The Atwater-Kent Hour set the standard for early concert music. Sponsored by a well-known radio manufacturer, Atwater-Kent featured stars of the Metropolitan Opera, backed by a large symphony orchestra. The obstacles to producing such a show in radio's earliest days were political, economic, and personal. Stations were proliferating, and there was no real consensus as to how the airwaves should be used. The idea of commercial radio had many critics; others, pointing to the overall excellence of the Atwater-Kent, Eveready, and Palmolive hours, believed that only American capitalism could overcome the dreadful mediocrity that most stations offered. Major talent from the musical stage was needed, but many name performers found the prospect of entertaining for a cigar manufacturer or an oil company reprehensible. Politicians were deeply divided on the questions of regulations and constraints.
( John Dunning )
[ On the Air: The Encyclopedia ]
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