Marathon for Freedom, September 23, 1951 ©

Over ten million homes were with television sets in the United States in September 1951—about 24 percent of all American households. A 12-hour TV marathon, with viewers calling in contributions on behalf of the Crusade for Freedom and Radio Free Europe, sponsored by the television network CBS and pooled with the other networks, took place on Sunday, September 23, 1951. 

The marathon featured top names in politics, business, theater, films, and broadcasting. This was the first "live" television fund appeal nationwide, with telephone contributions coming in those areas where the program was aired nationally for four-and-a-half hours and locally for 12 hours.

The live television transmission was over the American Telephone and Telegraph Co.'s recently finished $40,000,000 nationwide microwave relay system from New York to Oakland, California. This was the first time viewers on the West Coast saw New York and Washington live, and viewers on the East Coast could see Hollywood live. The NBC and ABC television networks also aired special Crusade for Freedom appeals on Sunday's network programs.

The purpose of the marathon was to gain moral and financial support from Americans for the Crusade's drive against communism. Viewers could pledge donations via telephone, telegram, or mail their contributions. In New York, $150,000 was raised through the marathon.

Ed Sullivan, who was once described as television's "best all-around product spokesman, ”was scheduled to emcee the live entertainment program. However, the last-minute television personality Steve Allen replaced him due to Sullivan's illness. From 4:30 p.m. to midnight, Steve Allen cut in on network programming, introducing national figures supporting the Crusade for Freedom.

Entertainers who were seen taking telephone calls and contributions from viewers included Ken Murray, Constance Moore, Jan Murray, Robert Merrill, Delores Gray, Mimi Benzcll, Earl Wrightson, Joe E. Lewis, the Copacabana girls, and the Latin Quarter show. Political personalities included U.S. Vice President and Mrs. Alben W. Barkley, former President Herbert Hoover, columnist Drew Pearson, and Ambassador Joseph Grew of the National Committee for Free Europe.

Art Linkletter "emceed" special half-hour segments from Hollywood relayed to the East Coast to wind up the vast outdoor rally in Los Angeles. In Holywood, during the evening show, entertainers who operated the telephones included Bob Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Wiliam Bendix, Jack Smith, Vincent Price, Marie Wilson, Ginny Simms, and J. Carroll Naish of the 1950 “Life with Luigi” radio program. One newspaper columnist wrote, “It was a successful day all around, and for West Coast television, it was the day we’ve been waiting three years for. West Coast television has taken on a new dress.”