He Interviewed Presidents for 45 Years. Now Zev Brenner Tells His Story

It's not so much journalism, but I loved radio.

Even though television's around and I watched TV when I was a kid, but when I used to go to sleep, I used to have the radio.

And believe it or not, I used to listen to old time radio shows.

The Shadow and Fibber McGee and Molly, et cetera.

So I was always loved radio.

And what happened was in 1981, I hooked up with Rabbi Yankel Spivak of Blessed Memory, who's from these parts.

He was a radio person.

And we decided together to form a radio show called Night Wrap.

Now, in 1981, there really wasn't a lot of talk radio.

Call-in talk radio, even less.

Even Jewish programs, there was WEVD, the station that spoke your language, and most of the programs were Yiddish music from 50 years prior to that.

So in 1981, a Christian group called Salem Broadcasting, one of the largest Christian broadcasters in the United States, decided to buy WEVD, 1330 on the AM dial, the station that speaks your language.

And what happened was there was an outcry, especially from elderly Jews, 'cause in, uh, 'cause what happened was EVD was moving from AM to FM.

But believe it or not, in 1981, a lot of the older folks did not have FM radios, and they didn't like the fact and they protested.

So the Christian group, Salem Broadcasting, sold three hours every night, Sunday through Thursday, for Jewish groups.

And Rabbi Spivak and I got involved with this group.

I think it was the World Jewish Broadcasting Group, some name similar to that.

And we bought Sunday nights from 9:00, from actually from 10:00 PM till midnight.

What'd that cost you?

The Night Wrap.

I don't remember the cost, but it was, believe it or not, it was, it was hundreds of dollars each week for sure.

Yeah.

For sure.

Yeah.

So we ha- I had to sell advertising [laughs] to get the show going, and we were able to get some very interesting guests.

It's not so much journalism, but I loved radio.

Even though television's around and I watched TV when I was a kid, but when I used to go to sleep, I used to have the radio.

And believe it or not, I used to listen to old time radio shows.

The Shadow and Fibber McGee and Molly, et cetera.

So I was always loved radio.

And what happened was in 1981, I hooked up with Rabbi Yankel Spivak of Blessed Memory, who's from these parts.

He was a radio person.

And we decided together to form a radio show called Night Wrap.

Now, in 1981, there really wasn't a lot of talk radio.

Call-in talk radio, even less.

Even Jewish programs, there was WEVD, the station that spoke your language, and most of the programs were Yiddish music from 50 years prior to that.

So in 1981, a Christian group called Salem Broadcasting, one of the largest Christian broadcasters in the United States, decided to buy WEVD, 1330 on the AM dial, the station that speaks your language.

And what happened was there was an outcry, especially from elderly Jews, 'cause in, uh, 'cause what happened was EVD was moving from AM to FM.

But believe it or not, in 1981, a lot of the older folks did not have FM radios, and they didn't like the fact and they protested.

So the Christian group, Salem Broadcasting, sold three hours every night, Sunday through Thursday, for Jewish groups.

And Rabbi Spivak and I got involved with this group.

I think it was the World Jewish Broadcasting Group, some name similar to that.

And we bought Sunday nights from 9:00, from actually from 10:00 PM till midnight.

What'd that cost you?

The Night Wrap.

I don't remember the cost, but it was, believe it or not, it was, it was hundreds of dollars each week for sure.

Yeah.

For sure.

Yeah.

So we ha- I had to sell advertising [laughs] to get the show going, and we were able to get some very interesting guests.