Monitor was a weekend radio program broadcast from June 12,
1955 until January 26, 1975. Airing live and nationwide on the
NBC Radio Network, it originally aired beginning Saturday
morning at 8am and continuing through the weekend until 12
midnight on Sunday. However, after the first few months, the
full weekend broadcast was shortened when the midnight-to-
dawn hours were dropped since few NBC stations carried it.
The program offered a magazine-of-the-air mix of news, sports,
comedy, variety, music, celebrity interviews and other short
segments (along with records, usually of popular middle-of-the-
road songs, especially in its later years). Its length and eclectic
format were radical departures from the traditional radio shows.
The show was the brainchild of legendary NBC radio and
television network president Sylvester (Pat) Weaver
On January 25 and 26, 1975, Monitor spent its last 12 hours
looking back on its 20-year history of more than 20,000-plus
hours with hosts Big Wilson and John Bartholomew Tucker.
Many clips were played, including Dave Garroway’s interview
with Marilyn Monroe on the show’s first day, Frank McGee’s
talk with Martin Luther King Jr. in the early 1960s, Bob and
Ray spoofing “Miss Monitor” and reporter Helen Hall riding
on a roller-coaster. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Monitor Sunday afternoon and evening staff in Radio Central, 1957.
From left: Frank Gallop, Lorna Lynn (Monitor Medley Girl), Dave Garroway, Tedi Thurman (Miss Monitor), and Ben Grauer.
