Today in Black History: 1956 “The Nat King Cole Show” premiered on NBC Television as a 15 minute weekly variety show, making Cole the first major Black performer to host a network variety show. The first show aired without a commercial sponsor. NBC paid for the program with the hope that advertisers would soon be attracted to the show. This did not occur. Advertisers were fearful that White southern audiences would boycott their products as a result of their sponsorship. The show was on air for 64 weeks and many performers who could command significant fees, including Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Tony Bennett, appeared on the show for the union minimum wage. Ratings improved but no sponsors were interested in a permanent relationship with the show. As a result, Cole stated “Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.”
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 12:14:39 +0000
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