Say Goodnight, Gracie: The Last Years of Network Radio

A must-have for true fans of this medium.

Author Jim Cox has loaded this book with annotations, denotations, and connotations. If you want facts, "Say Goodnight Gracie" will satisfy your cravings, but sadly lacking in this book is one vital element. The element lacking is understanding. An example of which is his description of Arthur Godfrey's CBS network morning show. Godfrey's network program was an extension and elaboration of his WCBS Radio local early morning fare. Jim Cox called it a new and unique approach. It was not. On his network radio show, Arthur Godfrey was, essentially, just a disk jockey with live talent instead of records, nothing unique, nothing more than what hundreds of disk jockeys all over the country were doing every day, but with records. Godfrey was just better at it, and he was on the network (Also, Godfrey fired Julius La Rosa at the end of his RADIO show, as the TV segment had ended much earlier. Had some news outlet not reported it, probably few people would have noticed the veiled dismissal, for even La Rosa was not sure he had been fired). Professor Cox, while possessing a myriad of facts about the last days of network radio, clearly lacks an understanding of how this medium works and the ancillary influences which steer, propel, and impede its progress and evolution. He has failed to mention the monetary compensation the networks paid medium and large market outlets (these stations didn't carry the sponsored programs and commercials for nothing) and the lack of TV stations in rural areas which contributed to TV slow growth in the early 50’s. He also didn't mention the musicians union rules regarding orchestras on network programs, which explains Godfrey's live singers and orchestra in lieu of recordings. There are lots of facts here, and properly sourced, but if you want to understand what happened and why, this book won't dissolve or dilute confusion or doubt you might have.