For two decades starting in 1955, millions of Americans spent their weekends listening to an extraordinary radio program–NBC’s “Monitor.”

Running continuously from Saturday morning through Sunday night, “Monitor” featured big-name hosts like Dave Garroway, Hugh Downs, Gene Rayburn, Ed McMahon, Henry Morgan, Barry Nelson, Joe Garagiola, Bill Cullen, Jim Lowe and Murray the K–all broadcasting from mammoth studios called “Radio Central.”

“Monitor” spotlighted a galaxy of feature reporters such as Arlene Francis, Gene Shalit, Bob Considine and Mel Allen. Comedy came from Bob and Ray, Nichols and May and Ernie Kovacs–and “Miss Monitor” gave her unforgettable weather forecasts.

This is the vastly expanded, revised edition of Dennis Hart’s inside look at “Monitor.” Included are doz