Monday, March 5, 2018

NYC Radio: WABC's Sid Rosenberg Sued For 'Payola' Deal

Sid Rosenberg
The author of a memoir about mental illness allegedly paid WABC 770 AM host Sid Rosenberg $5,000 in “payola” cash to set up on-air interviews, a lawsuit claims.

The NY Post reports Joseph DeBlasi says he gave Rosenberg the cash in June 2014 to secure a spot on Geraldo Rivera’s radio show in the hope of promoting his book, “Polarized: Sex, Lies, and Family Betrayal.”

DeBlasi says he met Rosenberg months earlier through a work acquaintance. Rosenberg is the controversial host of “The Bernie and Sid Show” and a regular on “Imus in the Morning,” which both air on WABC.

At the time Rivera was also a WABC personality.

When Rosenberg said an Aug. 13 date was set for DeBlasi’s appearance on “The Geraldo Show,” the publicity-hungry author told family and friends.

But a week before the planned appearance, Rosenberg walked back his promise, explaining to DeBlasi that “he was still working with Geraldo’s producer Marty Berman on securing the date,” the suit alleged.

Instead, Rosenberg featured the book on three separate occasions when he filled in as a guest host on the “Boomer & Carton” radio show on WFAN/660 AM, the suit says. On at least one date, he interviewed the author on-air.

DeBlasi said he never got to discuss his book on Geraldo.

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