Sid Rosenberg has become one of the biggest local news/talk radio hosts in America during his run in mornings on 77 WABC. But does he have Curtis Sliwa to thank for his success?
On Sid and Friends in the Morning Thursday, Sliwa, who appears every day with Rosenberg, claimed it was time he received credit for bringing Rosenberg to the New York news/talk station.
According to Rosenberg, the station was set to — under the insistence of then morning host Don Imus — sign former New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica to a midday show.
Sliwa claimed that he was set to attend a conference in South Florida after Rosenberg had been let go from his sports talk radio job when 77 WABC leader Chad Lopez enlisted him for a special mission.
“Chad tells me ‘While you’re down there, I want you to vet out Sid. You know, he’s had a lot of problems in his life. I want you to tell us if this guy still has these problems.’ And I meticulously met with everybody there at the Hard Rock, which you used to frequent, and they gave you a clean bill of health,” Sliwa stated.
“You ask Chad Lopez! When I marched into that office and told them not to sign that contract with Mike Lupica, that Don Imus and everyone at Cumulus wanted him to sign, I said ‘I checked this guy out for belly button lint. The guy’s clean! He’s straight! He’s sober!’ And then Chad, with that, went and made the argument.”
Sid Rosenberg claimed he had no idea Sliwa was doing his reconnaissance.
“So you’re telling me, that if you had not spied on me … behind my back — there’s gotta be some type of law against that — but if you hadn’t given me what you gave me, that Chad would not have hired me?,” Rosenberg asked.
“There’s no way he would have signed that,” Curtis Sliwa replied. “There’s no way he would have fought for you.”
Rosenberg then admitted — after hearing the revelation — that he hasn’t given his colleague enough credit for where he is today.
