RAMBLING WITH GAMBLING

John Gambling is back. His first show on 710 WOR debuted today. This, after a few months off the air since the Black Friday layoffs at WABC and dozens of other Citadel owned radio stations.



John sounds great. He's pumping new energy into WOR and the new branding of NEWS/TALK radio is what WOR needs in order to compete against market leader WABC. WOR needs to stay local and relevant and that's what John Gambling is doing in mornings and Steve Malsberg is doing in afternoons. They're topical, local and passionate.

I had to chuckle a few times when John gave out the old WABC listener call-in line and every once in a while said NewsTalk radio, 77 WABC. Hey, it's happened to me in the past. Try switching from a "K" station, like KGO in San Francisco and then going to a "W" station on the East coast. On one of my half hour updates on the ABC Radio Networks, I almost said, I'm George Weber, WABC news...rather than ABC news!

WHAT'S UP WITH JOHN GAMBLING

A lot of you have been asking me that, so without disturbing his privacy, here's the latest. The Former WABC mid-day talk host says he's enjoying sunny Florida with his wife and family. He's knocking golf balls around, boating, goofing off and probably enjoying some sort of Vodka drink. He loves radio, misses it dearly and I know he appreciates all of your warm thoughts and compliments. If John lands on the radio somewhere near you , I'll pass it along when it become official.