Legendary oldies radio station WCBS-FM, New York yanked for 'Jack' - Bilge

D donhonyc Tiki Socialite The Quiet EAST Village Joined: Jan 13, 2003 Posts: 1197	D donhonyc Posted posted on Sun, Jun 5, 2005 9:06 PM I know that ultimately this is a New York City story and many of you may not relate to it, but it merits a post here. This past Friday, June 3 at 5pm will probably go down as one of the stupidest and most shocking events in the modern history of New York radio. That was the moment when the 'good people' at Infinity Broadcasting decided to yank the oldies format at 101.1 WCBS-FM and replaced it with a new format that is apparently sweeping the country called 'Jack'. The format itself is as anonymous and disturbing as the name. Some may think that oldies is a worn out format. I can't argue with that, but here in Gotham, WCBS-FM was a 33 year old institution that was quintessentially New York to the bone and had a unique and personal connection with it's listeners. In fact it was currently holding a top-ten position in the ratings books!! It was also home to many legendary New York DJs like 'Cousin Brucie' Morrow, Don K. Reed, and Bill Brown. Over the last few years CBS was grapling with the new technological changes in listening to music via iPods, Sattelite, etc., thus playing it real safe with their playlists. Granted it had it's problems, but it was in no way a lost cause, not even close. Currently, Infinity owns two other stations in this market that are in extremely bad shape. Why they didn't choose to install the 'Jack' format there is beyond me. It's all very backward. So out of nowhere on Friday they yank the format, fire the staff, and install this 'Jack' format which in the short description is supposed to be 'an iPod for your radio'. No DJs, no weather, just some snotty faceless pre-recorded voice over IDs. One says 'We put the B-S in CBS'. Gee...that's nice. What's up with these corporate a-holes??? Credible sources are reporting that the air-staff, etc. didn't even have prior knowledge of this until an HOUR before the change took place!! There is total outrage over this right now and the listeners that had kept this station in top ten including me, are taking this real personally. Even people in the business are wondering what the hell is going on. It was a station that was not just about oldies, because yeah...I do get sick of hearing 'Happy Together' by The Turtles over and over again. This station was built on it's personalities from the school of when radio was your supposed to be your friend. On a more general level, this is disturbing because it seems to be the direction are culture is headed. Generic, faceless, and expendable. Just really dissapointing and scary. [ Edited by: donhonyc on 2005-06-05 21:14 ]

I know that ultimately this is a New York City story and many of you may not relate to it, but it merits a post here. This past Friday, June 3 at 5pm will probably go down as one of the stupidest and most shocking events in the modern history of New York radio. That was the moment when the 'good people' at Infinity Broadcasting decided to yank the oldies format at 101.1 WCBS-FM and replaced it with a new format that is apparently sweeping the country called 'Jack'. The format itself is as anonymous and disturbing as the name.

Some may think that oldies is a worn out format. I can't argue with that, but here in Gotham, WCBS-FM was a 33 year old institution that was quintessentially New York to the bone and had a unique and personal connection with it's listeners. In fact it was currently holding a top-ten position in the ratings books!! It was also home to many legendary New York DJs like 'Cousin Brucie' Morrow, Don K. Reed, and Bill Brown. Over the last few years CBS was grapling with the new technological changes in listening to music via iPods, Sattelite, etc., thus playing it real safe with their playlists. Granted it had it's problems, but it was in no way a lost cause, not even close. Currently, Infinity owns two other stations in this market that are in extremely bad shape. Why they didn't choose to install the 'Jack' format there is beyond me. It's all very backward. So out of nowhere on Friday they yank the format, fire the staff, and install this 'Jack' format which in the short description is supposed to be 'an iPod for your radio'. No DJs, no weather, just some snotty faceless pre-recorded voice over IDs. One says 'We put the B-S in CBS'. Gee...that's nice. What's up with these corporate a-holes??? Credible sources are reporting that the air-staff, etc. didn't even have prior knowledge of this until an HOUR before the change took place!!

There is total outrage over this right now and the listeners that had kept this station in top ten including me, are taking this real personally. Even people in the business are wondering what the hell is going on. It was a station that was not just about oldies, because yeah...I do get sick of hearing 'Happy Together' by The Turtles over and over again. This station was built on it's personalities from the school of when radio was your supposed to be your friend.

On a more general level, this is disturbing because it seems to be the direction are culture is headed. Generic, faceless, and expendable. Just really dissapointing and scary.

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2005-06-05 21:14 ]

Post #163835 by donhonyc on Sun, Jun 5, 2005 9:06 PM