77 WABC host Dominic Carter has patiently waited his turn to nab a premiere slot on the New York news/talk station. And he has big aspirations for what he’s going to do in the 3-4 PM timeslot.
“The baton has been passed to me. I’m going to take it, I’m going to run, and I am going to dominate,” Carter told Barrett News Media. “Mark my words.”
Carter, who will continue to host his Midnight to 1 AM program on the Red Apple Media-owned station, takes over the timeslot previously helmed by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Owner John Catsimatidis canceled Giuliani’s show last month after he continually ignored company edicts related to the way the station would discuss the validity of the 2020 presidential election.
Despite the avenue in which he came to take over the program, Dominic Carter is ecstatic to have the hour in afternoon drive.
“It’s very exciting,” he said. “WABC is a powerhouse. I come from within the system, almost like the farm system of a baseball team. I worked at WABC part time for years. And when I got the assignment, it will be the biggest thrill of my life. I’ve been ready for this moment. I’ve been ready for quite some time.”
Carter has worked in radio in the New York market since graduating college in 1986. And like the famous line from the Broadway musical Hamilton, he’s not throwing away his shot.
“What my plan is, I have to be very honest with you, is to dominate the market. Nothing else will be acceptable. To know my character is to know that I plan on being the best and frankly destroying the competition.”
His competition in the talk radio space in the Big Apple includes a pair of nationally syndicated programs, the first hour of The Sean Hannity Show on 710 WOR and America First with Sebastian Gorka on AM 970 The Answer.
Despite the heavy-hitting competition, Dominic Carter is keenly aware of what winning that battle will look like.
“It will take nonstop work. I’m used to that. I’ve done that for almost almost 40 years. I understand what’s at stake,” said Carter. “For example, I spend sometimes two or three hours getting ready for a show and I gladly accept the challenge. This is what I want to do … It is time that somebody stands up and tells the truth, no matter what the truth may be. And the one thing I can assure our listeners, my plan is to dominate and to expand the audience; to bring people in.
“The one thing I can assure you is that yes, we know talk radio is opinion-based, but I’m always gonna give it to you straight. I’m gonna give you the facts. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it … We have to get back to basic law and order. We have to get back to the American way of life. And that’s my approach on almost every topic. That’s where I’m coming from.”
Hosting a program from 3-4 PM ET and then another live show from Midnight to 1 AM ET won’t be an easy task. Time management will need to be a key component to Carter’s success, but he shared that the example set by the station’s leadership motivates him to continue to host both shows.
He noted that John Catsimatidis — who hosts Cats & Cosby in the afternoon and The Cats Roundtable weekend show — will be working on holidays like Independence Day. And if the billionaire owner of the station can be in the office at inopportune times, so can Carter.
“After the three o’clock show is done, I try to immediately start working on the midnight show. And that’s done normally about 7:00 PM. I try — emphasis on try — to get a nap. That takes, maybe if I’m lucky, I might get 45 minutes to an hour and a half,” he shared. “But what that time is it feels like it’s almost eight hours of sleep because once midnight hits, and once I start preparing at about 9 PM I’ve got to bring it at midnight. Our listeners deserve nothing less than my absolute best.”
Outside of the top news headlines of the day, late-night 77 WABC listeners can expect a completely different show from Carter than the one that aired in afternoon drive.
“For me to do the same show at midnight as what I did at 3 PM? That would be absolute garbage and insulting to our listeners. So the shows are different … I guess one of the biggest challenges for me is coming from news, you’re trained not to give your opinion. And in talk radio, it’s all about your opinion. So that’s been one of the biggest challenges that I’ve faced but I think I’ve passed the test. Hands down.”
Dominic Carter was also incredibly complimentary of both John and Margo Catsimatidis, as well as Red Apple Media President Chad Lopez, for giving him the “opportunity of a lifetime.”
“Mrs. Catsimatidis has been the biggest supporter of my career. They sat me down early on and told me ‘Dominic, hang on. We’re gonna find a way to make things work.’ And it trickles down,” said Carter. “Chad Lopez has been enormously supportive of my career. Straight up, I could not do what I do without Chad Lopez, and certainly not without the Catsimatidis family.”
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
