▁( the ▁A . C . ▁N iel sen ▁Company ▁would ▁not ▁begin ▁meas uring ▁TV ▁ratings ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 0 ), ▁An ac in ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁chance ▁and ▁spons or ▁the ▁show . ▁ ▁This ▁decision ▁wor ried ▁the ▁advert ising ▁execut ives ▁at ▁An ac in , ▁who ▁thought ▁that ▁they ▁might ▁be ▁was ting ▁money ▁by ▁spons oring ▁a ▁show ▁with ▁a ▁sparse ▁audience . ▁ ▁A ▁simple , ▁non - s cient ific ▁scheme ▁to ▁gauge ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁audience ▁was ▁h atch ed . ▁ ▁During ▁one ▁commercial ▁spot , ▁An ac in ▁offered ▁a ▁free ▁pocket ▁mirror ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁ 2 0 0 ▁view ers ▁who ▁wrote ▁in ▁request ing ▁one . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁pre ca ution , ▁they ▁purchased ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 4 0 0 ▁mirror s ▁in ▁case ▁the ▁audience ▁was ▁twice ▁as ▁large ▁as ▁they ▁expected . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁free ▁mirror ▁was ▁offered ▁only ▁during ▁that ▁one ▁spot , ▁An ac in ▁received ▁nearly ▁ 9 0 0 0 ▁requests ▁for ▁mirror s . ▁ ▁E pisode ▁status ▁Before ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁Mary ▁Kay ▁and ▁Johnny ▁was ▁broadcast ▁live ▁and ▁not ▁recorded . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁still ▁broadcast ▁live , ▁the ▁show ▁was ▁also ▁recorded ▁on ▁k ines cop es ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁shown , ▁with ▁some ▁delay , ▁on ▁the ▁West ▁Coast . ▁The ▁entire ▁series ▁from ▁then ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 0