Ozark Jubilee
The Ozark Jubilee was the first national country music show on television. It is responsible for popularizing the term "Country Music" which was originally called hillbilly music. It began broadcast live originally on KWTO Radio, Springfield, Missouri on July 17, 1954 and three weeks later on ABC Radio. In January 1955 it became a television show on the ABC Television Network. The first few shows were staged in the studio of KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri because there was a line capable of carrying the show to the network that had been installed for University of Missouri football games. In Springfield the program was broadcast from the Jewell Theatre. The show was hosted by Country Music Hall of Fame member Red Foley. The show drew weekly audiences in excess of 20,000,000, and was credited with launching or expanding many careers, including Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame member Brenda Lee.
The program's theme song was Hank Garland's "Sugarfoot Rag," and its on-camera announcer was Joe Slattery who would later become president of AFTRA.
The show was renamed Country Music Jubilee in 1957 and changed its name again in 1958, this time to Jubilee USA. The show's ABC run ended in 1960.
The executive producer was country music pioneer Si Siman (who discovered Chet Atkins and Porter Wagoner). Siman went on to publish such worldwide hits as "The Letter" (Boxtops), "Always On My Mind" (Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson) and "Soul Deep" (Boxtops).
The producer-director for the program was Bryan Bisney.
In 1961, NBC Television aired a spin-off called "Five Star Jubilee." The new show, shot in color, featured five country stars who took turns hosting: Carl Smith, Snooky Lanson, Tex Ritter, Rex Allen and Jimmy Wakely. It was the first color program broadcast to originate outside of New York or Hollywood. The show, taped at Springfield's Landers Theatre, was cancelled after 29 broadcasts.