“One-Sponsor ’60 Min.’ Isn’t A New Idea”

Following up on this announcement: “It may sound innovative, but having a single sponsor for this Sunday’s installment of CBS’ 60 Minutes comes directly from the early days of TV,” Tim Cuprisin notes.

“The earliest regular network newscast was NBC’s ‘Camel Newsreel Theatre,’ sponsored by the maker of a product that isn’t even allowed to be advertised on TV anymore, cigarettes.”

But: “Having a single sponsor can be a problem for newscasts if a segment makes the advertiser uncomfortable.” As viewers of ‘Good Night, & Good Luck’ know, Edward R. Murrow ran into that challenge while critiquing Sen. Joseph McCarthy…