Here are the top ten “regularly sponsored” television shows in New York City from December 1948 according to C.E. Hooper:
- Texaco Star Theatre (WNBT)
- Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts (WCBS)
- Toast of the Town (WCBS)
- We, the People (WCBS)
- Amateur Hour (WABD)
- The Howdy Doody Show – Friday (WNBT)
- Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (WNBT)
- Kraft Television Theatre (WNBT)
- The Bigelow Show (WNBT)
- Break the Bank (WJZ)
Sources
“Radio and Television.” New York Times. 30 Dec. 1948: 38.
“ARTHUR GODFREY’S TALENT SCOUTS”, his first regular TV series, had its TV premiere at the beginning of December {simulcast with the original radio edition on Monday nights at 8:30(et)}, and already it was the #2 program among viewers; #1, of course, was “Mr. Television” himself, Milton Berle [Tuesdays, 8pm(et)], with “Smilin'” Ed Sullivan’s “TOAST OF THE TOWN” [Sundays, 9pm(et)] in third place {despite this, Ed’s original sponsor, Emerson Radio & TV, pulled out in early 1949; Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury division then became Sullivan’s sponsor for the next nine years}. “WE, THE PEOPLE” [also a simulcast, of radio’s popular “human interest” program emceed by Dwight Weist on Tuesdays at 9pm(et)] was fourth; Ted Mack’s “ORIGINAL AMATEUR HOUR” was DuMont’s #1 show on Sunday nights [7pm(et)], and in fifth place [eventually, NBC picked it up for the fall of ’49]. Why the Friday afternoon edition [5:30-6pm(et)] of “HOWDY DOODY” was sixth, I don’t know, unless it had something to do with a special “holiday themed” series of episodes…”CHEVROLET TELE-THEATER” was a live half-hour anthology series on NBC’s Monday night schedule [8pm(et)], and a darned good one to be in seventh place, airing just before Arthur Godfrey on CBS. “KRAFT TELEVISION THEATER”, one of the pioneering live TV anthology shows [Wednesdays, 9pm(et)], with the soothing voice of announcer Ed Herlihy pitching whatever Kraft Foods was selling on the air that week, was eighth. “THE BIGELOW SHOW” {aka “DUNNINGER AND WINCHELL”}, featuring the unlikely pairing of Paul Winchell & dummy “Jerry Mahoney” (their big break on TV) and “Dunninger the Mentalist” [Joseph Dunninger was an expert at “reading minds”] was on NBC’s Thursday night schedule [9:30pm(et), following Bob Smith’s “GULF ROAD SHOW”], was ninth; and “BREAK THE BANK”, ABC’s popular quiz show on Fridays [9pm(et)], emceed by Bert Parks, with Bud Collyer representing sponsor Bristol-Myers, rounded out the “Top Ten”.