On WABC radio with John Gambling

John Gambling of WABC talk-radio, called and interviewed me on the air about my Monday column on a proposal by NJ business leaders to eliminate the scandalous pay-to-play games among state policians. Click here to listen:  Download WABCNY-Gambling-Kelly-11-27-07.mp3

Comments

[Margaret Gray]

I'm a sick of the old hat Imus and his name dropping and begging for his charity. I want local and tristate news and talk. I was dismayed when Kuby and Silwa were replaced because of the chuckkles in the mornigng.
And now a class act is dropped. John Gambling will sorely be missed.
I'm changing the radio dial. Not that wabc or citadel cares but I'm done.
so my husband and kids will no longer listen because I controlled the morning radio.
If you have any communcation with Mr. Gambling tell him I hope to hear him soon on another station.

[Margaret Gray]

I'm sick of the old hat Imus and his name dropping and begging for his charity. I want local and tristate news and talk. I was dismayed when Kuby and Silwa were replaced because of the chuckkles in the mornigng.
And now a class act is dropped. John Gambling will sorely be missed.
I'm changing the radio dial. Not that wabc or citadel cares but I'm done.
So my husband and kids will no longer listen because I controlled the morning radio.
If you have any communcation with Mr. Gambling tell him I hope to hear him soon on another station.

[George DiCostanzo]

We want John!

Find him a slot.

Bring back Kuby to work with Sliwa.

This entire horrible game of domino's started with Imus' return. Management did this to themselves...

Where are the shareholders?

[Tom Bridegum]

If Newstalk radio WABC was a country, it would appear that they have some secret agents conducting some serious sabotage. First, Curtis and Kuby were tossed overboard. Either one of them by himself would have been too much. Together, they were a stellar team...yes, even Kuby, whom I used to despise and came to admire. They were replaced by Mr. Mumbles, the quality of whose show is very uneven and often not very interesting, much less entertaining.

Now, they've made sound and solid John Gambling walk the plank and threw in George Weber in the bargain. Curtis by himself ain't gonna cut it.

Limbaugh is presumably safe. Maybe Hannity, too, although some of us could do without his mind-numbing repetitive blather.

I find myself switching back to that "other station" more and more often now, both in the morning and mid-afternoon.

Great moves WABC! But, you're running out of feet. What part of your broadcast anatomy are you going to shoot next?

Now, it's John Gambling.

[Rita Chamberlin]

The only reason I listened to WABC was because that's where John Gambling was -- particularly his Friday morning interviews with the Mayor. Good for the Mayor to chose not to go on with anyone else.
Now I no longer need listen to WABC. Hope John Gambling finds a "good home" soon !!

[Paula Nocella]

I was so disppointed when WABC had decided to drop the Curtis and Kuby Show but now both John Gambling and George Weber are gone. Who will be next, Mark Simone? When John was dropped by "the other station,I was devasted because I have listened to his father for years. I finally found him on WABC and I was elated. After that I found Curtis and Kuby. I have listened to WABC ever since. It was John Gambling who influenced me to listen to WABC. I now find myself listening to "the other station" again. They have a very entertaining morning show,not has great has Curtis and Kuby but better than Imus. Since Imus has been back all the great hosts have been dropped. Why Mr. Boyse are you lowering your standards? You have had such intelligent hosts with very intelligent topics. All of them will be sorely missed. I hope I find John on the air again. WABC'S statement that 2000 people called to complain about John. I think they made that false statement so as to justify their decision. Both Curtis, Kuby and John have given them great ratings. Why drop them?

[Joseph Hitzel]

john Gambling was the best thing about WABC. When the drove him away they drove me away. I dropped Rush and Sean Hanity a long time ago because they have become a broken record.

Thank God WOR still has O'rielly but that turkey that comes on after him has got to go. I am sure he is the only person who laughs at his JOKES?.

[John Schnackenberg]

What you loyal listeners are missing is what has happened to WABC recently (Imus, C&K, Gambling) is all about syndication ($$$). Radio hosts like to make a lot of money and one way to accomplish a win win situation for the host and Citadel (the owner) in this case is syndication. Pretty soon WABC will be 100% syndicated take it or leave it. That my friend, is what the empty suits in corporate radio have done to a media that we loved and trusted, local radio.

Syndication might have its place for certain shows but morning radio should be regional/local. I don’t want some guy or gal from sunny California being completely immune to my three feet of snow. I want my host to have faced the same thing I am about to on my way to work. Mornings are special, they are when we are taking a shower, eating breakfast and about to face another day at the mines. It’s a personal time and the people we let into our homes this hour of the day will gain our trust and become our friends. We will know about their spouses, kids and pets. These friends will be dependable as the morning light and will talk about issues of local interest; the national issues are covered ad nauseam all day long.

And, by the way, just a thought about loyalty.
What WABC got from me and I think quite a few others is loyalty. We had our home, work and car radios on WABC and that was it.
We liked most of what was presented; it was comfortable and dependable information and entertainment. Occasionally hosts and time slots would be adjusted and we as good family understood and maintained our loyalty. This loyalty is the mortar that binds and strengthens a stations bottom line, without it, it is just hit and miss Faird Suleman style bean counter management.
However, we longtime Loyal supporters of WABC have had it… we are not beans Mister Suleman, we were the loyal consumers that paid you that outrageous $17,000,000.

[raymond steo]

john gambling by far the most easy to listen to with more common sense and opinions and that were clear and fortwright.for shame wabc radio you have made a lot of people unhappy goodby

[Gerald Karas]

To drop the John Gambling Show and keep Imus (marble mouth) is unfathomable. Googbye WABC.

[belinda de florio]

dear people

how can you drop people the calibre of kuby and curtis silwa and now john gambling - what are you thinking

[Mr.50's]

The changes on wabc 770 radio reflect the current society--- Todays food sucks---show business sucks--- what they call music sucks---lack of competent politican's sucks--- and now radio sucks. Just reflect on the 45% rate of high school graduation in the nations big cities---That tells you everything!!!!!

[John Schnackenberg]

Mr. 50's
Aside from the use of the "suck" word that diminishes your credibility, but is in it self, a reflection of our times, I agree.
We have come a long way from argyle socks and rock and roll. Now we can watch trash TV on our phone. What would Dick Tracy say to that?

[Helen Harris]

John Gambling is a gentleman and his discussion topics were always interesting and his interviews were always respectfully handled and thought-provoking. What a loss for WABC! My radio stayed on WABC all day - not anymore. You lost me and all my extended family when you dropped Mr. Gambling and added Imus (who can listen to the mumbling and rambling?).

[John Schnackenberg]

Well it looks like big John, Gambling that is, is returning to his old stomping grounds...WOR!
Rumor is in the morning slot not sure about the exact time or who his co-hosts might be.
Stay tuned.

[Aileen Kehoe]

John Gambling was the most intelligent, well-read and well-spoken host on morning radio. What a disaster to fire him and keep Imus and Curtis Sliwa. Bring John back. I do not listen to WABC any more. But it is obvious that the listening audience does not matter to WABC.

[MR. 50's]

My use of the word "SUCKS" is right on----that sucking noise you hear is our former countries brain being lobodimized by our new society's lack of any hint of class or creativity!!!!

[Gambling]

Gambling - what a cool name. While Imus is , well, not so cool at all. What is he like 150 now?

[John Schnackenberg]

According to Allan Sniffin the Musicradio77.com guru, John Gambling will return to WOR the first week in May. There you go!

[Frank Wright]

WABC made a fatal error by replacing Curtis and Kuby
with Imus (Mumbling & Stumbling in the AM with Imus)
Along with that change Curtis cannot carry the 10am
show without Kuby. John Gambling was informative,
intelligent, and had some great guests on his show.
Once I turn off Imus at 9:05 sometimes I don't return
till after 12:00, this man will destroy your radio station...

[Richard J. Vilece, Tuxedo,N.Y>]

I have just switched my radios away from WABC with the firing of John Gambling. Imus is a waste.He mumbles most of the time.Curtis cannot carry a show by himself and be interesting Somebody at Citadel should be fired.

[Fred Steelman]

I have no idea why an intelligent, interesting person like John Gambling was replaced by Curtis Sliwa. I don't know what type of audience is attracted to Sliwa, certainly not myself. Annoying individual in my opinion with absolutely zero entertainment value.

[John Ost]

John Gambling, a radio "gem" will sorely be missed.
The Don Imus show is so annoying with the word or sound "UMMM" used 100's of times per hour. Bring back Curtiss and Kuby and John Gambling,until then I'm listening to Bennett on Sirrius radio. WABC blew it and I'm not the only one in my family that feels this way.
Please Don lets here another MIA CULPA every hour!!