Curtis Sliwa: John Catsimatidis Saved Us From ‘the Crypt Cumulus Had Prepared to Put Us In’ | Barrett Media (2024)

77 WABC host Curtis Sliwa was pinch-hitting for morning host Sid Rosenberg Tuesday when he mentioned his appreciation for Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis.

Sliwa began the show by mentioning that Rosenberg was absent due to filming a role for a new movie, joking that if the morning host had his way, he’d much rather be a movie star than a radio Hall of Famer.

The Guardian Angels founder then added that the fill-in position allowed him to relive dreams of hosting the morning show, adding that he recently counted up how many partners he has had in his radio career.

“I’ve had more partners in talk radio than I’ve had ex-wives. Boy, I’ve had a lot of ex-wives,” Sliwa laughed. “You could actually times it by four. We were doing the addition just the other day. I’ve had 18 partners in talk radio… I said to management here when we moved over to the new spot when John Catsimatidis and Red Apple Media became our parent company rescuing us from the crypt that Cumulus had prepared to put us into, as they had WPLJ and Nash, destroying two of the great stations in the nation.

“That wrecking crew of Cumulus wanted to destroy WABC. The most iconic call letters in the nation rescued, given another opportunity. And now number one in the nation again.”

Catsimatidis founded Red Apple Media and purchased the New York news/talker in 2019 for $12.5 million from Cumulus.

Lee Habeeb hosts Our American Stories, which features anecdotes about both average, everyday Americans, but also some of the most famous people in our country’s history. Salem Radio Network host Mike Gallagher says Lee Habeeb taught him a valuable lesson about the medium.

While welcoming Habeeb to The Mike Gallagher Show, the syndicated host shared that he learned a valuable lesson about radio from his guest.

“You made a point to me years ago that really stuck with me. Storytelling really does matter,” Gallagher said. “A good story can change hearts and minds better than even debates. Let’s face it, political talk fuels news/talk.

“News/talk is the number one format in radio today. People tune to us for breaking news, what to make of it all, and they wanna hear a good political debate. But storytelling is so important.”

Habeeb said that the perception that America has never been more divided, but history and stories on his program prove otherwise, sharing a story of Benjamin Franklin imprisoning his own son for not agreeing with the founding father’s stance on the creation of the country. He said similar stories he can cite help change the narratives that are so prevalent in media today.

E. Jean Carroll was recently awarded $83.3 million in damages after winning a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump. She subsequently went on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow and joked about what she would purchase with her newfound winnings. That didn’t sit well with Grace Curley.

On Tuesday’s episode of The Grace Curley Show, the syndicated host argued Maddow revealed her bias by laughing and joking with Carroll about the situation.

“The left is so obsessed with Trump that they’re celebrating this as a win. You would think they won $83 million. The women of The View came out to Donald Trump’s theme song from The Apprentice…E. Jean Carroll is excited about this. And she goes on with Rachel Maddow, who is also over the moon about this news that Donald Trump is going to have to pay this woman $83 million.”

In Maddow’s interview with Carroll, the author joked she would purchase a penthouse in France for the MSNBC anchor with her winnings.

“Does the left really not understand how encouraging this is not a good idea? I don’t think they’re dumb. And Rachel Maddow was visibly uncomfortable sitting there. She’s a ‘journalist’, she’s ‘delivering the truth to the American people’, and she’s laughing alongside this cook…it’s so funny to them because it’s all an effort to get Donald Trump. The ends justify the means.”

Both CNN and MSNBC spent extensive time covering the verdict won by Carroll, with both networks seeing an uptick in viewership as the verdict was announced.

KMOX in St. Louis has added Red Apple Audio Network’s overnight show The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano to its daily lineup.

Originating from 77 WABC in New York, the overnight program broadcasts from 1-5 AM ET on nearly 20 stations. The program will air each weekday on the Audacy-owned St. Louis news/talk station.

“We are excited to air The Other Side of Midnight with Frank Morano. We were looking for a live, informative, interactive, and entertaining show that will rekindle the joy of overnight radio,” said KMOX Brand Manager Steve Moore.

“I’m excited to join the KMOX line-up and bring live programming to overnights in St. Louis,” added Morano. “St. Louis is a terrific market and KMOX is a legendary talk station, with an incredible audience and history that goes back nearly a century. I’m looking forward to being a big part of their history whenthe chapteron their next century is written. We’re going to have a blast.”