Andrew Cayton: Ohio, The History of a People
Television in Ohio, 1950s-1970s
In a world recovering from World War II, television and radio played an important role in entertainment at home. Women especially watched and listened to programs that help their minds escape the tedious work of being a housewife. To escape from small children, laundry, and cleaning to the intellectual and entertaining aspects of an hour long show was very entertaining to women in the suburbs.
The Ruth Lyons Show
Every week day at noon, the Ruth Lyons show entertained women in southeastern Ohio. He
r local television show was very energetic, opinionated, and was able to reach a large amount of young white women. She often showed new products that she thought highly of, which did wonders for the local Cincinnati market. The show was known for being wholesome so many viewers tuned in to see her talk about celebrities, politics, and sports teams. The Ruth Lyon’s show was a way domestic housewives connected with the outside world.The Phil Donahue Show
A native of Dayton, Phil Donahue was a young man who created his very own talk show. He urged his studio audience and his at home audience to help him
interview his guests. The audience was entertained by his interactive approach to the show and found his controversial topics intriguing. After a success in the local market, Donahue moved his show to Chicago and became a national sensation.
Music in Ohio
Controversial in every sense of the word, 1950’s music was the leading force that drove teenagers astray from their parents. Young white teens were becoming more inclined to listen to what was referred to as race music. With record sales for black artist booming, the music industry was rapidly changing.
