joan hamburg

Joan Hamburg grew up on Long Island, New York and graduated from Barnard College. Right after graduation she wrote New York on $5 a Day which was self-published by then litigation lawyer Arthur Frommer.  It sold 35,000 copies in less than three months. 

Because of that book, she became the toast of the town. While writing for New York Magazine, her boss encouraged her to audition for a radio show on WMCA-AM in New York.  She got the job because the station was bombarded with thousands of letters from listeners, “mostly relatives,” who wanted more.

She has received countless awards such as the prestigious “Matrix Award for Excellence in Radio Broadcasting” from New York Women in Communications, The Mother’s Day Council’s “National Mother of the Year,” the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation’s “Gracie Lifetime Achievement Award,” and the Anti-Defamation League’s “Woman of the Year.” 

Known as New York’s “First Lady of Radio,” Hamburg views her audience as family and genuinely cares about each listener. When asked for career advice, she says “Never give up curiosity and be willing to work your tail off.”