Will New Yorkers Get to See Rudolph This Year?

Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is leaving CBS after over 50 years.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a beloved 1964 animated Christmas television special produced by Videocraft International, Ltd. It first aired December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the United States and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour.

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a classic Christmas story about a young reindeer named Rudolph, who is born with a bright, red, glowing nose. Initially, his unusual nose makes him a target for teasing and exclusion by the other reindeer. However, on Christmas Eve, when a heavy fog threatens to prevent Santa Claus from delivering presents, Rudolph's glowing nose becomes the perfect solution.

Santa asks Rudolph to guide his sleigh through the fog, and he leads the way, saving Christmas. In the end, Rudolph is celebrated for his unique gift and becomes a hero, proving that differences can be strengths.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ranked on our list of the Hudson Valley's Top 5 Favorite Christmas Cartoons along with favorites like A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! From 1972 to 2023, the special aired on CBS. Now after half a century, Rudolph is leaving CBS according to Vulture.

Why Is Rudolph Leaving CBS?

The report says that as part of a new multiyear licensing deal, NBC has snagged the broadcast-TV rights to the beloved Rankin-Bass holiday specials, which have been on CBS every holiday season going back to Richard Nixon’s first term in the White House. News of the deal comes just days after Disney announced it had won the rights to another half-century CBS staple, the Grammys.

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Frosty has aired on CBS every year since its premiere in 1969, while Rudolph has been part of the the CBS annual holiday festivities since 1972. Rudolph now returns to where in first premiered back in 1964, on NBC. NBC will air the special annually starting in 2024, having previously done so until 1971. This season’s airing on December, 6 at 8pm will be a 60th-anniversary telecast of Rudolph, and a homecoming for the special.

So yes, New Yorkers will get to see Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer this year, you just have to switch from CBS to NBC to catch all the magic of the enduring, holiday classic.