The Ratings Leaders
At this time the ratings standard was the reports put out by Hooper. Hooper had two methods of measuring audience. It made random phone calls to ask respondents what they were listening to at the moment and they had a "Pulse" rating, which was derived from face-to-face interviews where respondents were asked what shows and stations they had listened to over a period of time. By 1946 the Hoopers had replaced the earlier Crossley's which depended on listener recall. Nielsen had a competing service which eventually displaced Hooper.
Most of the primetime ratings leaders were on NBC (WEAF in New York). Most had been on the air since the 1930s. Most were comedy/variety shows. Sunday night was the big night.
The May 4 Billboard reported a Hooper survey for the months of January and February showing the most popular shows in New York as:
Walter Winchell: Fifteen minutes of gossip and commentary from the Mirror columnist that aired Sundays at 9:00 PM on WJZ (ABC network). Jergens Lotion was the sponsor. It had premiered in 1930.
Lux Radio Theater: An anthology of radio adaptations of movies that aired Mondays at 9:00 PM on WABC (the CBS affiliate). Lux Soap was the sponsor. It had premiered in 1934.
Jack Benny: A comedy/variety series that aired Sundays at 7:00 PM on WEAF (NBC). Lucky Strikes Cigarettes sponsored. It premiered in 1932.
Fred Allen: A comedy/variety series that aired Sundays at 8:30 PM on WEAF. It was noted for the Allen's Alley cast of supporting players. Tender Leaf Tea and Blue Bonnet Margarine were the sponsors. It premiered in 1932 as "The Salad Bowl Revue"
Bob Hope: A comedy/variety series that aired at 10:00 PM Tuesdays on WEAF. It was sponsored by Pepsodent and premiered in 1938.
Edgar Bergen: A comedy/variety series starring a ventriloquist and his wisecracking dummy, Charlie McCarthy, that aired Sundays at 8:00 PM on WEAF. Chase & Sanborn coffee sponsored. It premiered in 1937.
Screen Guild Theater: Another anthology of radio adaptations of popular movies airing Mondays at 10:00 PM on WABC, following Lux Radio Theater. It was a popular genre of the day. Lady Esther Powder sponsored. It debuted in 1938.
Fibber McGee and Molly: A sitcom that aired Tuesdays at 9:30 PM on WEAF. Johnson Floor Wax was the sponsor. It premiered in 1935.
Eddie Cantor: A variety show that aired Wednesdays at 9:00 PM on WEAF opposite Frank Sinatra who was not the big hit on radio that he was in the recording industry. This show premiered in 1940 although the veteran vaudevillian had been on the radio since the 1930s. Sal Hepatica was the sponsor.
Bing Crosby: A variety show also known as the "Kraft Music Hall" that aired Thursdays at 9:00 PM on WEAF. Crosby had replaced Paul Whiteman in 1936 on Kraft Music Hall. He had recently announced he would be leaving the show.
Jack Haley: Also known as "Sealtest Village Store," the variety show aired Thursdays at 9:30 PM on WEAF. Sealtest was the sponsor. Haley took over the "Sealtest Village Store," which originally starred Rudy Vallee, in 1943. Vallee had his own NBC show later that evening on NBC.
Abbott and Costello: A comedy series broadcast Thursdays at 10:00 PM on WEAF. Camel Cigarettes sponsored. It premiered in 1942. The slapstick humor of the duo, who were feuding at this time in real life, divided audiences.
Mr. District Attorney: Crime drama series that aired Wednesdays at 9:30 PM on WEAF. Ipana toothpaste and Vitalis hair lotion sponsored. It premiered in 1939 and was inspired supposedly by the career of Thomas Dewey.
Suspense- Dramatic mystery anthology that aired Thursdays at 8:00 PM on WABC.
Take It or Leave It- Quiz show that asked the $64 question. It aired Sundays at 10:00 PM on WABC.
Among other popular primetime radio shows that showed up on the Hooper national top fifteen ratings lists at some time in April were:
Red Skelton- Comedy sketch and variety show starring the comedian whose career was on the rise. It aired Tuesdays at 10:30 PM on WEAF. Raleigh Cigarettes was the sponsor. Premiered 1941.
Kay Kyser- Musical quiz show starring a popular bandleader airing Wednesdays at 10:00 PM on WEAF. Colgate sponsored. Premiered in 1938.
Amos 'n' Andy- Long-running sitcom broadcast at 9:30 Tuesdays on WEAF. Rinso was the sponsor. The series, in which two white vaudeville veterans portrayed black characters, premiered in 1928 in syndication and 1929 on NBC as a daily serial. After a stint on CBS it became a weekly NBC series in 1943. The cast by this time also included some African American actors as guest stars and regulars, including Hattie McDaniel. African Americans were divided over the show; many civil rights spokespeople condemned it as degrading but many African American listeners found it funny.
Fitch's Bandstand (aka 'The Cass Daley Show")- Variety. Sundays at 7:30 PM on WEAF. Daley headlined the show, sponsored by Fitch Shampoo, for one season from September 1945 to June 1946. It originally was a showcase for the big swing bands of the era when it premiered in 1938. Phil Harris and Alice Faye took over as the stars later in the year.
The Aldrich Family- Sit com that aired Fridays at 8:00 PM on WABC. Grapenuts sponsored. Teenager Henry Aldrich had started as a minor character in a Broadway play, became the subject of skits on the Rudy Vallee and Kate Smith radio shows and was the central character in a series of movies. He had his own radio show since 1939. Studio audiences were often startled to find that the All-American boy was played by a short, plump, cigar-smoking Jewish man in his late twenties.
The Great Gildersleeve- Sit com about a pompous blowhard raising his orphaned niece and nephew. It aired at 6:30 PM Sundays on WEAF. Hooper included it among primetime shows. Parkay sponsored. The show was a spin-off from "Fibber McGee and Molly" and premiered in 1941. The character had been softened considerably for the series.