About this episode

This episode discusses the launch of NBC's Monitor in 1955 amidst the changing landscape of network radio.

This episode was originally released on 6/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 116, it’s June of 1955 and network radio is in uncharted territory. TV’s encroachment has the entire industry looking for new ideas. We’ll focus on the launch of one of the most successful—Monitor—which will air in some form or fashion until January of 1975. —————————— Highlights: • The Changing Network Radio Landscape • Who Is Sylvester “Pat” Weaver? • Monitor Origins • Building the Team • Radio Central • The Soft Launch • An Auto Tragedy at Le Mans • Going to San Quentin Prison • Lots of Tunes in Remote • A Potential United Automobile Workers Strike • Dave Garroway Interviews Marilyn Monroe, live on Monitor • Fibber McGee and Gildy Too • Here’s Henry Morgan • Monitor’s Last Hour • Miss Monitor Finally Makes an Appearance • The Full Launch • Looking Ahead in Time and Space —————————— The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was…

More episodes of Breaking Walls

• BW - EP122: December With The Six Shooter (1953 - 1954) [Rewind] · May 6, 2026 · 2h 50m
• BW - EP120: Radio and The Harvest (1936 - 1954) [Rewind] · April 8, 2026 · 3h 6m
• BW - EP119: Radio and The Diner (1937 - 1965) [Rewind] · March 27, 2026 · 3h 5m
• BW - EP118: Radio and The Gas Station (1939 - 1982) [Rewind] · March 16, 2026 · 3h 42m
• BW - EP117: The Outer Limit with X-Minus-One (1955 - 1958) [Rewind] · March 5, 2026 · 2h 36m
• BW - EP115: The CBS Radio Workshop (1956 - 1957) [Rewind] · February 18, 2026 · 3h 29m

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