monitor not returning from power saving mode Debian etch

The situation is as follows: The monitor displays POST, then LILO, then booting, but somewhere in the init process the monitor shuts off and remains off until it wakes up on shutdown -r now, at which point one can switch between virtual consoles and see the messages that root has echoed to for instance /dev/tty4. Any ideas? It's not a wiring problem. -- But some very large rats, Ate his coats and his hats, While that futile old gentleman dozed. http://cronos.advenge.com/pc/nonsense/nonsense27.html