Do You Remember WCAU-FM "Fascinatin' Rhythms"?

[Gregg.]

WCAU-FM 98.1 went through a lot of formats before it became the current Oldies/Classic Hits WOGL. After ending its simulcast with 1210 WCAU's Talk and MOR format, it switched to "The Young Sound" (youthful easy listening) like many of the CBS owned FM stations. Then it went Oldies, first automated, then with DJs. Then when Disco became a craze, WCAU-FM switched to that format.

As Disco cooled down, the station moved to an Adult Rhythmic format. It was enjoyable to my ears, a sort of 24 hour Quiet Storm, but more pop-oriented. Urban AC - Rhythmic AC - Soft AC, all mixed together. Before there was a Smooth Jazz, the artists on "Fascinatin' Rhythms" were mostly vocalists who would later be heard on Smooth Jazz stations, Diana Ross, The Commodores, Earth Wind & Fire, Barry White, etc. Whoever was picking the songs made sure most of them were familiar to white audiences, not just from the R&B or Urban charts, even if most of the artists were African-American. I thought the DJs were good and the station's overall sound was professionally done.

But I may have been alone. WCAU-FM's ratings were not great and it switched back to Oldies a short time later. By the way, "Fascinating Rhythm" was a song written by Ira Gershwin in 1924. So maybe it's not a good idea to title a contemporary format after a song written 60 years earlier.

 

[EBFeaster]

I loved WCAU-FM in the Mellow Rhythm year. They did seem to play Benny & the Jets an awful lot! Don't forget that for 6 years between the Mellow Rhythm years, and the return to Oldies, there was the Hot Hits CHR years.

 

[ixnay]

Don't forget that for 6 years between the Mellow Rhythm years, and the return to Oldies, there was the Hot Hits CHR years.

Yeah, Gregg, how could you forget Hot Hits?

ixnay

 

[Gregg.]

How could I forget Hot Hits? Yeah, that was quite a Top 40 format. Numerous jingles between each element, very foreground DJs around the clock, and only current songs, repeated every 90-120 minutes. I should have remembered that era... And Electric 106 with virtually the same Mike Joseph format a few years later.

 

[davideduardo]

How could I forget Hot Hits? Yeah, that was quite a Top 40 format. Numerous jingles between each element, very foreground DJs around the clock, and only current songs, repeated every 90-120 minutes. I should have remembered that era... And Electric 106 with virtually the same Mike Joseph format a few years later.

Interesting fact: the Hot Hits format was prototyped at WKAQ in San Juan, PR! They were a Mike Joseph client from 1968 until the mid-90's.