Warwick resident retires as general manager of radio station WOR

WARWICK - Six years ago Bob Bruno and his wife, Arlene, moved from Bergen County, N.J., to Warwick. Today, he is happier than ever that they made that decision. “We love Warwick and we love this area,” said Bruno who plans to spend his retirement here beginning Dec. 31 when he steps down from his longtime position as vice president and general manager of New York radio station WOR (710 AM). Founded in 1922, WOR 710 HD is New York’s oldest, privately owned and continuously operated radio station. Today WOR provides a schedule of informational and lifestyle programming, featuring personalities such as Joe Bartlett, Donna Hanover, Joan Hamburg, Michael Colameco, Bill O’Reilly, Steve Malzberg, Michael Savage, Dr. Joy Browne, Dr. Ronald Hoffman and Joey Reynolds. WOR 710 HD is a Buckley Broadcasting Corporation radio station and it is the first AM radio station in New York to broadcast in the new HD technology. Buckley Radio owns and operates 20 radio stations in seven markets. In 2000, Bruno was named one of the 50 best general managers in America by Radio Ink Magazine. Radio & Records nominated him for general manager of the year in 2003 and selected him as a Radio & Records News/Talk All Star in 2007. Bruno served for 21 years on the board of the New York State Broadcasters Association, 10 years on the board of New York Market Radio and is a charter member of Mastermedia International’s New York chapter of Christian media professionals. “My career in radio has been more than I ever dreamed possible,” said Bruno. “I thank God and everyone who helped to make it such a rich and rewarding experience. Thanks in particular to Rick Buckley for giving me the great privilege of managing his legendary property. My sincere wish for everyone at WOR is that their very best and brightest days are still ahead.” Bruno began his broadcasting career as an on-air personality in 1965, joining WNEW-AM in New York as program director in 1975, moving across town to WOR in the same capacity in 1978. He was promoted to vice president/general manager in 1988 by RKO Radio and has held that position since Buckley Radio acquired WOR in 1989. “My father was a musician,” said Bruno, “and so I kept changing schools as we traveled throughout the country. But I joined the Air Force and managed to complete my education while I was in the service.” Bruno admits he didn’t have the talent to follow in his father’s footsteps as a musician but he did have a good radio voice. “When my tour of duty was over I used my GI Bill to pay for announcer training and then I landed a job with a small radio station in Wildwood, New Jersey. The rest is history.” Retirement for Bruno, however, is not exactly what most people imagine it to be. First of all, he has already signed on as a consultant to WOR for the next year, a commitment that will require some travel back and forth to his old office. And within the next two months he also hopes to launch “The Best of Everything,” a 24-hour music format program on the Internet. He’s currently working on the project and he describes the programming as a musical mosaic featuring a blend of different types of music. “Good bye tension, hello tension,” he smiled.