‘BronxTalk’ celebrates 20 years

Happy (belated) “BronxTalk” Day!

That is the new designation for Oct. 22, thanks to a proclamation Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. made in honor of the talk show’s 20th anniversary.

Gary Axelbank, who has hosted the program since it launched along with the cable access network BronxNet, received the honor during the taping of a special episode last week.

“Over the last 20 years... you have given your all with a certain class and fearlessness and a particular wealth of knowledge that we don’t get to see or hear from many journalists,” Mr. Diaz said before presenting Mr. Axelbank with a framed plaque of the proclamation.

For the rest of the episode, taped at the Andrew Freedman Home on Oct. 22, Mr. Axelbank, interspersed footage of the show’s most memorable moments with live interviews with some of his most frequent guests. The host pointed out that Mr. Diaz, who has appeared on the show more than 20 times, ranks as the all-time most regular guest.

The latest episode aired Monday and is available at www.bronxnet.org. Viewers get to see an evidently irked former Mayor Rudy Giuliani as Mr. Axelbank presses him on issues; former state Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. theatrically hand a toy hatchet to a rival during a debate; and a range of artists, activists and educators share their views on all things Bronx.

In one memorable exchange, Mr. Giuliani and former Borough President Fernando Ferrer squared off over the Yankees in 1996. Mr. Ferrer was seeking to become mayor at the time.

“The Yankees are a private enterprise. New York City doesn’t own the Yankees,” Mr. Giuliani said. “If you start playing the political games that some people play, you could lose the Yankees for all of New York.”

“If by that, he means I’m not on my knees to George Steinbrenner, he’s absolutely right,” Mr. Ferrer said in reference to the longtime owner of the team. “Every time George Steinbrenner utters those outrageous comments about crime at Yankee Stadium and all the other nonsense, I will tell the truth on behalf of the people who elected me.”