In a career twice interrupted by military service, Zabka's compiled a record of achievements and peer awards in many diverse fields of the entertainment industry. Returning from Europe as military news chief of the American Forces Network during the Korean War, he continued his music studies in New York and earned recognition as a composer of memorable theme music for various Pulitzer, Christopher, and Emmy-award winning television specials. He's co-composer with Al D'Artega of "Chimes", the original Tonight Show theme, the marching band version of which later became the signature theme of NBC Network Sports for many years. Possibly his best known popular work is "Christmas Eve In My Home Town" which he co-wrote with Don Upton when they were Pages at NBC.

Zabka's 22 years as Associate Television Director with that network included five years with the Johnny Carson "Tonight Show" and the Perry Como "Kraft Music Hall". He received an Emmy as a Director of the daytime serial, "The Doctors". His credits as an Assistant Director in motion pictures include "Midnight Run" (Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin), "Bronco Billy" and "Any Which Way You Can" (Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke), "Romancing The Stone" (Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner), "A Change of Seasons" (Anthony Hopkins, Shirley MacLaine and Bo Derek), "Forced Vengeance" (Chuck Norris), "Streets of L.A." (Joanne Woodward), "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" (Helen Hunt), plus, "Love Boat", "The Eddie Capra Mysteries", "Dallas".