Bing Crosby, Abbott and Costello, Jack Haley,Burns & Allen and "Suspense" were the draws on Thursday.
Here is the full roster of network Thursday night shows:
Color Code:
Also of Interest
8:15-8:30 -WNYC: Soprano Judith Doniger
Do Not Go My Love (Hageman)/Jeune Fillette (/Aria from Manon Lescaut (Puccini)/Ballymore Ballad (Irish folk song)/Allelujah, Easter Song (O’Connor-Negris)
8:30-8:45- WNYC: Straight Facts For Veterans
9:00-9:30 - WNEW: Operation Homecoming
Singer Vera Barton
9:03-10:00 - WMCA: Labor Arbitration Forum
David Roman, Joseph M. Aimee, Samuel R. Zack
9:30-10:00 - WEVD: Authors Roundtable
Morris L. Ernst, Christopher Burney, and teacher and critic Irving Astrachan. Ernst had a best seller in First Freedom about freedom of the press. He was chief lawyer for and a founder of the ACLU but also a fierce anti-Communist who supported efforts to weed out Communists from the ACLU and other liberal organizations. Burney was a former British commando who had written a book about his wartime experience as a POW at Buchenwald.
10:00-10:30-- WHN: Congressional Record
“The Draft”
Senator H. Alexander Smith (R-NJ)
With his contract with NBC and Kraft coming to an end, Bing Crosby was in negotiations with other networks and possible sponsors. He ranked at the top of most polls as the most popular movie star 1946 and was a top record seller as well as a radio star. Crosby was said to be looking for a format change that would allow him at some point in the future to transcribe his show for broadcast rather than do two lives shows as was the standard policy. NBC was opposed to this out of concern that other top Hollywood talent would demand to follow his lead. At this time, CBS also did not allow transcription but the trade press speculated the network was interested enough in Crosby to make an exception. Both the ABC and Mutual networks allowed transcribed broadcasts. In the end Crosby moved to the ABC network in May with Philco as his new sponsor.