Bowes, Edward, Major, 1874-1946

Agency Sketch

• April 1934: First radio broadcast of Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour on WHN, New York
• 1935: William Edward Maguiness (stage name Ted Mack) joins Bowes as emcee and talent scout
• March 24, 1935: Coast to coast broadcast on NBC radio with Chase & Sanborn as sponsor
• June 1935: Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour is named the most listened to radio program in the United States
• Sept. 8, 1935: The Hoboken Four, featuring Frank Sinatra, performs on the Original Amateur Hour program
• Sept. 17, 1936: Original Amateur Hour moves to CBS radio, with Chrysler Corporation as sponsor
• 1944: Major Bowes retires for health reasons
• 1945: Radio broadcast of Original Amateur Hour is suspended
• June 13, 1946: Major Bowes dies
• Jan. 14, 1948: Original Amateur Hour is revived on television by Dumont Studios, with Ted Mack as emcee
• Oct. 29, 1948: P. Lorillard Company becomes a sponsor
• Oct. 4, 1949: First national television broadcast of Original Amateur Hour, on NBC
• 1952: Final radio broadcast
• April 25, 1953: Pet Milk becomes a sponsor
• Oct. 30, 1955: Television program broadcasts on ABC
• Jan. 19, 1957: La Hora Internacional del Aficionado, Mexican version of program, broadcasts
• July 1, 1957: Program returns to NBC television
• May 1, 1959: Program broadcasts on CBS
• March 7, 1960: Program returns to ABC
• Oct. 2, 1960: Programs returns to CBS
• Sept. 20, 1970: Final broadcast

From the guide to the Amateur Hour Collection, 1934-1948, (Music Division Library of Congress)