The difference between vintage radio and TV according to Orson Welles

Listening to old time radio shows you will notice that most shows were sponsored by an individual company. Sometimes the name of the sponsor would appear in the name of the show itself such as Lux Radio or Kraft Music Hall and on many occasions the sponsors name would appear in the show's catch phrase such as Jack Benny's greeting "Jell-O Again!"

The sponsors bankrolled the shows completely and had a huge amount of influence over what was aired. However, rather than stifle creativity this often had the opposite effect and as a result there were many shows that were broadcast that would not have seen the light of day had it not been for a generous sponsor.

Here is what Orson Welles had to say about sponsors:

"There were all kinds of sponsors. Nutty ones, rightists, leftists, idiots, very bright people - and as a result, you had a big variety of shows, because they were expressions of different kinds of people ... not only the artists who made them, but the people who paid for them. And now, whatever you can do on television is a reflection of the three people [at the networks] who control what television is, all of which are looking with beady eyes on each other, which is rather cannibalistic, isn't it?"

I know some people find the sponsor's messages an intrusion when listening to old radio shows, but personally I find they help to transport me back in time and add atmosphere and a historic context to the shows.

Happy listening my friends