Post by musicradio77 on Oct 10, 2005 18:17:56 GMT -5
By DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
It was five years ago this month that WOR (710 AM) stunned city radio by not renewing the contract of John Gambling, which abruptly ended 75 years of Gamblings in the morning on WOR.
Gambling still sounds like he's not quite sure why that happened - his ratings were consistently strong - but he was soon picked up by rival WABC (770 AM) for 10 a.m.-noon, and both he and the station today say they couldn't be happier.
"I have great memories of WOR," says Gambling. "I spent a lot of my life there and I still see my friends. But truthfully, I didn't even realize this was the anniversary. I've never looked back and I've never felt better about what I do on the radio."
"John's done a terrific job," says WABC program director Phil Boyce. "Once he understood what we wanted here, he became a strong addition."
"The main difference here is they want my opinions," Gambling says. "I'm taking a political and social position. I did that to some extent at WOR, but it was played down. Here, it's played up. That's a 180-degree turn."
He still builds show segments on interviews, but even those, he says, are different.
"I still want interviews to be informative," he says. "I'm not an ideologue in the sense that's my be-all and end-all. But now I'll use the information to start a discussion, bringing listeners in."
Boyce suggests Sept. 11 was a turning point for Gambling, and Gambling agrees.
"It changed me, as I think it changed all of us," he says. "It focused me on the struggle between what I believe to be good and evil. If I can do anything to diminish those responsible for 9/11, that's what I'm about. It's a central part of my work now."
Terrorism issues like border security are a recurring theme, though he also takes on stories of the day, like Hurricane Katrina or avian flu. The Terri Schiavo case, he says, gave him a particularly interesting few weeks.
"I took a different position than some other conservative hosts," he says. "And I was surprised at the reaction. I had threats, I had people telling me I'd burn in hell.
"It didn't bother me. But it shows you people really pay attention to what you say on the radio - which is good."
Also good is getting up later.
"Until I left WOR, I never realized how exhausted I was from getting up at 3 a.m. for 15 years," he says. "Getting up at 6:45 changes my whole outlook and attitude. It's great."
"I still don't know why WOR decided not to renew him," says Boyce. "But it's worked out very nicely for us."
BOB SHANNON RETURNS: Bob Shannon, longtime afternoon host on WCBS-FM (101.1), will resurface Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., on Long Island oldies station WLNG (92.1 FM).
"Behind the Hits," co-hosted by Shannon and his wife, Connie T. Empress, starts tomorrow.
Shannon is also working with a European satellite radio network called VIP Radio doing a Sunday show on 1965-1979 urban music. He'll be followed on the air there by dick Heatherton, a fellow WCBS-FM veteran.
VIP Radio plans to start streaming in December, with the satellite launch in January. Check it out at vipradio.net.
AROUND THE DIAL: New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Jon Corzine and Doug Forrester debate live tomorrow night at 7:30 from the studios of WKXW (101.5 FM). ... WKCR (89.9 FM) plays 24 hours of Thelonious Monk today. ...WFUV (90.7 FM) features Jackson Browne tomorrow. ...Leonard Lopate of WNYC (93.9 FM, 820 AM) talks with Carol Channing Wednesday, noon-2 p.m., about her new act, "The First 80 Years Are the Hardest." ... Delbert McClinton may be a regular with Imus on WFAN, but he'll also play live Wednesday on WFDU (89.1 FM) with Bob Putignano, whose show runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
It was five years ago this month that WOR (710 AM) stunned city radio by not renewing the contract of John Gambling, which abruptly ended 75 years of Gamblings in the morning on WOR.
Gambling still sounds like he's not quite sure why that happened - his ratings were consistently strong - but he was soon picked up by rival WABC (770 AM) for 10 a.m.-noon, and both he and the station today say they couldn't be happier.
"I have great memories of WOR," says Gambling. "I spent a lot of my life there and I still see my friends. But truthfully, I didn't even realize this was the anniversary. I've never looked back and I've never felt better about what I do on the radio."
"John's done a terrific job," says WABC program director Phil Boyce. "Once he understood what we wanted here, he became a strong addition."
"The main difference here is they want my opinions," Gambling says. "I'm taking a political and social position. I did that to some extent at WOR, but it was played down. Here, it's played up. That's a 180-degree turn."
He still builds show segments on interviews, but even those, he says, are different.
"I still want interviews to be informative," he says. "I'm not an ideologue in the sense that's my be-all and end-all. But now I'll use the information to start a discussion, bringing listeners in."
Boyce suggests Sept. 11 was a turning point for Gambling, and Gambling agrees.
"It changed me, as I think it changed all of us," he says. "It focused me on the struggle between what I believe to be good and evil. If I can do anything to diminish those responsible for 9/11, that's what I'm about. It's a central part of my work now."
Terrorism issues like border security are a recurring theme, though he also takes on stories of the day, like Hurricane Katrina or avian flu. The Terri Schiavo case, he says, gave him a particularly interesting few weeks.
"I took a different position than some other conservative hosts," he says. "And I was surprised at the reaction. I had threats, I had people telling me I'd burn in hell.
"It didn't bother me. But it shows you people really pay attention to what you say on the radio - which is good."
Also good is getting up later.
"Until I left WOR, I never realized how exhausted I was from getting up at 3 a.m. for 15 years," he says. "Getting up at 6:45 changes my whole outlook and attitude. It's great."
"I still don't know why WOR decided not to renew him," says Boyce. "But it's worked out very nicely for us."
BOB SHANNON RETURNS: Bob Shannon, longtime afternoon host on WCBS-FM (101.1), will resurface Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., on Long Island oldies station WLNG (92.1 FM).
"Behind the Hits," co-hosted by Shannon and his wife, Connie T. Empress, starts tomorrow.
Shannon is also working with a European satellite radio network called VIP Radio doing a Sunday show on 1965-1979 urban music. He'll be followed on the air there by dick Heatherton, a fellow WCBS-FM veteran.
VIP Radio plans to start streaming in December, with the satellite launch in January. Check it out at vipradio.net.
AROUND THE DIAL: New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Jon Corzine and Doug Forrester debate live tomorrow night at 7:30 from the studios of WKXW (101.5 FM). ... WKCR (89.9 FM) plays 24 hours of Thelonious Monk today. ...WFUV (90.7 FM) features Jackson Browne tomorrow. ...Leonard Lopate of WNYC (93.9 FM, 820 AM) talks with Carol Channing Wednesday, noon-2 p.m., about her new act, "The First 80 Years Are the Hardest." ... Delbert McClinton may be a regular with Imus on WFAN, but he'll also play live Wednesday on WFDU (89.1 FM) with Bob Putignano, whose show runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m.