmons, retired news anchor
• May 29 – Kevin Conway, actor (died 2020)
• June 16 – Suzan Farmer, actress (died 2017)
• June 18
  • Paul McCartney, English singer-songwriter (The Beatles)
  • Nick Tate, Australian actor (Space: 1999)
  • Roger Ebert, American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author (died 2013)
• June 19 – Ned Schmidtke, actor
• June 24 – Michele Lee, actress, dancer and singer (Knots Landing)
• July 6 – Judith Barcroft, actress (Another World)
• July 7 – Chris Stamp, British music producer (died 2012)
• July 9 – Richard Roundtree, actor (died 2023)
• July 13 – Harrison Ford, actor
• July 22 – Toyohiro Akiyama, TV journalist
• July 23 – Madeline Bell, singer
• July 29 – Tony Sirico, actor (The Sopranos) (died 2022)
• August 7 – Tobin Bell, actor
• August 9 – David Steinberg, actor
• August 18 – Judith Keppel, quiz show contestant
• August 20 – Isaac Hayes, singer and actor (South Park) (died 2008)
• August 28 – Peter Bartlett, actor (One Life to Live)
• September 2 – Robert Shapiro, lawyer
• September 6 – Carol Wayne, actress (died 1985)
• September 17 – Lupe Ontiveros, actress (died 2012)
• September 20 – William F. Baker, broadcaster
• September 21 – Tracy Reed, actress (died 2012)
• September 23 – Carol Ann Abrams, American television and film producer (died 2012)
• September 26 – Kent McCord, actor (Adam-12)
• September 29
  • Ian McShane, English actor (Lovejoy, Deadwood)
  • Donna Corcoran, actress
• October 3 – Alan Rachins, actor (L.A. Law, Dharma & Greg)
• October 6 – Britt Ekland, Swedish actress
• October 7 – Joy Behar, American comedian
• October 12 – Petronella Barker, actress
• October 14
  • Cyrus Yavneh, producer (died 2018)
  • Jim Hougan, producer
• October 17 – Kelly Monteith, actor (died 2023)
• October 20 – Earl Hindman, actor (Home Improvement) (died 2003)
• October 21 – Judy Sheindlin, television personality, television producer, and author, and a former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge
• October 22 – Annette Funicello, actress and singer (The Mickey Mouse Club) (died 2013)
• October 23 – Michael Crichton, author and filmmaker (died 2008)
• October 29 – Bob Ross, television host (died 1995)
• October 31 – David Ogden Stiers, actor (M*A*S*H) (died 2018)
• November 1 – Marcia Wallace, actress and comedian (The Bob Newhart Show, The Simpsons) (died 2013)
• November 2 – Stefanie Powers, actress (Hart to Hart)
• November 9 – Tom Weiskopf, golfer (died 2022)
• November 17 – Martin Scorsese, actor
• November 18
  • Linda Evans, actress (The Big Valley, Dynasty)
  • Susan Sullivan, actress (Falcon Crest)
• November 19 – Calvin Klein, fashion designer
• November 20
  • Bob Einstein, actor (died 2019)
  • Joe Biden, politician (guest star on Parks and Recreation)
• November 22 – Dick Stockton, American retired sportscaster
• November 24 – Billy Connolly, actor
• November 29 – John Grillo, actor
• December 4
  • Gemma Jones, actress
  • Al Hunt, reporter
• December 6 – Chelsea Brown, actress (died 2017)
• December 7 – Peter Tomarken, game show host (Press Your Luck) (died 2006)
• December 9 – Dick Butkus, actor (died 2023)
• December 14 – Jack Cafferty, former CNN commentator
• December 23 – Brian McConnachie, actor (died 2024)
• December 27 – Charmian Carr, actress (died 2016)
• December 30
  • Michael Nesmith, musician and actor (The Monkees) (died 2021)
  • Fred Weinberg, composer
  • Betty Aberlin, actress

• October – Bernard Natan, owner of Pathé and co-founder of France's first television company, Télévision-Baird-Natan, 56