Curtis Sliwa isn’t interested in turning his 710 WOR morning show into another all-Trump, all-the-time program, and he makes that clear every single day behind the microphone in New York. While 77 WABC morning host Sid Rosenberg has built a growing national profile over the past decade as one of Donald Trump’s most outspoken defenders, Sliwa insists his approach couldn’t be more different.
“What we provide in the morning on WOR is a balanced point of view,” said Sliwa. “Larry (Mendte), the news guy, that’s been his tradition. And he’s also a big Trumper. I’m more of the commentator, and as everybody knows, I’m not a Trumper. I’m a free agent. I like to listen to all different opinions.”
His refusal to fixate on the president extends well beyond politics, too.
“We’re not just totally prisoners of Trump talk, which I refuse to do,” Sliwa said. “I made that very clear in coming back: I was not going to become an echo chamber for Donald Trump. It’s proven to be very successful for us. Very successful. We’re the only ones in the marketplace talking about AI and the data filing centers, which is a hot issue. The Flock cameras, a hot issue. The social networking problems of Meta and the others, a hot issue.”
Sizing Up the Competition
Sliwa doesn’t shy away from contrasting his approach with Rosenberg’s, either. He argues that most talk hosts simply echo whatever aired on Fox News Channel the night before, and he sees that repetition as an opportunity rather than a threat.
“It’s just common sense, since everybody else basically imitates one another and repeats what they heard on the Fox News Channel the night before,” Sliwa said. “You don’t even have to counterprogram. That’s why so many people have decided to come over to us. My legacy is with WABC, where for 35 years, most of which I was there, the acronym became ‘Always Broadcasting Courtesy.'”
According to Sliwa, Rosenberg’s fixation on a narrow set of topics has become entirely predictable.
“If you listen to the competition, Sid in the morning, he’s predictable,” the 710 WOR morning host shared. “It’s Israel first, that’s what he focuses on the most. Then naturally he goes into the conflict between Jews and Muslims. That’s not our priority, that’s not our audience’s priority. And then he goes into being the shock jock, saying Mamdani is a terrorist. There’s only so much of that you can do, even that got him banned from the Fox News Channel.”
Sliwa credits co-host Larry with balancing out the newscast before the commentary begins, and he says listener calls keep the show honest.
“Larry sets the story up, he gives you all the elements you need without an opinion, which is so important,” Sliwa said. “Then we come in with the commentary, and I think that’s what people appreciate. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t. And then we get talkbacks, which are really calls that people have called in. Our competition, Sid, never takes calls.”
The Pulse of the Subway
Beyond the studio, Sliwa points to his subway routine as the real reason his show stays grounded in everyday concerns instead of Trump-centric talking points. He rides the trains for hours nearly every day, treating every car as an impromptu focus group.
“I have the pulse of average, everyday people,” Sliwa said. “The subway is the great equalizer. Once the doors close and I’m on there hours each day and each night, I basically have a focus group, and there’s no escape. You’ll get guys screaming at you, then, because I’m a Republican, I have to go over and correct them.”
Those conversations, he says, consistently point back to kitchen-table issues rather than partisan warfare.
“You find out what the real issues are to them, as opposed to what the news often focuses on,” the 710 WOR morning host shared. “It comes down constantly to affordability, cost of living, this war in Iran that nobody can understand. The cost of groceries, the cost of gas, the cost of electricity, what are we doing in Iran?”
That pulse of the people, paired with Larry’s suburban perspective, is what Sliwa believes separates 710 WOR’s morning show from the competition.
“Larry is more the suburban voice because he lives in the suburbs, so he gives you more of the suburban feel,” Sliwa said. “You get a nice mix that way. And again, because we often don’t agree, you hear all different points of view. And then you come to your own conclusion.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
