John Gambling Radio Host
Mayor Bloomberg and John Gambling. (Photo: Flickr/nycmayorsoffice)
John Gambling, the WOR radio host famous in New York’s political world for co-hosting a weekly show with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is leaving his post just a handful of days before Mr. Bloomberg leaves office at end of the year.
John Gambling Radio Host Fired
BUCKLEY Talk WOR-A/NEW YORK adds longtime NEW YORK radio personality JJ KENNEDY as traffic and weather reporter for mornings on the JOHN GAMBLING show. KENNEDY, who will be in-studio with GAMBLING.
Mr. Gambling, 63, made the announcement early this morning on the air.
From 2001-2008, John was host of The John Gambling Show on WABC/New York, where he welcomed New York City Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg to the show every Friday. After graduating from Boston University with a BS in Communications, John began his career in 1973 as a Research and Promotion Director at WROR in Boston. John Alfred Gambling, the legendary host of the “Rambling With Gambling” radio show, died on Jan. 8 from heart failure. The news and talk program, which debuted in 1925 on New York radio station 710 WOR-AM, was originally hosted by his father, John Bradley Gambling. Gambling decided to end his family's record-breaking 88-year run hosting a live morning radio show, there was bound to be talk - especially in the hyperpartisan world of talk radio. 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).
John Gambling Radio Host Married
“It’s just a lifestyle that’s tired me out. As I think I’ve said to you before, I get so uncomfortable with going to bed at 7 o’clock at night and leaving my wife all alone,” he said of the decision. “I jokingly say that I suspect she has an entire different family somewhere because I would have absolutely no way of knowing.”
Still, Mr. Gambling, who said he decided to retire on October 1 and was asked to keep it quiet until today, celebrated his “27 glorious years” running a morning radio show in the city and 40 years in the business.
“[It] is an opportunity that few ever have. It has been one that I have cherished,” he said, adding that there are “so many options” about what he’ll do next.
“It was a decision I didn’t come to quickly or easily, but I am thrilled with the decision,” he reflected. “I am absolutely ecstatic about the idea of spending the winter in Florida.”
Mr. Gambling, who followed in his father’s footsteps, also noted that, “It will be the first time in 88 years that there will not be a Gambling on New York radio.”
Mr. Gambling seemed to get on especially well with Mr. Bloomberg, putting the mayor at ease and creating a long record of controversial, off-hand statements on topics of the day, ranging from suggesting New Yorkers go to the bathroom less frequently to requiring that all public housing residents be fingerprinted–to name two recent examples.
The host’s last day will be Friday, December 20.
WOR says they have begun the search for a new morning show, which “will be announced soon.”