Text size:

Air Bloomberg abruptly goes silent

By David Freedlander, amNewYork Staff Writer
More stories | dfreedlander@am-ny.com

March 6, 2008

For once, the mayor has nothing to say.

Fans of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's weekly call-in show may be surprised today when Hizzoner is nowhere on the radio dial.

The mayor had appeared nearly every week of his two terms on WABC770 AM's John R. Gambling's Friday call-in show.

Gambling, though, was abruptly dismissed after last week's show, leaving the mayor with a radio silence, at least temporarily.

"The mayor likes the opportunity to talk to New Yorkers, to talk about what he's done that week," said Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser. "He can move beyond the sound bites and short quotes that TV news and radio news and print news leave him with."

The mayor has no timetable for when he'll go back on the air with another host.

WABC replaced Gambling with its longtime radio personality Curtis Sliwa, who is expected to syndicate the show nationally. Sliwa had lost his previous radio gig at the station to Don Imus in December.

Loeser did say that they have received a couple of offers and are weighing their options. His advice to fans of the show:

"Stay tuned."