Robby Bridges
Encyclopedia
Robby Bridges is an American radio disc jockey
known best known for his time on top 40 station WHTZ
(Z100) New York
and more recently as afternoon host at Providence's WCTK
(Cat Country). A throw-back to the personality disc jockeys of the 1970s and '80s with a high energy delivery, using plays on words, quick wit and vivid vocabulary to introduce records and convey topical information.
Bridges began his broadcast career in 1993 at Providence's WWBB-FM and working through the ranks of programming assistant to air talent by age 12. At this time he also worked for a small Rhode Island alternative rock station as afternoon host and then as a newscaster and talk show host when the station switched to jazz. He went on to work at pop stations in Groton, Connecticut
and New Bedford, Massachusetts
and then onto CBS Radio’s WODS
(Oldies 103) Boston
where he was the number one-rated personality in his time slot, later joining sister station WBMX (Mix 98.5) as well. While still working in Boston, Bridges returned to Rhode Island to host the night shift at WPRO-FM. In 2002, Bridges joined WIOQ
(Q102) Philadelphia and then sister WHTZ (Z100). Returning to Boston, Bridges re-launched his company BBOR Productions to include syndication and production in addition to live event and voice over narration; among programming he developed was "Show Me the 90s".
In 2003, he made the move back to the night shift in Providence at country outlet WCTK
which was re-branding itself with top 40 jingles and a more rock and roll leaning playlist. In addition to bringing a top 40 presentation to the format, Bridges introduced numerous recurring features, bits, parodies and characters in addition to making numerous personal appearances. Within a year he moved the show to afternoons. He became the number one rated afternoon host in the market, attracting nearly a quarter million listeners a week.
In 2008, Bridges made the move to Cumulus Media's WEBE
in Bridgeport, Connecticut as the afternoon air personality calling the move in trade publications a "tremendous opportunity to entertain the millions of listeners in "WEBE-land" every weekday afternoon and to be apart of a legendary team of outstanding broadcasters ... it's going to be fun!" Bridges is also heard regularly on sister station WICC-AM and WCZX-FM Pougkeepsie.
The Variety Hour
On September 28 2008, he began hosting and producing a first-of-its-kind late-night talk show on the radio, Night-Time with Robby Bridges; guests to date have included a broad array of personalities including Bob Woodward, Bill Cosby, Jewel, Dennis Miller, Jon Meachum, Lisa Loeb, Spike Lee, David Cook, Tony Orlando, Jerry Springer and Joan Rivers. Following the late night television model(although it airs as a morning show in most markets), The Variety Show Band plays Robby's Theme "Swing Time" as announcer Mike Bellamy lists the show's guests. This is preceded by a brief montage of clips from previous variety shows: included Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Jack Paar and on occasion a cold open. The program then opens with banter between Robby and Mike on topical stories/topics of the day (referred to as the "two-person talk show monologue") and features four to five guests, usually one actor, one journalist/politician or newsmaker, a comedian-performer and a musical act. Bridges has shown a penchant for booking unusual guests on both the political far left and right, singers from the 1950–60s, Broadway performers, activists, scientists and people with unusual talents including strongman contestants, clairvoyants and archeologists.
In 2009 the show rebranded in regional syndication to The Robby Bridges Variety Hour and Bridges is now heard in New York on WFAS-F/A and also on WFAF, WINE, WPUT, WICC, WDBY, WRKI in addition to WEBE. Notable moments have included Robby joining in with a Russian dance troupe, meeting odd American Idol fans and exploring a bee farm without a protective suit. While Bridges has hosted each of the 100+ episodes to date, on occasion guest announcers have subbed for Bellamy and the program frequently re-airs recent episodes and "Best of Bridges" specials; these have include annual Independence Day and Christmas specials in addition to "Kings of Comedy" and "Legends of Rock". A test pilot for a television version of the show was taped in May of 2010 but never aired.
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
known best known for his time on top 40 station WHTZ
WHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
(Z100) New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and more recently as afternoon host at Providence's WCTK
WCTK
WCTK is a country music formatted radio station serving Southern New England, with studios in Providence, Rhode Island, and transmitter in New Bedford, Massachusetts.History=...
(Cat Country). A throw-back to the personality disc jockeys of the 1970s and '80s with a high energy delivery, using plays on words, quick wit and vivid vocabulary to introduce records and convey topical information.
Bridges began his broadcast career in 1993 at Providence's WWBB-FM and working through the ranks of programming assistant to air talent by age 12. At this time he also worked for a small Rhode Island alternative rock station as afternoon host and then as a newscaster and talk show host when the station switched to jazz. He went on to work at pop stations in Groton, Connecticut
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
and New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
and then onto CBS Radio’s WODS
WODS
- External links :****...
(Oldies 103) Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
where he was the number one-rated personality in his time slot, later joining sister station WBMX (Mix 98.5) as well. While still working in Boston, Bridges returned to Rhode Island to host the night shift at WPRO-FM. In 2002, Bridges joined WIOQ
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
(Q102) Philadelphia and then sister WHTZ (Z100). Returning to Boston, Bridges re-launched his company BBOR Productions to include syndication and production in addition to live event and voice over narration; among programming he developed was "Show Me the 90s".
In 2003, he made the move back to the night shift in Providence at country outlet WCTK
WCTK
WCTK is a country music formatted radio station serving Southern New England, with studios in Providence, Rhode Island, and transmitter in New Bedford, Massachusetts.History=...
which was re-branding itself with top 40 jingles and a more rock and roll leaning playlist. In addition to bringing a top 40 presentation to the format, Bridges introduced numerous recurring features, bits, parodies and characters in addition to making numerous personal appearances. Within a year he moved the show to afternoons. He became the number one rated afternoon host in the market, attracting nearly a quarter million listeners a week.
In 2008, Bridges made the move to Cumulus Media's WEBE
WEBE
WEBE 107.9 FM , owned by Cumulus Media, is an Adult Contemporary music formatted radio station licensed to serve the community of Westport, Connecticut. The station is usually ranked number one the Stamford-Norwalk,Bridgeport and Fairfield County ratings, and is in the top 5 of the New Haven Market...
in Bridgeport, Connecticut as the afternoon air personality calling the move in trade publications a "tremendous opportunity to entertain the millions of listeners in "WEBE-land" every weekday afternoon and to be apart of a legendary team of outstanding broadcasters ... it's going to be fun!" Bridges is also heard regularly on sister station WICC-AM and WCZX-FM Pougkeepsie.
The Variety Hour
On September 28 2008, he began hosting and producing a first-of-its-kind late-night talk show on the radio, Night-Time with Robby Bridges; guests to date have included a broad array of personalities including Bob Woodward, Bill Cosby, Jewel, Dennis Miller, Jon Meachum, Lisa Loeb, Spike Lee, David Cook, Tony Orlando, Jerry Springer and Joan Rivers. Following the late night television model(although it airs as a morning show in most markets), The Variety Show Band plays Robby's Theme "Swing Time" as announcer Mike Bellamy lists the show's guests. This is preceded by a brief montage of clips from previous variety shows: included Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Jack Paar and on occasion a cold open. The program then opens with banter between Robby and Mike on topical stories/topics of the day (referred to as the "two-person talk show monologue") and features four to five guests, usually one actor, one journalist/politician or newsmaker, a comedian-performer and a musical act. Bridges has shown a penchant for booking unusual guests on both the political far left and right, singers from the 1950–60s, Broadway performers, activists, scientists and people with unusual talents including strongman contestants, clairvoyants and archeologists.
In 2009 the show rebranded in regional syndication to The Robby Bridges Variety Hour and Bridges is now heard in New York on WFAS-F/A and also on WFAF, WINE, WPUT, WICC, WDBY, WRKI in addition to WEBE. Notable moments have included Robby joining in with a Russian dance troupe, meeting odd American Idol fans and exploring a bee farm without a protective suit. While Bridges has hosted each of the 100+ episodes to date, on occasion guest announcers have subbed for Bellamy and the program frequently re-airs recent episodes and "Best of Bridges" specials; these have include annual Independence Day and Christmas specials in addition to "Kings of Comedy" and "Legends of Rock". A test pilot for a television version of the show was taped in May of 2010 but never aired.
Trivia
- Robby Bridges contributes columns to FMQB Magazine
- Robby is seen as a host on Rhode Island Public Television WSBE-TVWSBE-TVWSBE-TV is Rhode Island's only public television station. The license is owned by the Rhode Island Public Telecommunications Authority, a quasi-state agency. The station began broadcasting on June 8, 1967 from the campus of Rhode Island College. In 1974, WSBE moved to the former WPRO-TV facilities...
/-DT and appeared on WNTH-TV New Haven - Robby is seen the 2007 documentary film "You Must Be This Tall to Ride”
- Robby has appeared on California Aircheck, Radio-Online and ReelRadio.com
- Bridges been profiled three times in front page articles in The Providence Journal and feature articles in The Boston Globe and The Boston HeraldBoston HeraldThe Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
. - Robby is an advisory board member of Big Brothers and emceed numerous events on their behalf; he has also hosted radiothons benefiting St. Jude Children’s Hospital and is a supporter of The Salvation Army, Make a Wish Foundation among others.
- Produced “The Record Closet” program at Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
’s WBRUWBRUWBRU is a commercial alternative rock radio station in Providence, Rhode Island that broadcasts on 95.5 FM. It was the first student-owned-and-operated campus radio station in the United States when it started as the Brown Network at Brown University in 1936... - Is the "voice" of WKOL-FM/Burlington, VT and WKNY-AM/Kingston, NY
- Worked as a show producer at Cox Cable; as an assistant at WJARWJARWJAR is the NBC-affiliated television station for the state of Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts licensed to Providence. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter in Rehoboth, Massachusetts...
/Providence and at Duffy and Shanely advertising agency. - Appeared in a production of Grease as Kenickie.
- He hosted a public affairs program discussing the 1996 Presidential campaign while in middle school.
- Writes, produces and hosts an annual 4 July Patriotic music special and radio adaptation of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”
- Occasionally performs stand-up comedy at "Catch a Rising Star" comedy clubs in New England
- His “Bridges” nickname came from the TV show Nash BridgesNash BridgesNash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...
.