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Robert Ciro Gigante (March 14, 1929 – December 31, 2013), known as Bob Grant, was an American radio host. A veteran of broadcasting in New York City, Grant is considered a pioneer of the conservative talk radio format and was one of the early adopters of the "combat talk" format. Grant's career spanned from the 1950s until shortly before his death at age 84 on December 31, 2013. Grant was widely termed a political conservative, and personally considered himself to be a conservative with some libertarian leanings.


Career


Early work

As a high school student at Steinmetz High School in Chicago, Grant auditioned for the Central Radio Workshop of the Chicago Public Schools, where once every two weeks he would perform in plays on FM radio station
WBEZ WBEZ (91.5 FM) – branded ''WBEZ 91.5'' – is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, and primarily serving the tri-state region of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is owned by Chicago Public Media and is f ...
. After high school, Grant attended the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
and studied
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
, where he also auditioned and got accepted for the school's radio station. As a student, Grant acted in plays, such as "the Duchess of Malfi". Grant left school early to take a job in radio. Grant originally got into professional radio when he answered a phone call for his roommate, and the program director calling thought he had a good voice. On May 14, 1948, Grant did his first professional news announcement, to discuss the formation of Israel. He then got a job at the news department at
WBBM (AM) WBBM (780 kHz) – branded ''Newsradio 105.9 WBBM'' – is a commercial all-news AM radio station licensed to serve Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Audacy, Inc., its studios are located at Two Prudential Plaza in the Chicago Loop, while the station' ...
in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
and also continued acting in plays. Grant may have done other work as an extra, but he did not discuss his acting work much on his radio show. Grant also worked on a radio show called "Gold Coast" in the late 1950s, which had comedy skits. While at WBBM, he was forced to change his last name from "Gigante" to "Grant" in order to sound less ethnic. During the Korean War, he served in the Naval Reserve. Grant then moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. Grant's first radio work in Los Angeles was on radio station
KNX (AM) KNX () is a commercial AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It simulcasts an all news radio format with sister station 97.1 KNX-FM, both owned by Audacy, Inc. KNX is one of the oldest stations in the United States, having received its f ...
in 1959, where he worked with future actor Paul Condylis on the Condylis & Grant Comedy Show. The Los Angeles Times stated, "Their names are Paul Condylis and Bob Grant, voted by this corner as the outstanding newcomers of 1959. Prime Examples Condylis and Grant, a couple of dialecticians from Chicago, specialize in a form of comedy that is most popular today satire." Grant described the show as being similar to "Saturday Night Live" on the radio. Condylis and Grant would also entertain at places, such as college campuses. Afterwards Grant later became sports director at KABC (AM) in Los Angeles. Grant was then urged by co-worker and early controversial radio host Joe Pyne to substitute for him. Shortly after, John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and Pyne being a critic of Kennedy's was not allowed to host his show, and Grant substituted for him, eventually inheriting the show in 1964. Grant hosted three shows on KABC (AM) in 1964 titled, "Open Line," "Night Line," and "Sunday Line." While at KABC Grant would interview celebrities including
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
, controversial figures such as Kwanzaa founder Ron "Maulana" Karenga, and politicians including
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
in what Grant claimed was Reagan's first interview as a political candidate in 1965. While Grant would become a controversial radio figure, he started off more mellow. He competed during nighttime radio against his former co-worker and mentor Joe Pyne and radio commentator
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
. An October 25, 1964 ''Los Angeles Times'' article describes Grant's broadcasting style:
Bob Grant is a relative newcomer, but his background is solidly radio, having been a comedian, newscaster and sports announcer. He is the calmest and more inquisitive. Grant's audience appears to be older and he deals less in controversy than Pyne or Jackson. Grant, however, is versatile and discusses subjects intelligently. He is much less a showman than his counterparts.
Grant moved from KABC (AM) to KLAC in March 1967. Some of Grant's colleagues at the station were Joel A. Spivak, Les Crane, and mentor Joe Pyne. Grant was described as Los Angeles' most controversial nighttime radio host. In 1969, KLAC switched from a talk station to a music station. Grant was then asked to co-host a television show called "Tempo" with actress Jeanne Baird that aired on KHJ Channel 9 in Los Angeles from 11a.m. to 2p.m. After some controversies, including offending guest
Marlo Thomas Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. She is best known for starring on the sitcom ''That Girl'' (1966–1971) and her Children's television series, children's franc ...
, Grant was eventually let go and replaced by
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin ( ; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest-working man in show business", he held th ...
in July 1970.


Move to New York City (WMCA: 1970–1977)

Grant was approached to come to New York by executives at WMCA when WMCA was going to become a talk station. He was recommended to them by Jack Thayer, who had been the station manager of KLAC. Grant was opposed to the move, as he hated what he knew about New York, ''i.e.'', the subways, crime, and congestion. He also had four children and a home in Los Angeles. Grant was convinced to come to New York when an executive said to him at the end of a meeting, "It's just too bad that the number-one talk-show host in America doesn't want to come to the number-one market in America." Grant came to New York and presented his first show on WMCA on September 21, 1970, where he worked for station manager R. Peter Strauss. After being in New York for a short time, Grant wanted to go back to Los Angeles. He was contacted by the former news director at KLAC, who was now a program director at another station to join his station, but Grant declined, because he had signed a two-year contract with WMCA. Grant's unhappiness being in New York led to him becoming angry with the callers. He hoped to get fired by R. Peter Strauss, however his ratings soared as he got angrier. Grant was quoted on May 23, 1971, about his new radio show in New York:
L.A. radio is really hip compared to New York. Here the scene is very provincial and ethnic and liberal. Being a conservative, I am referred to by most of my callers as the house right-winger or fascist. Actually, it gets pretty funny, because they do more yelling at me than engaging in useful debate. The audience in Los Angeles was much more sophisticated." .."Since WMCA started Dialog Radio, it's really shot up in the ratings, we've gone from around 12th to third in the market.
Grant was distinctively out of fashion with both the times and with some
countercultural A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
WMCA personalities, including Alex Bennett. His offbeat, but combative style (along with Fairness Doctrine requirements of the era) won him seven years on WMCA, with a growing and loyal audience. Grant became well known for his abrasive manner with callers and his popular catch phrase, "get off my phone." His sign-off for many years was "Get Gaddafi", which meant remove
Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...
. In 1970, Grant quickly became a controversial opinion maker. Grant began saying, "we're slipping and sliding into third worldism", along with opposing the
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart–Celler Act and more recently as the 1965 Immigration Act, was a federal law passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The ...
. Grant also came up with a solution to the high birthrate in the 1970s among poor women, which he called Bob Grant's Mandatory Sterilization Program or Act. This led to racism charges, but Grant denied that the program was only for minorities. On March 8, 1973, Grant had scheduled New York Rep. Benjamin S. Rosenthal, who was leading a boycott of meat. Grant later learned that Rosenthal would not appear on his show, and in a discussion with a caller, Grant referred to Rosenthal as a "coward". Rosenthal then filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, and the issue went all the way up to the
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. courts of appeals, ...
in ''Straus Communications v. Federal Communications Commission, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, January 16, 1976, Wright, J.'' The appeals court ultimately ruled in favor of WMCA and Grant, due to the fact that Grant offered the congressman an invitation to appear on his show, granting Rosenthal equal time. Grant did an early shock jock stunt while at WMCA. A female listener had called in and was curious about pornographic films. Grant decided to take women who listened to him on a trip to a Times Square porno theater to view a porn film. About 100 women showed up for the trip, followed by a roundtable discussion on Grant's show. Grant would have two more listener trips to see a porn film after this. One of Grant's most memorable regular callers was Ms. Trivia, who aired her "Beef of the Week", a series of seemingly trivial complaints. Ms. Trivia was Grant's guest at a Halloween Festival dinner held at Lauritano's Restaurant in
The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, where a young Ms. Trivia, not long out of her teens, revealed herself for the first time to a startled radio audience, many who had expected and assumed, based upon her articulation and intonation, that she would be an elderly, prudish woman. Instead, a statuesque and fashionable Ms. Trivia, wearing an elaborate Victorian costume, was the surprise guest seated next to Grant at the dais table along with several political figures from New York. The following day the majority of calls to the show were for the purpose of obtaining information about the mysterious Mm. Trivia, with Grant in his typical manner finally in exasperation hanging up on the callers, shouting, "THIS IS NOT Mm. TRIVIA'S SHOW!" Grant popularized the -gry puzzle, a
word game Word games are spoken, board, card or video games often designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties. Word games are generally used as a source of entertainment, but can additionally serve an educational purpose. Young ...
, on his WMCA show in 1975, stating some version of the question "There are three words in the English language that end in -gry. Two of them are angry and hungry. What is the third?". This has no conclusive answer, and spread following Grant's broadcast. While at WMCA, Grant attracted attention from a 1974 commentary he recorded, titled "How Long Will You Stand Aside". Grant also released an
LP record The LP (from long playing or long play) is an Analog recording, analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of  revolutions per minute, rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use ...
in 1977 titled, "Let's Be Heard", which was a recording of a speech Grant gave before a synagog in New York. Grant left WMCA in 1977.


WOR and WWDB

Grant began on WOR on Memorial Day, May 30, 1977, where he broadcast nights 11:30 p.m.–2:30 a.m. Grant took over the time-slot from host
Barry Farber Barry Morton Farber (May 5, 1930 – May 6, 2020) was an American conservative radio talk show host, author, commentator and language-learning enthusiast. In 2002, industry publication '' Talkers magazine'' ranked him the 9th greatest radio talk ...
who hosted his show on it for 16 years, but had to give it up, because he was running for Mayor of New York City. According to producer Maurice Tunick, Grant had 24.3 share of the ratings at one point, meaning one in four people listening to the radio were listening to Grant's show. In 1979, Grant had gotten into trouble for some comments he had made and was fired from WOR. Grant was assisted by colleague Barry Farber who fought with WMCA station manager Ellen Straus to rehire Grant. Farber broadcast during the 4–7 p.m. weekday time slot on WMCA. When asked by Straus at a meeting if Farber was willing to give up his airtime for Grant, Farber replied, "Yes he can have my time. I'd rather he have my time than no time at all." Grant describes the remarks that got him fired from WOR in a 2011 column: After being fired from WOR, Grant worked at WWDB 96.5 FM in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
for a year. Grant stated in his book, ''Let's be Heard'', "They actually ran me out of town. After a few months and no offers, I reluctantly agreed to take a job on a talk station in Philadelphia." Grant returned to WMCA in June 1979 for a Saturday show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. while still working in Philadelphia during the week. In April 1980, Grant returned to WMCA full-time, where he was teamed with another radio host named Janet Rose. Mark Simone also worked for Grant as an intern during this time.


WABC (1984–1996)

In November 1984,
WABC (AM) WABC (770 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York, carrying a conservative talk radio format known as "Talkradio 77". Owned by John Catsimatidis' Red Apple Media, the station's studios are located in Re ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
hired Grant to join their new talk station. He first hosted a show from 9–11 p.m., before moving to the 3–6 p.m. afternoon time slot. ''The Bob Grant Show'' consistently dominated the ratings in the highly competitive afternoon
drive time Drive time is the daypart in which radio broadcasters can reach the most people who listen to car radios while driving, usually to and from work, or on public transportation. Drive-time periods are when the number of radio listeners in this c ...
slot in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and at one point the radio station aired recorded promos announcing him as "America's most listened to talk radio personality." The gravel-voiced Grant reminded listeners during the daily introduction that the "program was unscripted and unrehearsed". On September 15, 1991, a roast honoring Grant for twenty one years of radio in New York City was held in West Orange, New Jersey. Freddie Roman was the Master of Ceremonies, and Grant was roasted by New York Senator Al D'Amato, comedian Pat Cooper, Soupy Sales,
Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative political commentator who was the host of ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nati ...
, comedian Joe Piscopo and Lynn Samuels, among others. Grant introduced President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
to a crowd at Vets Field in Ridgewood, New Jersey while he campaigned for reelection on October 22, 1992. One of the most popular eras of the Bob Grant Show was during the 1993 and 1994 New Jersey and New York elections. Grant helped
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...
win in 1993 against
David Dinkins David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. Dinkins was among the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marine Associa ...
, and was also campaigning for
Christine Todd Whitman Christine Temple Whitman (; born September 26, 1946) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush ...
by doing daily rants against New Jersey Governor
James Florio James Joseph Florio (August 29, 1937 – September 25, 2022) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 49th governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994. He was previously the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional dist ...
calling him "flim-flam Florio." Florio stated at the time, "how can I win with Bob Grant beating my brains out every day?" Grant's afternoon show grew more popular and reached a 7.1 in the ratings. During this time ''New York'' Magazine had requested to profile Grant and ask him about controversial remarks he had made. Grant was also asked to be photographed with a WABC banner draped over him and his finger pointing in the air. However, when the issue was released it showed Grant on the cover with the WABC banner covering him resembling a klansman with the words "Why he hates blacks" written across the page." WABC program director John Mainelli would later reveal that he believed
Mario Cuomo Mario Matthew Cuomo ( , ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ...
and Frank Lautenberg were behind this as Cuomo once had cornered Mainelli threatening to reveal dark secrets about Grant to ABC Chairman Thomas Murphy. Lautenberg attacked his Republican opponent
Chuck Haytaian Garabed "Chuck" Haytaian (January 28, 1938 – November 1, 2024) was an American Republican Party politician, who was the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly during the 'tax revolt' of the James Florio – Christine Todd Whitman era ...
on his association with Grant in the campaign. Lautenberg caused Amtrak to stop advertising on Grant's radio show. Christy Whitman, who Grant had helped become governor stated that she would no longer appear on Grant's show. For the 1994 Election, Grant did daily rants against New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg calling him "Lousenberg", and New York Governor Mario Cuomo, who he was now calling "the sfaccim." Grant had been friends with Cuomo beginning in the seventies, but they had a falling out during an appearance in 1986 on Grant's show. Grant questioned Cuomo on why he needed a large war chest against an opponent who didn't have much money, and Cuomo hung up on Grant. In 1994, the "Mario Salute" became a staple of Grant's show. Listeners would call in and state, "Mario, assenza me! Tu sei un proprio sfaccim." Grant explained the translation in English was, "Mario, listen to me. You're a real lowlife." T-shirts and bumper stickers were created with anti-Cuomo messages. A listener also made an anti-Mario Cuomo song which Grant would frequently play. Grant campaigned for Cuomo's opponent,
George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...
and had him on as a guest many times allegedly leading to Pataki picking up enough votes to defeat Cuomo. Grant's long stay at WABC ended when he was fired for a remark about the April 3, 1996, airplane crash involving Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Grant remarked to caller named, Carl of Oyster Bay (Carl Limbacher, later of NewsMax fame), "My hunch is that rownis the one survivor. I just have that hunch. Maybe it's because, at heart, I'm a pessimist." When Brown was found dead, Grant's comments were widely criticized, and several weeks later, after a media campaign, his contract was terminated. Grant's last show on WABC was on April 16, 1996, where he broadcast from the Reo Diner. He was fired the next day on April 17 by program director Phil Boyce after Grant had held an autograph-signing session for his book "Let's be Heard". Politicians who Grant had assisted, such as Christine Todd Whitman, Rudy Giuliani would never appear on Grant's radio show again, and George Pataki appeared one more time on Grant's last WOR show in January 2006.


Return to WOR (1996–2006)

After being fired, Grant moved down the dial to WOR to host his show in the same afternoon drive-time slot on April 29, 1996. Grant's age began to show while broadcasting at WOR. He was less engaging with the callers, and not as energetic during his broadcasts. For a time, ''The Bob Grant Show'' went into national syndication, but returned to being a local show in 2001. Grant and his WABC replacement
Sean Hannity Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American conservative television presenter, broadcaster and writer. He hosts ''The Sean Hannity Show'', a radio syndication, nationally syndicated talk radio show, has hosted a Hannity, sel ...
would sometimes throw jabs at each other. Hannity defeated Grant in the ratings from 2001 to 2006. Grant's WOR run ended on January 13, 2006. Grant's ratings were not to blame for his departure, according to the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'', which mentioned that the decision was reached because the station's other shows had niche audiences to garner more advertising dollars. On January 16, 2006, shortly after Grant's last WOR show, Grant appeared on Sean Hannity's radio show and TV program ''
Hannity & Colmes ''Hannity & Colmes'' was a live television show on Fox News in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 7, 1996, and the final ...
'', where his former competitor paid tribute to him. Having left his options open for "an offer he cannot refuse," Grant returned to WOR in February 2006, doing one minute "Straight Ahead" commentaries which aired twice daily after news broadcasts until September 2006. On September 8, 2006, Grant again appeared on Hannity's show to provide a post-retirement update, which led to premature rumors that Grant was returning to WABC. Grant then made various isolated radio appearances. He appeared as a guest host on WFNY-FM (now
WINS-FM WINS-FM (92.3 MHz) is a radio station City of license, licensed to New York, New York, and owned by Audacy, Inc. WINS-FM simulcasts all-news radio station WINS (AM) (1010 kHz), with the station referred to on air as "1010 WINS at 92.3 FM". The ...
) on December 7, 2006, and was interviewed by attorney Anthony Macri for Macri's WOR show on February 24, 2007.


Possible foray into politics

In 2000 Grant briefly considered running for United States Senate from New Jersey as an Independent. He went as far as creating a Draft Bob Grant Committee, but ultimately decided against entering the race. He also considered running for Mayor of New York City in the 1970s.


Post-Retirement: Return to WABC and Internet broadcasting

His guest appearances became more frequent beginning in July 2007. On July 6, 2007, he guest hosted for John R. Gambling, and appeared on Mark Levin's show (which is networked from WABC) on July 10. Grant, guest hosted for Jerry Agar on July 9, 10, 11 and re-appeared as a fill-in host again for John Gambling on August 20 and 21. Then, on August 22, while appearing on Hannity's show, he announced that he was returning as a regular host to WABC, in the 8–10 p.m. slot that at the time was filled by Agar. It would later be revealed, on what was Agar's final show a few hours later, that he would be starting effective immediately, as Grant took over the final segments of the show. His first full show on ABC since 1996 was on August 23. The story of Grant's return, as reported by the ''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'', had been discovered only a couple of hours before Grant's official announcement. Grant's stint lasted less than a year and a half, until his regular nightly show was pulled by WABC in late November 2008 as part of a programming shuffle stemming from the debut of Curtis Sliwa's national show, and later Mark Levin's show expanding to three hours, leaving no room for Grant. Grant did his most recent AM radio work as guest host filling in for Michael Savage on January 21, 2009, Mark Levin on March 23, 2009, and Sean Hannity on July 31, 2009. During the week of July 6, 2009, Grant began hosting an
Internet radio Internet radio, also known as online radio, web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio and IP radio, is a digital audio service transmitted via the Internet. Broadcasting on the Internet is usually referred to as webcasting since it is not ...
show titled ''Straight Ahead!'' which originally ran Monday through Friday from 8 to 9 a.m. ET on UBATV.com. As a
webcast A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand. Essentially, webca ...
, the show differed from Grant's radio shows, in that the viewer watched Grant as he did his broadcast. The first two months of ''Straight Ahead!'' were from inside Grant's home, and were run with technical assistance from independent filmmaker Ryan O'Leary. New York radio personalities Richard Bey and Jay Diamond were also brought on board to broadcast their own one-hour shows. Grant mentioned that he did not get paid to do the UBATV show, but believes that Internet broadcasting is the future. Beginning in September 2009, Grant reduced ''Straight Ahead!'' from five days a week down to two (Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 to 11a.m. Eastern time). Grant also moved the show from his home to a professional studio. Due to a low number of callers to the show, Grant usually interviewed only guests for the hour. On January 13, 2010, Grant did his last UBATV show. Grant's last UBATV show and his last WOR show both fell on the date of January 13. On September 13, 2009, Grant returned to WABC for a third stint at the station, doing a weekly Sunday talk show from noon to 2 p.m. Grant's return to
AM broadcasting AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transm ...
allowed him to continue interacting with his fan base through greater listenership and participation than his previous internet radio show provided. At the close of his first show, he expressly thanked the management of the station for "inviting him back" and said he looked forward to continuing this joint venture every week for the foreseeable future. Grant issued a statement in October 2012 that his October 7 broadcast would be his last, but then rescinded that message after the show, labeling it a "mistake" and an attempt to grab attention. He then took off a short time for medical work, and when he returned to the air, it was for a shortened 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday show. Grant's show continued in its one-hour weekly format until July 28, 2013, when he permanently retired due to declining health. Grant also prepared weekly columns for his website, BobGrantOnline.com. The site was originally sponsored by NewsMax. The editorials ended February 19, 2013, again due to health problems.


Characteristics of Grant's radio shows


Socio-political views

Grant was widely considered a political conservative. In later life, he commented that "I certainly had many beliefs you'd call conservative, but on some social issues, like abortion or gay marriage, I was more what you'd call libertarian." In a May 1993 broadcast, Grant referred to civil rights activist
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
as "that slimeball" and as "this bum, this womanizer, this liar, this fake, this phony." In 1995, the progressive media watchdog Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting accused Grant of racism and homophobia. As evidence, they highlighted his repeated use of the word "savages" when referring to African-Americans and statements such as "minorities are the Big Apple's majority, you don't need the papers to tell you that, walk around and you know it. To me, that's a bad thing. I'm a White person". They highlighted his description of Haitian refugees as "swine" and "sub-human infiltrators" who multiply "like maggots on a hot day" and his comment that "Ideally, it would have been nice to have a few phalanxes of policemen with machine guns and mow ay pride paradersdown". Grant was highly critical of U.S. President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, asserting his view that Obama "truly believes in socialism ... which has the same effect as communism." Grant distinguished himself from other conservative talk show hosts by calling for Obama to release his long form birth certificate, prior to Obama releasing it. He described the
Tea Party movement The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2007, catapulted into the mainstream by Congressman Ron Paul's presidential campaign. The movement expanded in resp ...
as continuing "the finest tradition of Americanism". Although Grant was generally known as being a conservative, he was a critic of hard-line conservative advocates in primary races, including the Tea Party movement's candidates. This was a frequent debate topic between Grant and his callers over his last few years. During the fall election of 2010, Grant criticized candidates, such as Christine O'Donnell,
Rand Paul Randal Howard Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States senator from Kentucky since 2011. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
, and
Sharron Angle Sharron Elaine Angle (née Ott; born July 26, 1949) is an American politician and perennial candidate who served as a Republican member of the Nevada Assembly from 1999 to 2007. She ran unsuccessfully as the 2010 Republican nominee for the U.S. ...
. Grant endorsed
Charlie Crist Charles Joseph Crist Jr. ( ; born July 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. represen ...
over
Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving since 2025 as the 72nd United States Secretary of State, United States secretary of state. A member of the Republican Party (United States) , Rep ...
on a July 10, 2010, broadcast for the Florida senate primary. On a May 8, 2011, broadcast, Grant informed his audience that he supported the moderate
Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American politician, businessman, and diplomat who served as the 16th governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the ambassador of the United States ...
for the Republican nomination for president, although he would later go on to support
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
.


Fill-in hosts

Grant was in favor of engaging hosts substituting for him while he was away on vacation to maintain his ratings. In the cases of
G. Gordon Liddy George Gordon Battle Liddy (November 30, 1930 – March 30, 2021) was an American lawyer and FBI agent who was convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping for his role in the Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration. Work ...
and Curtis Sliwa who guest hosted along with his wife
Lisa Evers Lisa Evers (born June 15, 1953) is an American general assignment reporter for FOX 5 News, host of the ''Street Soldiers with Lisa Evers'' TV and radio show in New York City, a former high-ranking Guardian Angel, and a long-time community volunt ...
, this led to them being hired for their own shows. Other popular fill-ins included Bill O'Reilly during the 1990s, Roger Ailes,
Alan Burke Alan S. Burke (September 15, 1922 – August 25, 1992) was an American conservative television and radio talk show host who was on the air primarily in New York City from 1966 to 1969 on WNEW-TV. Life He was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 19 ...
,
Joe Scarborough Charles Joseph Scarborough (; born April 9, 1963) is an American television host and former politician who is the co-host of ''Morning Joe'' on MSNBC with his wife Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. He previously hosted '' Scarborough Country'' ...
,
Tom Marr Thomas Aquinas Marr (October 17, 1942 – July 7, 2016) was an American talk radio host on WCBM (680-AM) in Baltimore, Maryland, known for his conservative political views. He spent nearly 20 years as a newsman and sportscaster, including ...
,
Ann Coulter Ann Hart Coulter (; born December 8, 1961) is an American conservative media pundit, author, syndicated columnist, and lawyer. She became known as a media pundit in the late 1990s, appearing in print and on cable news as an outspoken critic ...
in 2002,
Tom Snyder Thomas James Snyder (May 12, 1936 – July 29, 2007) was an American television personality, news anchor, and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows '' Tomorrow'', on NBC in the 1970s and 1980s, and '' The Late Late Show'' ...
in 2002, Mike Gallagher, Barry Farber, and comedians
Jackie Mason Jackie Mason (born Yacov Moshe Maza; ; June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. His 1986 one-man show ''The World According to Me!'' won a Special Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an Ace Award, ...
and Pat Cooper in the early 1990s, and Commissioner Myrtle Whitmore.


Influences and legacy

Being largely the innovator of his own particular talk radio style, Grant previously worked with the likes of
Barry Gray Barry Gray (born John Livesey Eccles; 18 July 1908 – 26 April 1984) was a British musician and composer best known for his collaborations with television and film producer Gerry Anderson. Life and career Born into a musical family in Blackbur ...
and Joe Pyne. Pyne would often end each broadcast with "Straight Ahead" which is something Grant picked up, leading many to believe that Grant was the first host to frequently use that line. Over the years, national radio talk personality
Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American broadcaster and media personality. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1 ...
has made differing remarks on his admiration for Grant as an early influence. Upon Stern's arrival in New York, he cited Grant as an influence, but as Stern's stardom rose, Grant became the subject of occasional ridicule on Stern's show. During Stern's prime, he denied being influenced by Grant or having respect for him. Stern also criticized Grant for changing his act to appease management. Grant told Paul D. Colford, author of the 1996 Stern biography, '' Howard Stern: King of All Media'', about being approached at a public appearance by Ben Stern, Howard's father, with a teenage Howard in tow. Father introduced son to Grant and told him of Howard's desire to go into radio. "I looked at this big, gawky kid and I said to him, 'Just be yourself,'" Grant recalled. Stern has denied Grant's version of the story. Soon after Grant's firing from WABC, and before his first WOR show, Grant appeared as a call-in guest on Stern's radio show. In more recent years, Stern has praised Grant's legacy. In 2006, Stern called in to Grant's final WOR broadcast and lauded him on the air. On his January 6, 2014
Sirius XM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...
broadcast, while discussing Grant's death and career for the first half-hour of his show, Stern said, "I consider him to be the best broadcaster I've ever heard." Stern said, "Bob was just this really well-informed conservative, who would often become liberal on social issues, but he had such a flair ... he was such a broadcaster ... he could hold your attention for hours," before concluding, "Goodbye, Bob, you are the greatest broadcaster that has ever lived".
Glenn Beck Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative political commentator, radio host, entrepreneur, and television producer. He is the CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and rad ...
now uses the catchphrase "Get off my phone!" as a spinoff of Grant's earlier call-in talk show style, as do
Tom Scharpling Thomas John Giuliano II (born February 9, 1969), known professionally as Tom Scharpling, is an American comedian, television writer, producer, music video director, voice actor, and radio host. He is best known for hosting the weekly Internet r ...
and Mark Levin; similarly, Sean Hannity often uses Grant's phrase "Straight ahead." Rush Limbaugh early on acknowledged that Bob Grant paved the way for his success nationwide. In 2002, industry magazine ''
Talkers ''Talkers Magazine'' is a trade-industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media". In addition to radio, it also covers talk shows on broadcast and cable television, a ...
'' ranked Grant as the 16th greatest radio talk show host of all time. On March 28, 2007, Bob Grant was nominated for induction into the
National Radio Hall of Fame The Radio Hall of Fame, formerly the National Radio Hall of Fame, is an American organization created by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. Three years later, Bruce DuMont, founder, president, and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communicati ...
. Grant was ultimately not inducted into the Hall in his lifetime; he would be inducted under the Hall's Legends category for posthumous inductees in 2023. ''
Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
'' had planned to issue a Lifetime Achievement Award to Grant during its annual convention in March 2008; however, the nomination was revoked in January 2008 for "past comments by him that contradict our values and the respect we have for all members of our community." Several talk radio hosts have spoken out against the decision;
Neal Boortz Neal A Boortz Jr. (born April 6, 1945) is an American author, former attorney, and former libertarian radio host. His nationally syndicated talk show, ''The Neal Boortz Show'', which ended in 2013, was carried throughout the United States. The ...
has stated: Sean Hannity,
Opie and Anthony ''Opie and Anthony'' was an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia that aired from March 1995 to July 2014, with comedian Jim Norton serving as third mic from 2001. The show originated in 1994 when Cumia took part in ...
, comedian Jim Norton,
Lars Larson Lars Kristopher Larson (born March 6, 1959)"Lars Kristopher Larson". ''Who's Who in the West'', 26th ed. Accessed June 17, 2013 via LexisNexis. is an American conservative talk radio show host based in Portland, Oregon. Larson worked in televis ...
,
Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative political commentator who was the host of ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nati ...
, Mark Levin, Lionel and
Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American broadcaster and media personality. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1 ...
opposed the move as well, with Levin stating "I am disgusted with the mistreatment of Bob Grant. I am fed up with the censors, intimidators, and cowards in this business."
Don Imus John Donald Imus Jr. ( ; July 23, 1940 – December 27, 2019), also known as Imus, was an American radio personality, television show host, recording artist, and author. His radio show '' Imus in the Morning'' was aired on various stations and di ...
deemed the award unimportant, offered to return awards he had received after treating them to his sledgehammer and block of wood, and called Grant's comments "stupid", although he also referred to Grant as a "legendary broadcaster".
Tributes to Bob Grant
poured in after his death was announced. Marc Fisher, Senior Editor at ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', wrote tribute to Grant on his Facebook page, saying that his "most creative and influential period" was from the 1960s "when he captured and reflected the rage of New Yorkers seeing their city change around them, to the 70s, when he almost singlehandedly kept Libya's Qaddafi on the U.S. political radar and became one of New York's most popular figures." A resident of the New Jersey communities of Woodbridge Township, Manalapan Township and
Toms River The Toms River is a freshwater river and estuary in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The river rises in the Pine Barrens of northern Ocean County, then flows southeast and east, where it is fed by several tributaries, and flows in a ...
, Grant died in
Hillsborough Township, New Jersey Hillsborough Township is a township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located in the Raritan Valley region, the township is a suburban and exurban bedroom community of New York City within the New York Metropolitan Area. A ...
on December 31, 2013, after what was described as a "short illness".Griffith, Janelle
"Bob Grant, father of conservative talk radio, dead at 84"
''
The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...
'', January 2, 2014. Accessed October 12, 2015. "He lived for a time in Woodbridge, where his favorite diner named a dish in his honor, and Manalapan before moving most recently to Toms River."


References


Sources

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External links

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Bob Grant Returns Home to WABC
nbsp;–
WABC (AM) WABC (770 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York, carrying a conservative talk radio format known as "Talkradio 77". Owned by John Catsimatidis' Red Apple Media, the station's studios are located in Re ...
official DJ page *
The Inventor of Controversial Talk Radio: Bob Grant
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Bob 1929 births 2013 deaths American Internet celebrities American conservative talk radio hosts Radio personalities from Chicago United States Navy reservists American people of Italian descent Radio personalities from Los Angeles Radio personalities from New York City Obscenity controversies Radio personalities from Philadelphia Mass media people from Queens, New York People from Toms River, New Jersey People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Radio pioneers University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Media alumni