Ed Sullivan & Dick Clark: The TV Music Pioneers Who Broke Cultural Barriers

A New York newspaper entertainment columnist with an uncharismatic on-camera presence, a stiff appearance, and a somewhat nasally delivery became one of the most influential figures in television and a tastemaker in show business at large.

Or, who would want to watch a bunch of teenagers dancing on television while a radio disc jockey hawked pimple cream? That, no doubt, is a question that dogged executives and critics alike.