Gene Burns
Encyclopedia
Gene Burns is an American talk radio
host. He hosts two programs which broadcast from the studios of KGO (AM 810)
in San Francisco. The Gene Burns Program, a political
and social commentary
show, airs weeknights. Dining Around with Gene Burns, a food and wine
program, airs weekly on Saturdays.
. Following high school graduation, he attended Rutgers University
before becoming involved in the local politics of Hornell, serving as chairman of a young citizens committee.
in York, Pennsylvania
. He began his career as talk radio host at WCBM
in Baltimore
in the mid-1960s. While at WCBM, Burns did two major international assignments, going to Vietnam
in 1968 and the Middle East
in 1969.
Following a brief stint with WEEI
in Boston
, Burns served as a talk show host as well as program director at WKIS-AM in Orlando, Florida
, beginning in 1971. He would remain there until 1981, when he departed for WCAU in Philadelphia in 1981. He then returned to Orlando and WKIS in the early 1980s and was named the station's operations manager in 1984. In 1985, Burns returned to Boston, hosting a talk show on WRKO
.
In 1993, Burns moved to New York City
and began hosting a nationally syndicated talk program from the studios of WOR
.
In 1995, he began broadcasting for KGO-AM in San Francisco, where he remains currently. He hosts a talk show of political and social commentary called The Gene Burns Program on weeknights, as well as a program that focuses on wine and fine dining in the San Francisco Bay Area
called Dining Around with Gene Burns which broadcasts weekly on Saturdays.
Talkers
magazine ranked Burns #24 on its list of The 25 Greatest Radio and Television Talk Show Hosts of All Time, in 2002.
views. He ran for the presidential
nomination of the Libertarian Party
in 1984
,
but withdrew his candidacy prior to the party's nominating convention. According to long-time libertarian activist Justin Raimondo
, Burns "dropped out of contention for the Libertarian Party’s 1984 presidential nomination not because he wasn’t 'thrilled' at the prospect of running, but due to the discovery that he advocated going to war with Nicaragua
’s Sandinistas
. He was dropped, and not vice-versa."
In 2008, Burns announced that he had "re-registered" as a member of the Democratic Party
, which he had left in the late 1960s after having been a member for several years.
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host. He hosts two programs which broadcast from the studios of KGO (AM 810)
KGO (AM)
KGO is a news/talk-format radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area...
in San Francisco. The Gene Burns Program, a political
Political criticism
Political criticism is criticism that is specific of or relevant to politics, including policies, politicians, political parties, and types of government.-Controversy:...
and social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
show, airs weeknights. Dining Around with Gene Burns, a food and wine
Wine and food matching
Wine and food matching is the process of pairing food dishes with wine to enhance the dining experience. In many cultures, wine has had a long history of being a staple at the dinner table and in some ways both the winemaking and culinary traditions of a region will have evolved together over the...
program, airs weekly on Saturdays.
Early life
Burns was born and raised in Hornell, New YorkHornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
. Following high school graduation, he attended Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
before becoming involved in the local politics of Hornell, serving as chairman of a young citizens committee.
Radio career
In his early 20s, Burns was hired as news director for radio station WWHG in his hometown of Hornell, New York before moving on to WSBAWSBA (AM)
WSBA is a radio station in York, Pennsylvania. The station used to be owned by Susquehanna Radio until 2005, when it was purchased by Cumulus Media...
in York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
. He began his career as talk radio host at WCBM
WCBM
WCBM is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. The station is owned by WCBM Maryland, Inc., which also owns WVIE, 1370 AM...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
in the mid-1960s. While at WCBM, Burns did two major international assignments, going to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
in 1968 and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 1969.
Following a brief stint with WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
in 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...
, Burns served as a talk show host as well as program director at WKIS-AM in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, beginning in 1971. He would remain there until 1981, when he departed for WCAU in Philadelphia in 1981. He then returned to Orlando and WKIS in the early 1980s and was named the station's operations manager in 1984. In 1985, Burns returned to Boston, hosting a talk show on WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
.
In 1993, Burns moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began hosting a nationally syndicated talk program from the studios of WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
.
In 1995, he began broadcasting for KGO-AM in San Francisco, where he remains currently. He hosts a talk show of political and social commentary called The Gene Burns Program on weeknights, as well as a program that focuses on wine and fine dining in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
called Dining Around with Gene Burns which broadcasts weekly on Saturdays.
Talkers
Talkers magazine
Talkers Magazine is a trade industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media"...
magazine ranked Burns #24 on its list of The 25 Greatest Radio and Television Talk Show Hosts of All Time, in 2002.
Politics
As a political commentator, Burns is known for his libertarianLibertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
views. He ran for the presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
nomination of the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
in 1984
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
,
but withdrew his candidacy prior to the party's nominating convention. According to long-time libertarian activist Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo is an American author and the editorial director of the website Antiwar.com. He describes himself as a "conservative-paleo-libertarian."-Background:...
, Burns "dropped out of contention for the Libertarian Party’s 1984 presidential nomination not because he wasn’t 'thrilled' at the prospect of running, but due to the discovery that he advocated going to war with Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
’s Sandinistas
Sandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
. He was dropped, and not vice-versa."
In 2008, Burns announced that he had "re-registered" as a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, which he had left in the late 1960s after having been a member for several years.
External links
- GeneBurns.com, official site
- Gene Burns' Page at KGO-AM 810 official site
- Dining around with Gene Burns official site
- Gene Burns profile at Notable Names Database (NNDB)NNDBThe Notable Names Database , produced by Soylent Communications, the same entity that produces Rotten, Daily Rotten, Dr. Sputnik's Society Pages and Penny Postcards, is an online database of biographical details of over 36,000 people of note...