Barry Farber dies; conservative radio host ran for NYC mayor

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Barry Farber dies; conservative radio host ran for NYC mayor

2020-05-08 01:09 Last Updated At：01:20

Pioneering radio host Barry Farber, who hosted a conservative talk show for decades in New York City and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1977, has died.

Farber died of natural causes Wednesday at home in New York, a day after his 90th birthday, his daughter, Celia Farber, said.

Raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Farber worked in New York City for his entire career and was still doing a regular digital talk show for CRN up until last week. Injuries from a fall hastened his demise, his daughter said.

He began on the air at WINS-AM, the only talk host on a rock ’n’ roll station. Farber moved to WOR-AM in 1962 and worked in the evening and through the night. He left the station for his mayoral run and, after losing as a Conservative Party candidate to Democrat Ed Koch with 4% of the vote, went to work for WMCA-AM for 11 years.

He was a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Farber was a traditional conservative working in one of the nation's most liberal cities. He was a wordsmith and extraordinary orator, said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine.

“He spoke as if he was writing an essay,” Harrison said.

He spoke more than 20 languages, including Albanian, Swedish, Finnish and Yiddish, along with the more standard French, German, Spanish and Chinese, according to an obituary.

Farber was past his peak of influence by the time conservative talk radio became an industry that made national stars of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. He would joke about "being big in the old days and old in the big days," Harrison said.

“I just wish we had started it in my generation,” Farber told Talkers in a 2012 interview. “It never occurred to us.”

Farber was known for ending his show with the phrase, “To be continued."

Hollywood stars gather for an all-winners celebration at the American Film Institute Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — If the American Film Institute Awards stands for anything, it’s that everyone in the room — from Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Coogler to Timothée Chalamet and Ariana Grande — leaves feeling like a winner.

That spirit was on full display Friday as the AFI Awards gathered its 2026 honorees for an invitation-only luncheon in Beverly Hills, where the institute once again celebrated the collaborative nature of film and television by honoring creative teams — in front of and behind the camera.

Inside the ballroom, there were no acceptance speeches in the traditional sense and no suspense over envelopes. Instead, AFI’s ceremony unfolded as a series of thoughtfully written tributes: eloquent rationales for each honored film and television program, followed by brief clips designed to place the year’s work within a broader cultural and artistic context.

AFI President Bob Gazzale spoke in front of star-filled room, ensuring there were no losers with only shared recognition.

The room reflected that mood. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg was spotted chatting with Coogler, whose wife and “Sinners" producer, Zinzi Coogler, stood beside him. Meanwhile, Michael B. Jordan worked the room, trading hugs and handshakes with fellow honorees and guests including "Bugonia" star Jesse Plemons and “Task” actor Mark Ruffalo. Filmmakers James Cameron and Guillermo del Toro greeted each other.

Nearby, DiCaprio stood side by side with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and actors Benicio del Toro and Edward James Olmos. Chase Infiniti looked on from her table, gazing toward her “One Battle After Another” co-stars before the program kicked off.

On the red carpet, with “Death by Lightning” actor Nick Offerman beside him, George Clooney shared laughs with a photographer, adding to the easygoing tone that carried throughout the afternoon. After the event, Infiniti and Jordan reunited for a hug and a brief catch-up, a quiet moment that underscored the camaraderie in the room.

Films honored include “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Bugonia,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Jay Kelly,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another," “Sinners,” “Train Dreams” and “Wicked: For Good.”

Television shows recognized were “Adolescence,” “Andor,” “Death by Lightning,” “The Diplomat,” “The Lowdown,” “The Pitt,” “Severance,” “The Studio" and “Task.”

Closing the ceremony was Carol Burnett, who delivered AFI’s annual benediction, celebrating the honorees’ achievements while reflecting on her own lifelong love of cinema and television.

“I’ve never lost the deep respect and love that I have for all the stories we tell through cinema and television and by all of those behind and in front of the camera,” Burnett said. “Creative collaboration has always remained at the heart of our work, and AFI brings us all together. The world is a better place for having heard your voices.”

The luncheon also featured AFI’s signature March of Time video montage, a sweeping look at cinematic and television milestones from decades past, situating this year’s honorees within the evolving history of the medium.