March 18 - After losing a 15-year court battle over the legality of its business relationship with The Herald-Traveler, CBS' Boston, Massachusetts affiliate WHDH-TV Channel 5 signs off the air. At 3 a.m. on March 19, WCVB takes over the Channel 5 frequency, simultaneously switching affiliations to the ABC network following CBS' loss of interest in the channel during the long legal wrangle.
August 26 - Effective with this issue, TV Guide discontinues the practice of using a "C" to indicate color programs, and instead starts using a "BW" for monochrome, saving a lot of printer's ink in the process. At the time about half of the TV households in the U.S. had color sets.
November 21 - In the second part of a two-part story which began the previous week, Beatrice Arthur's character, Maude Findlay, on the television sitcomMaude, decides to go through with an abortion, in a move that shocked CBS executives and Maude advertisers.
October 3 - 4 Country Reporter premieres on CBS affiliate KDFW Channel 4; in 1986, the show moves into first-run syndication under the new name Texas Country Reporter, eventually airing nationally on the RFD-TV satellite/cable channel. As of October 2007, the show will mark 35 years on television.