Will Rogers

The Dodge Victory Hour, one of radio’s first variety shows, debuted on
NBC on Wednesday, January 4, 1928. The show starred Will Rogers
broadcasting from his home in Beverly Hills, Paul Whitman and his
orchestra from New York, Fred Stone in Chicago and Al Jolson who
was in New Orleans. It was a 47-station coast-to-coast program
sponsored by Dodge’s new Victory Six automobile. The show
reached an estimated audience of 35 million, the largest since
Charles Lindbergh’s return in 1927. The premiere was produced
at a cost of $67,600.

Paul Whitman

 
Al Jolson

On April 1, 1970, President Richard Nixon signed legislation officially banning
cigarette ads on television and radio. By the early 1970s, a  fight between the
tobacco lobby and public health interests began. Though the cigarette company’s continued to bombard unregulated print media with ads for cigarettes, tobacco companies lost the regulatory battle over television and radio.  

The last televised cigarette ad ran at 11:50 p.m. during The Johnny Carson Show
on Friday, January 1, 1971. Tobacco ads representing $20 million dollars in
advertising were then officially banned from TV and radio broadcast.  

1955

1951