Brief Quote by Tom Shales
“Making music on TV used to be as common as commercials. In the '60s and '70s, prime time was stuffed with variety shows headlined by such major and treasured talents as Carol Burnett, Red Skelton, the Smothers Brothers and Richard Pryor, who had a very brief comedy-variety hour on NBC that was censored literally to death.”
About This Quote
Source Article: TV Review, The Washington Post, 1970s retrospective
TV variety shows once featured live music regularly, but later censorship and format changes reduced this practice.
In simple terms: Music used to be common on TV, now rare.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how media shifts affect content.
Themes
media
censorship
entertainment
history
Mood
nostalgic
analytical
Type
historical
observational
When to use this quote
- TV production
- music licensing
- archival research
Key Concepts
broadcast standards
cultural change
programming decisions
Questions to Reflect On
- How did audience preferences influence programming?
- What role did network policies play?
A Different Perspective
The decline may reflect broader commercial pressures, not just censorship.
