[citation needed] She grew up in Lawrence on Long Island and attended Barnard College, before embarking on an advertising career.
The orientation of her broadcasts shifted dramatically from consumerism to a radio version of the Today Show,[citation needed] including the day's news, food and restaurant features, and celebrity and newsmaker interviews.
[2] Carol Channing, a regular listener, once called Joan Hamburg "The Yellow Pages of The World".
[3] Hamburg frequently broadcasts from her favorite places instead of a studio—e.g., Sardi's,[2] the Hamptons, Canyon Ranch, The Villages, Florida[4] and so on.
She worked closely with her production staff to provide a seamless "I can find anything for you" expertise, sometimes discernible in a drawn-out "let me see" pause.