MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: SECOND ANNUAL RADIO FESTIVAL: RAMBLING WITH GAMBLING {JOHN R. GAMBLING}, WOR-AM, NEW YORK {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in this series of seminars conducted by The Museum of Television & Radio. Billed as America's longest-running radio program, "Rambling with Gambling" began in 1925 with John B. Gambling at the helm. His son, John A. Gambling took over the program in 1959, and then grandson (and current host) John R. Gambling became the host in 1991. This New York radio institution is among the city's most popular morning programs, mixing talk and interviews with news, traffic, and weather updates. This seminar, moderated by Museum radio department manager Ken Mueller and presented in New York, features the following panelists: WOR news director and "Rambling with Gambling" morning news anchor Joe Bartlett; weather reporter/co-host Lisa Lopez; helicopter traffic reporter George Meade; executive producer Robert J. Pagliaro; and host John R. Gambling (news reporter Ray Hoffman joins the seminar in progress).
Mueller begins the seminar with a presentation of audio highlights from a July 1996 broadcast of "Rambling with Gambling," and then the panelists join Mueller on stage for discussion of the following topics, among others: a brief history of the program; "Rambling with Gambling" as the source for much of today's talk radio format; a day on the job for each panelist; the local nature of the program, reflected in the kinds of guests who appear; the ratings game; the portion of the commuting audience captured by beginning the show at 5:00 a.m., an hour earlier than other morning drive-time programs; how each panelist became part of the "Rambling with Gambling" family; the importance of the "human value" each of the air personalities brings to the mix; and whether any of Gambling's three sons have expressed interest in the family business.
Questions from the seminar audience lead to comments on the following topics, among others: whether the panelists' early morning hours negatively affect their personal lives; how the show maintains its spontaneity; favorite on-air bloopers; the familial quality and values they bring to the air, and the family nature of WOR; how the very elements of the show that make it unsuitable for national syndication give it its New York edge; how politics now fit into the show, which was apolitical during Gambling's father's years at the helm; the seriousness with which Gambling treats his role as a salesman, delivering many commercial spots live on the air; plans for coverage of the upcoming elections; the program's demographics; why advertisers seem to ignore statistics showing that today's generation of older consumers are spending much more money than previous generations; and the reaction of the WOR audience to programming changes, such as the addition of Dr. Joy Browne to the morning line-up.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: October 31, 1996 12:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:26:09
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:46116
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ken Mueller … Moderator
- Joe Bartlett … Panelist
- John R. Gambling … Panelist
- Ray Hoffman … Panelist
- Lisa Lopez … Panelist
- George Meade … Panelist
- Robert J. Pagliaro … Panelist
- Joy Browne
- John A. Gambling
- John B. Gambling