For 35 years, Tom Cuddy has set the programming tone in New York, 12 of those at 710 WOR. However, the radio veteran never wants attention or credit. He says it belongs to the different teams he has worked with over his career.
“So I believe that, if you can bring someone to the microphone who is well versed in all the issues of the day, but can also bring some humor to it to balance it out, that has worked for us,” Cuddy told Barrett News Media over a Zoom call.
His dream began as a preteen when Tom Cuddy received a tour of WBZ through a school project, “And it looked like the disc jockeys were having so much fun on the air. I said, ‘I would like to do that one day as a career.’”
By his freshman year of high school, Cuddy had his own show on a commercial radio station. He has always worked in radio since then. Some notable positions and stations he’s worked at included WPLJ-FM, overseeing programming of the ABC-owned FM stations, and was Executive Producer of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem.
It’s this very same passion he looks for in his team. “I get a lot of applications from people early in their careers that do not show passion and do not show the commitment to homework.” To be a part of the team takes a lot of work and dedication.”
Cuddy pointed to Mark Simone as one of the most dedicated people in the craft.
“Mark came to New York right out of college in the 70s, and he’s been on New York radio since the 70s, which in a business that does not promise you stability or longevity. He is one of the unique talents that has survived.”
Cuddy went on to say, “[Simone] is out every night of the week, having dinner with newsmakers, celebrities, politicians, and people whisper things in his ear that he knows that no other talk show host knows. Then he’s able to share with listeners. He is truly engulfed in this city, and he does it with a very dry sense of humor, which people enjoy.”
Tom Cuddy believes being well-read and versatile is also an important part of being in news and on the radio. Another key member of the WOR team joined just last year, News Director Larry Mendte. Cuddy has been a fan of the 97x Emmy Award winner for many years.
“So, when the opportunity popped up for him to work with Len and Michael in the Morning and all of us at WOR, I was ecstatic that we were able to bring in a talent of Larry’s caliber.” Mendte was also the original co-host of the syndicated Access Hollywood.
It’s personalities like the above that makes WOR so special and loved, but it’s not always just a passion for radio that makes a team great. It’s the collective knowledge of the group that brings so many listeners to the AM station. “When we put together our morning show, Len Berman had been successful for over 30 years as a sports anchor in, New York television, and Michael Riedel had been successful for decades as the most read Broadway columnist.”
Tom Cuddy went on to say, “So both these guys had successful careers doing something else than what they’re doing. And they both have second careers in radio as a talk show host, even though none of them had searched out.” What many of WOR’s voices have in common are dynamic personality and humor. “It’d be a boring radio station if they have a lot of cloned-sounding, personalities and people who are very similar in many ways.”
Making sure there is a variety of personalities helps appeal to many listeners but comedy is essential to keep them coming back. “Morning shows and music stations are known for their humor and comedy. Not so much on talk radio. Rush Limbaugh, who’s the biggest talk host that this format has ever had, he was very successful in trying to intersperse humor in what he does. But there’s so many talk people who host shows across the country, it’s all serious, serious, serious. So at WOR, we try to combine the two.”
Over the years Tom Cuddy has seen a technological shift in the industry, some of which has aided radio stations, like social media. “Social media, like any other tool that you have, can be misused. But I think as far as getting people’s attention, it has been a a good thing for us. We certainly have noticed it. When we post something on social media that has just happened, we’re going to delve into a breaking story or an exclusive interview. We can see, through the numbers that we can track on streaming.”
He did note others think it takes a little of the mystique of ration away. “[Before social media] you might not always known what the disc jockey looked like and now it takes a lot of that imagination away, that we had, for most of our careers.” However, he believes it is a great asset to news talk radio.
As for the future of radio, he believes technology will only help AM radio stations. “The thing that has changed in our radio industry recently is how people use it. Being in an AM radio station [we] don’t have the cumes of FM stations. AM stations have not sounded as good technically as an FM station. A lot of that is changing now with smart speakers.”
Cuddy believes another positive is streaming. “I think that’s something which has been a big positive for AM radio because if you listen on your phone it sounds as good as FM. So, that technology change, I think, has been a shot in the arm to AM radio.”
For those believing the Washington hype of discarding AM radio for other services, Tom Cuddy doesn’t believe AM radio will wither away. “I really think that AM radio will always be able to offer things that FM won’t.”
Krystina Alarcon Carroll is a news media columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
