Industry profile: Ron Galetti-Born to Ride TV- for Cycle Scene Magazine

Over the past few years I have had the pleasure of working with Ron Galletti a number of times when he has featured some of my itinerant wanderings around the globe on his show, “Born to Ride.” The last time I visited with him we did a Cycle Scene sponsored viewers ride that featured my Triumph T 595 Daytona. For those of you who caught the show it was a really nice piece with some great shots of the bike out on the highway and a pretty awful talk by yours truly. In viewing time it takes maybe two or three minutes to watch, and having been involved in the making of the piece (that took a good couple of hours to shoot) it got me thinking about an idea for an interesting story..

How about doing a feature on Ron Galletti and his awesome television show from the inside, so to speak. The show itself, which goes from strength to strength, is extremely popular and watched by thousands of people, but who is the person behind the show? What makes him tick? What does it take to produce a television show every week for nearly five years now? Well, read on as I attempt to bring you a glimpse into Ron Galletti’s world.

Having talked Ron into giving me this interview, we arranged a breakfast meeting to take care of business. Ron arrived for the meeting dressed in his latest line of “Born to Ride” apparel looking a little bleary eyed, but with a big smile on his face. As Ron had been at the Cork Room Pub bike night in Orlando the previous evening, and not having made it home till 2.30am, I was surprised to find him so cheery. We had breakfast and with the aid of a little java got to work on the interview.

In the television network world Ron Galletti is a home town David in a land of corporate Goliaths. His locally produced show, which airs all over the state of Florida, is really starting to make people sit up and take notice. This is a direct quote from WB 38 Tampa Bay: “Congrats! Born to Ride hit a new high-it peaked at a 1.6 HH Rating on Nov 25. This beat Cheers, Home improvement, Ricki Lake and the Movie on WTOG the same day! Keep it up” Now being aired in four separate markets around the state the show is literally reaching into millions of homes. Because of this life for Ron Galletti is 24/7, and in his words, “I wake up in the morning and have to produce.” For starters he has to basically create the show, film all the footage, handle most of the interviewing and work with the production team. Add in, buying the television space, selling adds in his four separate markets, billing, collecting and a hundred and one other jobs you can soon get the picture that Ron Galletti is a very busy man.

While I want to portray Ron as the dynamic, motivated individual he most certainly is, I need to mention the biggest asset to his successful show, his wife Debbie. As usual Ron is always quick to say that he could not do what he does with her unfailing support. I know many of you, who are familiar with the show, are used to seeing Debbie, and having met her personally, on a couple of occasions, I can only say Ron Galletti is a lucky man. Ron and Debbie, who were high school sweet hearts in Brandon and have been married for more than ten years now.

Ron initially started out as the lead singer for a heavy metal band called “Nasty Savage.” During the eight years he fronted the band, they produced four successful albums and toured extensively across North America, Europe and South America, as well as a couple of interesting venues in then communist Poland. At their peak, the band performed 60 shows in 65 days here in the States, quite some feat by any ones standards. With the break up of the band Ron moved on to Pro Wrestling were he worked as a co-producer of a television show for the IWF. It was during this period, when he was involved in the production of over 200 shows, that he got the idea to put his love of motorcycles and knowledge of television production together and started Born to Ride.

The show, as I have already mentioned, has gone from strength to strength and has developed into the successful production that it is today. The theme is simple, motorcycles and the people who ride them but the diversity is deep. Ron recently received an e-mail from a lady who had watched his coverage of the “Bunny Ride.” She had been deeply moved by the generosity of the biking community and wanted to share the story of her son with Ron. Apparently her little boy, Christopher, has a brain tumor and against all odds is surviving and doing well. When she told the story Ron seized the moment, and on the very next show put out a passionate appeal to the motorcycling community to organize an event to help this very special little boy. I would like to quote Ron at this point when I was asking about this: “Unfortunately sad things happen and when you watch Born to Ride sometimes you will laugh and sometimes you will cry.”

One of Ron Galetti’s main priorities for his show is to portray Bikers in a good light. He focuses on the fun things that are happening in the motorcycle community (as well as the sad on occasion). He also likes to focus on the hard working dealers and organizations that are constantly at work to improve our motorcycling experience. In his own words, “Bikers are the greatest people I have ever met and through my show I try to take them on a journey, an adventure. Born to ride is for everyone that rides.” For those of you who have not seen the show yet check out Ron's ad right here in Cycle Scene and tune in to the station nearest you.

Where else can you see all the latest motorcycle news and events in your local area? Perhaps go on a journey around the beautiful coast of South Africa. Take a lone trip by Harley out to Sturgis, or watch a detailed piece about an immaculately restored Vincent motorcycle. The variety and depth of the content Ron Galletti packs into his show on a weekly basis would take pages to fill. The best way to experience it is by turning on your television and while you are at it turn up the volume. This show is fast paced and set to some of the best biker music in the industry today. Ron has not forgotten his music roots, and has been hard at work lately producing an all new CD entitled, not surprisingly, “Born to Ride The Music-Vol. 1” It features 17 tracks from a great assortment of local talent playing biker songs that will have you reaching for your motorcycle keys. If any one is interested in hearing the CD, Ron will send one to the first ten people that write to him personally and mention this article. This and many other ideas, such as Ron's all new line of Born to Ride clothing, are what make him THE INNOVATOR in the motorcycle t.v. world. The way things are going for the show do not be surprised to see BTR going national in the not too distant future.

With our interview over for the most part, we headed back to Ron's office to check out the new show and discuss my upcoming India story that will be airing soon. Once in the office the phone begins to ring and Ron is off to work. Politely saying no thanks to a sales call, checking on some video editing, organizing his next bike night, the calls keep coming. Sat back in his chair, surrounded by the hundreds of tapes that represent five years of motorcycle television I left Ron Galletti to the daily business of running Born to Ride. As I headed for home it made me think how until now I have just turned the television on and expected the show to be on with no realization of the work involved

Well, I hope my interview goes some way to shedding some light on the hard work and dedication it takes to produce such a quality show. If you have not watched it, do, and if you have and like it let Ron know through his web site www.Borntoride.com I could take another few paragraphs to tell you about BTR’s web site but I will let you check it out for yourself, you will not be disappointed. There is one last thing to say, and that is a personal message from Ron Galletti to all the wonderful people that have helped out over the years on Born to Ride. He would like to send a heart felt thank you to each and every one on them and let them know that he could not have made it without their help.

For Cycle Scene. Neale Bayly.