Dennis Hart

Monitor: the Last Great Radio Show Dennis Hart

This is the inside story of network radio's greatest program -- Monitor. Born in 1955 out of inspiration and desperation, "Monitor" became a smash hit with audiences and advertisers. The NBC weekend extravaganza -- which started as a 40-hour long program -- featured big-name hosts such as Dave Garroway, Hugh Downs, Frank Blair, Frank McGee, Gene Rayburn, David Wayne, Ed McMahon, Henry Morgan, Mel Allen, Monty Hall, David Brinkley, Hal March, Barry Nelson, Jim Lowe, Joe Garagiola, Murray the K, Bill Cullen and many others. Broadcasting from mammoth NBC studios called "Radio Central," Monitor featured a continuous flow of news, sports, comedy, variety and live remotes from around the country and around the world. It also featured "Miss Monitor," who gave weather forecasts in a way no one had ever heard before. Monitor was the first network radio show designed for a mobile audience -- listeners could tune in wherever they were, at any time during the weekend, and hear something "new and different" every few minutes. For nearly 20 years, Monitor kept listeners in instantaneous touch with anything of interest or importance happening in the world. This is the fascinating Monitor story -- from its creation by legendary NBC programmer Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver Jr., to never-before told anecdotes about Monitor's hosts and featured players. New interviews with Monitor hosts and staff members provide an engrossing and entertaining look at The Last Great Radio Show.