On the 5th of November 1956 The Nat King Cole Show first aired on NBC. This was the first TV show in the US to be hosted by an African-American.

The program had seemed to have all the ingredients necessary for success. It had top notch production values, booked the very best musical and variety talent in the land as guests, and in Nat had a host who was one of the most popular and personable singers in the world. But the one thing it did not have, and was never able to get, was a national sponsor. – The Nat King Cole Show