In the fall of 1948, three of the four major radio networks — ABC, CBS, and NBC — were funneling their soaring radio profits into the burgeoning television side of their businesses. And because all individual U.S. citizens were taxed 77% on all income over $70k (roughly $907k today), big stars of the day like Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, and Freeman Gosden had the idea to incorporate their popular shows as businesses in order to qualify for significant breaks under capital gains tax laws. What happened when the parent company of NBC, the nation's #1 network at the time, refused to make this deal? It's time to uncover how a smart bet by CBS helped it overtake its main rival during the golden age of radio and early television.
Join James Scully — Radio historian and producer/host of Breaking Walls, the docu-podcast on the history of U.S. network radio broadcasting for a two-part series that explores the events surrounding the CBS Talent Raids of 1948, and the many men and women who benefited from this monumental period in entertainment.
In Part One: Post-War Radio Era, we'll focus on how a tax code and the country's top comedian helped shift Network superiority from NBC to CBS right as the TV era began, including:
- An overview of the radio and TV networks in the late 1940s, from how the radio industry grew from wireless telegraphy in the 1910s to one of the largest businesses in the United States
- A look at the biggest stars of the day and their programs like Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Eve Arden, and Lucille Ball
- Some of the big news stories of that era, including why the United States experienced so much labor turmoil as the baby boomer era began following the end of World War II
- A play-by-play of the CBS Talent Raid, including why CBS head William S. Paley happily agreed to these capital gains deals when NBC's David Sarnoff was vehemently opposed; and which yet unknown stars benefited the most
- How and why this deal changed the balance of power in the entertainment industry leading into the Television era
Afterward, I’ll do a Q&A — any and all questions are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't attend live? Not to worry! I'll be recording the event and sending the video out to all guests who register so you can watch it later. See you (virtually) there!
Part 2 on the early Television era will be presented at a later date.
About James
James Scully is an outgoing native New Yorker who grew up in a home with four generations of family. He had close relationships with both his grandparents and great-grandparents. This exposed him to an invaluable amount of local history and culture, helping him to become a passionate historian, writer, and director.
He’s a graduate of Xavier High School in Manhattan, Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and spent over a decade working as an art director and copywriter for media companies such as Condé Nast and Hearst before becoming a writer, director, and historian. His history focus is both New York City history and US radio history.
James produces and hosts Breaking Walls, the docu-podcast on the history of US network radio broadcasting (https://www.thewallbreakers.com/breaking-walls). He has developed historical audio fiction productions, like the 2022 official Tribeca audio selection Burning Gotham, set in 1835 New York City (http://burninggotham.com), the Frank Sinatra biopic musical And Then I Sing (https://www.andthenising.com), and the western adventure series Frontier Gentleman (https://www.frontiergentleman.com/).
James is a member of the Salmagundi Club, has given numerous talks and webinars on various history subjects, and is a New York City sightseeing/tour guide.
Testimonials
"Fascinating look at radio at the dawn of TV" -Milan
"Extremely knowledgeable and engaging presenter." -F. Lane
"The behind-the-scenes, business aspect of radio of the late 1940's was interesting and insightful." -Maureen
"I enjoy the subject matter, and I'm a big fan of James Scully's work on Breaking Walls. It was a pleasure to listen to him and interact with him. I will definitely look for more presentations by him." -Thomas
"The presenter was excellent and the content was interesting." -Charles
"James is an excellent presenter" -Paul
