In those areas, as well as rural areas and some entire states, network radio remained the sole nationally broadcast service.[1] NBC's venerable Fred Allen saw his ratings plummet when he was pitted against upstart ABC's game show Stop The Music!; within weeks, he was dropped by longtime sponsor Ford Motor Company and was shortly gone from the scene.[91] Radio powerhouse Bob Hope's ratings plunged from a 23.8 share in 1949 to 5.4 in 1953.[92] By 1952, "death seemed imminent for network radio" in its familiar form;[93] most tellingly, the big sponsors were eager for the switch.