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WABC: Morano, Sliwa, Weiner off 770

Bumping the thread up because:

Frank Morano is projected to win the special election for a vacant NY City Council seat from Staten Island. He will serve for the remainder of this year at least, and he plans to run again for a full four-year term in the November elections.

So, Morano's radio career, at least in NYC, is officially on hiatus. And for what it's worth, he did it without the public support of his WABC boss: Catsimatidis endorsed one of his opponents, Griffin Fossella.
 
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"The Other Side of Midnight" is syndicated to about a dozen radio stations that don't take either "Coast to Coast AM" or "Red Eye Radio," the more popular overnight offerings. The affiliate list includes a few 50,000-watt Audacy News/Talk stations: WCCO 830 Minneapolis and 1120/104.1 KMOX St. Louis.

I wonder if Morano will try to continue serving those stations as long as he can, even though he isn't heard in New York? Will he try to do both jobs for a while even though the radio gig requires him to be on the air overnight?

He won the special election with 59% of the vote. Catsimatidis' candidate came in third. Morano once worked for the Staten Island Republican he is replacing, who stepped down to take a consultant's job.
 
Gregg. said:
"The Other Side of Midnight" is syndicated to about a dozen radio stations that don't take either "Coast to Coast AM" or "Red Eye Radio," the more popular overnight offerings. The affiliate list includes a few 50,000-watt Audacy News/Talk stations: WCCO 830 Minneapolis and 1120/104.1 KMOX St. Louis.

I wonder if Morano will try to continue serving those stations as long as he can, even though he isn't heard in New York? Will he try to do both jobs for a while even though the radio gig requires him to be on the air overnight?

He won the special election with 59% of the vote. Catsimatidis' candidate came in third. Morano once worked for the Staten Island Republican he is replacing, who stepped down to take a consultant's job.
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WGN also carries "The Other Side of Midnight", and there's WABC's own Red Apple Audio Network as well.

Here's the thing: NYC City Council is pretty much a full-time position year-round. Hearings and meetings take place in the daytime, and he also has a young family at home. If he thinks he can juggle all of that and still do an overnight radio show, he will soon learn the hard way.

As for the election, Morano won in one of the reddest, MAGA-friendly areas of NYC. Between him and Griffin Fossella, it was a contest to see who was more MAGA than the other.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
WGN also carries "The Other Side of Midnight", and there's WABC's own Red Apple Audio Network as well.

Here's the thing: NYC City Council is pretty much a full-time position year-round. Hearings and meetings take place in the daytime, and he also has a young family at home. If he thinks he can juggle all of that and still do an overnight radio show, he will soon learn the hard way.

As for the election, Morano won in one of the reddest, MAGA-friendly areas of NYC. Between him and Griffin Fossella, it was a contest to see who was more MAGA than the other.
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WABC already has an alternate show from 2–4a with James Flippin. It would only be logical for them to just give Morano's entire shift and syndicated show to Flippin sooner than later.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
So, Morano's radio career, at least in NYC, is officially on hiatus. And for what it's worth, he did it without the public support of his WABC boss: Catsimatidis endorsed one of his opponents, Griffin Fossella.
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Not only that, but he would routinely make sarcastic and snide comments about Frank while supporting Fossella.
It seemed he was irritated with Frank running. Frank also criticized Cats by saying he was supporting a kid who just helped putting up posters when Cats was running for mayor.
I thought it was a gutsy move.
To Cats credit he didnt fire him or Sid who also openly supported Morano against Cats' candidate.
 
MacjT said:
Not only that, but he would routinely make sarcastic and snide comments about Frank while supporting Fossella.
It seemed he was irritated with Frank running. Frank also criticized Cats by saying he was supporting a kid who just helped putting up posters when Cats was running for mayor.
I thought it was a gutsy move.
To Cats credit he didnt fire him or Sid who also openly supported Morano against Cats' candidate.
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I wouldn't take any of that seriously, it's all political smack talk. And I wouldn't be surprised if Catsimatidis secretly donated to Morano while publicly supporting Fossella.

Cats wants so hard to be the Trump of NYC, he expects everyone to bow and kiss his ring. And let's not forget he maneuvered to get his daughter installed as chair of the New York County (Manhattan) Republican Party.
 
Nathan Obral said:
WABC already has an alternate show from 2–4a with James Flippin. It would only be logical for them to just give Morano's entire shift and syndicated show to Flippin sooner than later.
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So you suggest Flippin also gets the 1 to 5 a.m. nationally syndicated job too?

I guess Red Apple Media will have to make a decision about that national show. I wonder what that's going to sound like if during the day, Morano has to be part of a long New York City Council meeting or hearing?
 
According to Frank's FB recent post, he's off the air for the foreseeable future until the "legal department" figures out what he can do.

"Unfortunately, I’ve been informed by station management that I’ll be off the air indefinitely while the station and network work through what I’m able to do going forward—especially in light of the recent election, the upcoming June primary, and a few other factors the legal department is still reviewing."

Frank Morano

Some news. As many of you know, I was planning to be back on the radio tonight (technically early Thursday morning). Unfortunately, I’ve been informed by station management that I’ll be off the air...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

I think its more a case of the legal department attempting to figure out how they can divorce themselves of Frank with as little expense as possible. I cannot imagine a nationally syndicated show creates an equal-time provision requirement -- it isn't as if listeners in Nevada are going to be voting for him.

I've also seen language from various sources which state a councilman cannot have any other job. I'm not quite sure about the legality of such language. It would seem to be a civil rights violation in my opinion.

Overall I think Frank will be a good councilman. He really shined in the one and only debate between him and the other two candidates, demonstrated he has a commanding grasp of issues and was able to think on his feet. Normally I would have thought his ties to various criminal elements and mob associates would have hurt him, but maybe those things are a badge of merit in NY.
 
_Methuselah said:
According to Frank's FB recent post, he's off the air for the foreseeable future until the "legal department" figures out what he can do.

"Unfortunately, I’ve been informed by station management that I’ll be off the air indefinitely while the station and network work through what I’m able to do going forward—especially in light of the recent election, the upcoming June primary, and a few other factors the legal department is still reviewing."

Frank Morano

Some news. As many of you know, I was planning to be back on the radio tonight (technically early Thursday morning). Unfortunately, I’ve been informed by station management that I’ll be off the air...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

I think its more a case of the legal department attempting to figure out how they can divorce themselves of Frank with as little expense as possible. I cannot imagine a nationally syndicated show creates an equal-time provision requirement -- it isn't as if listeners in Nevada are going to be voting for him.

I've also seen language from various sources which state a councilman cannot have any other job. I'm not quite sure about the legality of such language. It would seem to be a civil rights violation in my opinion.

Overall I think Frank will be a good councilman. He really shined in the one and only debate between him and the other two candidates, demonstrated he has a commanding grasp of issues and was able to think on his feet. Normally I would have thought his ties to various criminal elements and mob associates would have hurt him, but maybe those things are a badge of merit in NY.
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New York is largely a liberal, progressive city (despite what others may tell you) and as a Trump-supporting libertarian, Morano is in the minority. That may work well on Staten Island but not elsewhere in the city.

As far as "these other factors" keeping him off the air on WABC, the NYC Conflict of Interest Board makes it very clear. As a public servant, Morano is basically barred from outside income for the duration of his stay in the City Council. He may want to stay, but he and Red Apple will need to part ways. The sooner, the better.
 
_Methuselah said:
...Normally I would have thought his ties to various criminal elements and mob associates would have hurt him, but maybe those things are a badge of merit in NY.
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No, I think most New Yorkers realize it's near impossible not to have ties to "criminal elements and mob associates" when you've lived in the NYC area for any length of time.

I grew up just across the City Line and have lived in Silicon Valley for over 40 years, but I went to school with kids who were the children of the aforementioned people. (One of whom got shot dead in front of his house in a mob hit when I was in elementary school. I used to ride my bike to school past that house.) So am I also "mob-connected"? My point is, they are people. They come into restaurants or delis because they have to eat. They need gas or repairs for their cars. They need their clothes cleaned occasionally. Depending on how you define "ties to", nearly everyone knows someone.
 
Weiserguy said:
No, I think most New Yorkers realize it's near impossible not to have ties to "criminal elements and mob associates" when you've lived in the NYC area for any length of time.

I grew up just across the City Line and have lived in Silicon Valley for over 40 years, but I went to school with kids who were the children of the aforementioned people. (One of whom got shot dead in front of his house in a mob hit when I was in elementary school. I used to ride my bike to school past that house.) So am I also "mob-connected"? My point is, they are people. They come into restaurants or delis because they have to eat. They need gas or repairs for their cars. They need their clothes cleaned occasionally. Depending on how you define "ties to", nearly everyone knows someone.
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And sometimes you know someone and you have no idea what else they're up to.
 
Weiserguy said:
I grew up just across the City Line and have lived in Silicon Valley for over 40 years, but I went to school with kids who were the children of the aforementioned people. (One of whom got shot dead in front of his house in a mob hit when I was in elementary school. I used to ride my bike to school past that house.) So am I also "mob-connected"? My point is, they are people. They come into restaurants or delis because they have to eat. They need gas or repairs for their cars. They need their clothes cleaned occasionally. Depending on how you define "ties to", nearly everyone knows someone.
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I think the difference in your case is Morano makes it a point to mention how he is friends with members of the Gambino crime family (either he attended one of their weddings or they attended his, I forget which), and makes it a point to converse via mail with incarcerated individuals.
 
_Methuselah said:
I think the difference in your case is Morano makes it a point to mention how he is friends with members of the Gambino crime family (either he attended one of their weddings or they attended his, I forget which), and makes it a point to converse via mail with incarcerated individuals.
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He's interviewed John Gotti Jr. in the past. That's a connection, even though John Jr. gave up that life years ago. But overall, Morano has an odd assortment of acquaintances.
 
Gregg. said:
So you suggest Flippin also gets the 1 to 5 a.m. nationally syndicated job too?

I guess Red Apple Media will have to make a decision about that national show. I wonder what that's going to sound like if during the day, Morano has to be part of a long New York City Council meeting or hearing?
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The last two weeks they have been airing James Flippin for half the Other Side of Midnight nationally from 3-5 am est.
 


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