Who is often credited — or blamed — for the talk radio we have today? Legendary pioneering talk radio host Bob Grand who has died at 84. But those who lump Grant in with the angry, red-faced, name calling talkers of today miss a subtle point about Grant: he wasn’t the same as the talkers of today and it wasn’t just generational. To those in the business, above all, Grant was a professional broadcaster who developed a schtick but above all remained a broadcaster. Shock jock? Listen to his bits and yes. But he seemed to have a joy of broadcasting, unlike many talkers today.
From his bio, posted on the Branchburg Funeral Home site:
Bob Grant, legendary conservative talk radio host who entertained and informed legions of fans during an on-air career that spanned more than 50 years, died peacefully, in Hillsborough, NJ, on Tuesday, December 31, 2013 after a short illness; he was 84 years old. Born Robert Ciro Gigante in Chicago in 1929, he was a 1946 graduate of Steinmetz High School, and following that, the University of Illinois. He served in the Illinois Army National Guard in 1948-49 as part of the 132nd Infantry Regiment in Chicago and in the U.S. Navy Reserves from 1950-58 attached to the Naval Air Station at Glenview, IL
His broadcasting career began in the late 1940’s at WBBM in Chicago. He moved to Los Angeles where he hosted radio and television talk shows on KNX. In the mid 1960s he first developed his confrontational talk radio style at KABC with a focus on politics and conservative issues. He relocated to New York City in 1970 and joined the talk radio team at WMCA. From there, his career took off, and included successful stops at WOR and WWDB in Philadelphia. In 1984 he was selected to anchor WABC radios new all talk format as its afternoon drive show host.
Bob’s radio shows were always entertaining and passionate. Along the way he interviewed countless political leaders and celebrities and inspired a generation of political talk radio hosts now working around the country. Bob lived his life in accordance with one of his radio mantras: “Straight ahead!” He was an unapologetic and fierce supporter of conservative values, the U.S. military, law enforcement, and the nation of Israel. He loved his country, his family, and his Italian heritage, and often spoke on the radio about the many contributions made by Italian-Americans to the United States. He published his memoirs “Let’s be Heard” in 1996. That same year he was the recipient of the “Freedom of Speech Award” of the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts.
He had his fill of widely publicized controversies, suffering the consquences of his words and losing high profile jobs, then surfacing again.
There was an important difference between Bob Grant and the talk show hosts of today. I noted it on a Facebook page today:
My mother LOVED Bob Grant. She didn’t care what he really said, she just loved the show and she is apolitical (she’s 92 now and doesn’t listen to talk radio). I listened to him a lot when I was a teen and college student visiting my parents in CT. With Grant, you could totally disagree with him and he’d yell, etc but it seemed in a different kind of tone than current angry left and right talkers whose anger seems real and personal.
And here’s what it was: his was more like someone with a fixed perspective who lost his patience. Or you sensed that it was truly part of a shtick.
Liberal talker Alan Colmes nailed it:
Robert Ciro Gigante, as he was originally known, was one of the greats in the broadcasting business. He was a conservative who appealed to listeners with a wide range of political beliefs, very much like today’s right-wing talking point hosts. He was, for example, pro-choice on abortion, and often did segments that had nothing to do with politics. We likely shall never see his likes again.
Bob did his schtick with a twinkle in his eye, not that he didn’t believe the things he said. Once, when we worked together at WABC, where he did afternoons and I did mornings, he went on a long, what I thought to be vicious, tirade about me. When I next saw him I asked why he would do such a thing. He smiled and kindly replied, “because you don’t agree with me and the things I say, that’s all.”
Broadcasters can only aspire to be as informed, as entertaining, and as popular as Bob Grant.
Y-E-S.
And R.I.P.
Love him or hate him (and the jury is always split): here’s a collection of Bob Grant:
Follow more reaction from blogs HERE.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.