Tennessee Jed
Tennessee Jed is an American children's Western adventure radio program that was broadcast from May 14, 1945, through November 7, 1947.[1] It debuted on Mutual but for most of its time on the air it was on ABC.[2]
Premise
Jed Sloan, known as Tennessee Jed,[3] moved from the Civil War in the Old South to make a fresh start on the American frontier. Jed's marksmanship with his squirrel gun was highlighted in the opening of each episode. A voice said, "There he goes, Tennessee! Get Him!"[1] Then the sound effect of a gunshot was followed by, "Got him! Deeeeeeeeeaaaaaaad center!"[1] Jed also carried a pair of sixguns as he rode his horse, Smoky. Jed eventually began to capture outlaws on direct assignments from President Grant [1] Jed's Tennessee-hills background and his "native love for folk music and a natural musical ability" led to inclusion of music in the program as he accompanied himself on a guitar while singing familiar Western songs and sometimes "put dialogue to music".[4]
Cast
| Character | Actor(s) |
|---|---|
| Tennessee Jed | Johnny Thomas Don MacLaughlin[3] |
| Sheriff Jackson | Jeff Chandler Humphrey Davis[3] |
| Deputy | Court Benson Jim Boles[3] |
| Masters (gambler) |
Raymond Edward Johnson[3] |
Supporting actors included John McGovern, George Petrie, and Barton Yarborough. Announcers included Benson, Layman Cameron, and Larry Elliott.[2]
Schedule
Tennessee Jed was a late-afternoon program intended for a juvenile audience. It was on the Mutual network from May 14, 1945, through August 17, 1945. A longer run began on ABC on September 3, 1945. The show stayed on ABC until it ended on November 7, 1947.[2]
Production
Paul DeFur was the producer, and Bill Hamilton was the director. Elton Britt sang the theme.[1] The writers were Ashley Buck, Howard Carraway, and Tom Taggert.[3] The program was initially broadcast via transcription, with live performances beginning in September 1945.[4]
Ward Baking Company was the primary sponsor of Tennessee Jed, promoting its Tip Top Bread.[1] Other companies sponsored the program in areas (such as the West Coast) in which Ward's products were not distributed.[5] Safeway was a major sponsor in the non-Ward areas.[4] An initial report about the cancellation of Tennessee Jed said that Ward was cutting its budget because of a shortage of grain.[6] The trade publication Sponsor noted an additional factor as it reported, "... also because there is a growing feeling among sponsors that unless a children's program reaches the mothers at the same time as the youngsters, advertising doesn't pay off. Jed hasn't been reaching them."[7]
Promotion
In the fall of 1946, Ward and the sponsors of the other three programs in ABC's 5 to 6 p.m. Eastern Time slot joined in a promotional contest that the trade publication Billboard reported was "believed to be the first of its kind in radio".[8] The other programs and their sponsors were Terry and the Pirates (Quaker Oats Company), Sky King (Derby Foods, Incorporated), and Jack Armstrong (General Mills, Incorporated).[8] ABC contributed $15,000 for the promotion, and the sponsors combined to provide $30,000 for it.[9] In addition to promoting the contest on the air, ABC ran a one-third page ad about it in two syndicated newspaper comics sections.[10]
Each participant in the contest, which was limited to age 16 or younger, had to submit a letter completing (in 50 or fewer words) the sentence "I prefer (name of program) because ..."[10] Prizes were
- 100 Huffman bicycles[10]
- 100 Gruen wristwatches[10]
- 100 Philco radios[10]
- 100 Uniflash cameras[10]
- 100 Don Budge tennis racquets[10]
- 500 Wearever Zenith pen and pencil sets.
Listeners submitted 298,694 entries in the contest. Winners were announced the week of January 13, 1947.[11] While the contest was in progress, the number of listeners for the four programs increased, but after it ended audiences for the shows returned to their previous numbers.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Dunning, John (May 7, 1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 656. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c French, Jack; Siegel, David S. (November 5, 2013). Radio Rides the Range: A Reference Guide to Western Drama on the Air, 1929-1967. McFarland. pp. 183–184. ISBN 978-1-4766-1254-6. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Cox, Jim (June 14, 2015). Radio Crime Fighters: More Than 300 Programs from the Golden Age. McFarland. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-4766-1227-0. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c Ballentine, Anne (October 1946). "Tennessee Jed Hits Target". Radio Showmanship. p. 344. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ward Shares Seg In Order To Get Pacific Coverage". Billboard. October 6, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Grain Shortage Pinch Axes 'Tennessee Jed'". Variety. October 29, 1947. p. 25. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "The Children's Hour". Sponsor. November 1947. p. 60. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b "Too Short for a Head". Billboard. October 19, 1946. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Competing Sponsors Plug Each Other in 45G ABC Promotion". Billboard. November 9, 1946. p. 15. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Pied Piper Contests". Sponsor. November 1946. p. 29. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Too Short for a Head". Billboard. January 11, 1947. p. 9. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Contest, Programs & Audiences". Sponsor. July 1947. pp. 55–56. Retrieved February 20, 2024.