Happy 30th Anniversary Topic A

Simply saying it’s been an Ocean County tradition for 30 years does not do
it justice. Many schedule their mornings around it, have altered the time they go to church or have breakfast and simply feel it’s part of their routine.
It’s been controversial but has also been instrumental in helping causes and
charities and been a great source of information. Not to be overlooked it’s been very successful in all the ways a radio station would judge success.

Its Bob Levy’s “Topic A” which will celebrate its 30th anniversary as a Sunday morning staple on 92.7 WOBM this Sunday from 7-11am. When Bob came up with the idea of hosting his own talk show neither he nor anyone else knew what to expect. He had been with the radio station since before it went on the air in 1968 and was well known in the community.
A real character with a flair for the dramatic, Bob had been on the air mostly as a sportscaster in the early years of WOBM. By his own admission he did and does not have a great voice but was well-read and highly opinionated and thus “Topic A” was born on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend in 1979. Originally a three-hour show from 8-11 it was later expanded to four hours because the phone lines were jammed and advertisers clamored to have their messages heard when most of Ocean County was listening…and they were listening.

Since its inception “Topic A” has been a ratings bonanza, achieving numbers almost unheard of. That’s all because of Bob, who rarely misses a week and has always tried to schedule vacations and trips around the show.
As for taking a day off when he was not feeling well….basically never!
The best way to sum up how listeners feel about the at-times gruff sounding host is to remember a tee-shirt promotion that was done years ago. There
were three different shirts with Bob’s caricature on the front….one said
“I love Bob Levy”, another said “I hate Bob Levy”, and a third said “I’m
ambivalent about Bob Levy.”

Of course there is also Bob’s take on himself when it comes to the show.
“I don’t really care if they love me or hate me…as long as they don’t ignore me.” That has never been the case and I don’t expect it ever will be.
Happy Anniversary Bob…..NOBODY DOES IT BETTER!