Beginning Monday, March 9th, Curtis Sliwa will return to daily talk radio as the co-host of a new morning program on 710 WOR alongside Larry Mendte. And while the longtime broadcaster and Guardian Angels founder insists his focus is on building a compelling show, there’s little doubt the move places him directly across the dial from 77 WABC morning host Sid Rosenberg — a rival Sliwa believes has become increasingly unpredictable without the on-air balance he once had.
For Sliwa, the return to the microphone comes after several months away from daily radio following his mayoral campaign. But he says the break didn’t last long before listeners started asking when he’d be back.
“It’s four months since the election, and people constantly come up to me in the subways and on the streets asking when I’m getting back to the radio,” Sliwa said. “The assumption was I’d return to WABC, but I made it very clear — under no circumstances would I ever set foot in WABC again.”
Instead, the path back to morning drive came through a familiar industry connection. Veteran programmer Tom Cuddy, who previously worked with Sliwa during his time at WPLJ, helped facilitate the opportunity at WOR.
“Tom Cuddy went to work to see if there was a spot for me at WOR, and what they came up with is Sliwa and Mendte in the Morning,” Sliwa explained. “I’m completely satisfied with that, and now I can return to the role of talk show host after 35 years in this business.”
Morning drive in New York has long been the most competitive real estate in talk radio, and Sliwa says he understands exactly what that challenge entails.
“Morning drive in the number one marketplace is where the real deliciousness of talk radio occurs,” he said. “Being part of a lineup with Mark Simone and Sean Hannity reminds people of the classic talk radio lineup — Hannity, Simone, Sliwa.”
While Sliwa says he’s focused on making the new show work, he also recognizes the competitive landscape he’s stepping into. Across town, Rosenberg has built a high-profile presence at WABC. But Sliwa argues the current structure of that show lacks the balance Rosenberg once had with his late partner Bernie McGurk.
“Sid Rosenberg was best when Bernie McGurk was alive,” Sliwa said. “They were the yin and the yang. Bernie provided the guardrails.”
Without that dynamic, Sliwa believes Rosenberg’s program has become volatile.
“Without the guardrails, Sid is radio nitroglycerin,” he said. “That program is ready to blow up at any moment because the guy cannot control himself.”
Sliwa pointed to a recent controversy surrounding Rosenberg’s comments about New York City Mayor Johan Mandami as an example of what he means.
“What he said about the mayor might have cost him his job under normal circumstances if he hadn’t apologized quickly,” Sliwa said.
The incident, Sliwa argues, illustrates the importance of balance inside a morning show — something he believes his partnership with Mendte will provide.
“They tried to team Sid with Andrew Giuliani and he rejected it,” Sliwa said. “I thought that would have been great — the veteran and the new guy. But Sid wanted to do the show alone.”
By contrast, Sliwa believes his pairing with Mendte will produce a more dynamic conversation.
“Larry Mendte is a traditional Republican conservative,” Sliwa said. “I’m Curtis Sliwa — you never know where I’m going to be on an issue.”
That unpredictability, he argues, is precisely what talk radio needs more of today.
“I want fewer guests and more talk,” Sliwa said. “I don’t want to hear the same talking heads I’ve already heard five times that day with the same talking points.”
According to Sliwa, too many talk stations have drifted away from what originally made the format compelling: hosts debating issues in real time rather than simply recycling cable news commentary.
“Too much talk radio has become an echo chamber,” he said. “Hosts repeat the same Fox News or Newsmax talking points and then play the clips back. That’s boring.”
Sliwa believes audiences would rather hear hosts who are willing to challenge each other and explore different perspectives.
“Real talk radio is two people with experience discussing issues, disagreeing respectfully, and letting the audience hear different sides,” he said.
That philosophy will shape the structure of the new WOR program. Instead of relying heavily on outside guests, Sliwa hopes the show will center around conversation between the hosts themselves.
“You have two people in a room with all the history Larry has had and that I’ve had,” Sliwa said. “With the differences of opinion but respect, people would rather hear us discuss the issues of the day.”
Sliwa also believes his decades of experience covering New York politics and culture will help drive the program’s content.
“I think everybody — even people who don’t like my point of view — admits Curtis knows more about the city of New York than anybody,” he said. “I know where all the bones are buried and who buried them.”
That institutional knowledge, he says, comes from years of relationships across city government and the communities he’s served through the Guardian Angels.
“I have contacts within the established government — the men and women who never change no matter who the mayor is,” Sliwa said. “Without them, the city falls apart. I’ve befriended many of them over the years.”
Those relationships, he added, could help the show break news and offer insights that other programs may not have.
“I used to break news all the time when Eric Adams was mayor,” Sliwa said. “I’ll continue to break news on WOR with Larry Mendte.”
Ultimately, though, Sliwa says the mission of the show isn’t simply to compete with another station down the dial. It’s to bring back a style of talk radio he believes has been fading in recent years.
“This thing that I love so much, that I was introduced to as a teenager, has become very boring and tedious to listen to,” Sliwa said. “Monotonous, and most importantly, an echo chamber.”
He hopes the Mendte partnership will change that dynamic — and give New York listeners something different in the morning.
“That’s why the combination of Mendte and Sliwa, with the differences of opinion we have going back and forth, will give people a better feel for all sides of the issue,” he said.
And as the new show prepares to debut, Sliwa says he’s ready to return to the format he’s spent decades mastering — right in the heart of New York’s most competitive daypart.
“Morning drive in New York is where talk radio really happens,” he said. “And I’m ready to be part of it again.”
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