John A. Gambling — host of Rambling with Gambling on WOR/New York City — entertained morning radio listeners six days a week for over 30 years.
John Alfred Gambling (February 5, 1930 — January 8, 2004) was an American radio personality. He was a member of the Gambling family, three generations of whom — John B., John A. were hosts of WOR Radio’s (New York City, 710 AM) morning show Rambling with Gambling (now known as The John Gambling Show) over the course of more than 75 years (1925–2000 and 2008–2013).
After Dartmouth, he became production assistant for his father, John B. Gambling, and later filled in for him on occasion — until 1959 when John B. retired and John A. took over the program. Morning drive-time “easy listening” evolved into “all talk” and included weather, consumer reports, sportscasts with personality and the first helicopter traffic reports on radio.
According to columnist and fan James Brady, John’s “incorrigible optimism” is his on-air trademark and unofficial motto. Sportscaster Don Criqui has observed “what you hear on the air is what he is off the air — I’ve never seen him have a bad day.” It is known that John A. Gambling was always genuinely fond of the competition — another part of what made him the outstanding broadcaster he was and is.
- Rambling with Gambling with Radio Legend John R. Gambling & Host Alexandra Janelli. Alexandra Janelli has a heart-to-heart talk with her uncle, radio legend Mr. Gambling, who was part of the longest running radio talk show in New York City which spanned three generations of Gambling Men.
- Gambling’s Grandfather John B. Gambling started a morning program on WOR in 1925. He was followed by his son John A. Gambling in 1959. He brought his son John R. Gambling to the microphone in 1985 as co-host, and then the solo host starting in 1991.
When John A. retired in 1991, his son, John R. Gambling, continued as host of the morning show on WOR/New York until September 2000. Three generations on the radio… “radio’s oldest dynasty” they’ve been called. Quite a legacy.
John A. Gambling died on January 8, 2004 of heart failure.
He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2000.
John Raymond Gambling[1] (born April 8, 1950) is an American radio personality. He is the son of John A. Gambling and the grandson of John B. Gambling, and as such is, the third-generation host of The Gambling family’s very-long-running New York morning radio show. Through most of its run the show has been titled Rambling with Gambling, iterations from 2008 to 2016 were instead branded as The John Gambling Show.
Career[edit]
John Gambling Radio Host Married
Gambling joined his father as co-host of Rambling with Gambling in 1985, and took over as sole host in 1991 after his father’s retirement. When WOR ended Rambling with Gambling in 2000 after 75 years on the air, John R. Gambling moved up the dial to WABC, taking over the post-morning-drive 10 am — noon slot. Gambling was fired by WABC on February 29, 2008 in a cost-cutting move.[2]
On April 30, 2008, WOR announced the return of John R. Gambling to its air waves in his old morning-drive timeslot starting May 5, 2008. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also moved to WOR, joining Gambling on a one-hour segment, Fridays from 8–9 am.[3] To make room for Gambling, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s ex-wife Donna Hanover left the station. Politically, Gambling describes himself as a ‘moderate conservative’; as such, he differs from the orthodox movement conservatism of most of his former colleagues on WABC.[citation needed]
Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City appeared on Gambling’s program each Friday from 8–9 am discussing current issues in the city. After Gambling was terminated, Bloomberg called him ‘a class act’.[4] Bloomberg declined to continue to appear on WABC with Curtis Sliwa who took over the time slot, and opted instead to rejoin Gambling on WOR. (As it happens, the financial services company founded by Bloomberg is owner of a different New York station, WBBR, but he has stayed off his own station’s airwaves all during his administration in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.)[citation needed]
On December 20, 2013 John R. Gambling did his last morning show on WOR after announcing his retirement from broadcasting (Gambling was effectively forced out as iHeartMedia purchased the station, and was replaced by the duo of Todd Schnitt and Len Berman). Gambling emerged as a host on AM 970 WNYM from 2014 to 2016; he decided to permanently retire from broadcasting, citing chronic knee problems resulting from an accident.[5] With this, because of the fact that he also had no sons named John to continue a show, the 91-year run of Rambling with Gambling came to an end.
Notes[edit]
- ^’Miss Christine Anna Billhardt Is Bride of John R. Gambling’. The New York Times. August 2, 1970. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
- ^Hinckley, David (March 1, 2008). ‘WABC Fires John Gambling’. New York Daily News.
- ^Hinckley, David (April 30, 2008). ‘WOR Bets Again on John Gambling’. New York Daily News.
- ^Huff, Richard; Danis, Kirsten (March 6, 2008). ‘Radio gig still up in air as Mayor Michael Bloomberg avoids mic’. New York Daily News.
- ^http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/157769/john-gambling-retires-from-wnym-am-970-the-answer-
John Gambling Radio Host Youtube
External links[edit]
Retrieved from ‘https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_R._Gambling&oldid=973401740'
