21 years ago, 66 WNBC signs off for the last time

[oldies981fan]

I just forgot that today, October 7th marked exactly 21 years ago today, when 66 WNBC signed off for the very last time.

 

[ericdxx]

How much music were they playing the last years? And what kind of show was Soupy Sales doing? A kids show?

 

[John1]

Soupy Sales was gone before the last day of WNBC. His show was a mix of music and conversation with his on-air crew & phone calls, for adults who'd grown up watching him.
They had a piano in the studio, played occassionally as background, the subject of a well-discussed radio 'theatre of the mind' bit of Fred Norris 'cutting the wires to the keys' after Soupy's crew left the studio sloppy one day & Howard Stern complained. (The truth that it didn't really happen came out 20 years later on "The History of Howard Stern" on Sirius).

As I recall, WNBC had become a mix of music and talk 'full service' radio by 1988, with Imus talking more in the morning, Ray Dariano (Soupy's former co-host) alone in middays, plus Alan Colmes in the afternoon. Weekends were oldies on the 'WNBC Time Machine' with jingles, echo & jock stylings similar to WABC in the 1960's, including Big Jay Sorensen, who sucessfully carried that concept soon to New Jersey 101.5 in 1990.

A lot of great personalities went through WNBC in their various Personality MOR-Top 40 formats of the 1970's & 1980's, including Don Imus (who was 'edgy' in 1972), Howard Stern, Wolfman Jack, Soupy Sales, Joey Reynolds, Big Wilson, Norm N. Nite, Cousin Brucie, Dick Summer, Frank Reed, Big Jay Sorensen & many more!

 

[Stuart]

I may be wrong ( I probably am) but I thought the line up was..

Imus in the morning, followed by Captain Frank Reed's all Request show, than Alan Colmes or Soupy Sales, and than Alan Bebee at night.

I do remember being in the Quakerbridge Mall when the change occurred. Wasn't it Alan Colmes or Cousin Brucie who provided the last show and the "countdown" to WFAN???

Thanks,
Stuart
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

 

[Skynet74]

I remember Soupy took over captain Frank Reed's slot. But I'm almost positive Soupy was gone by 1988. I think his show lasted until 1987. Maybe Reed's all request show came back until the station changed formats. I can't remember for sure.

But I do remember Alan Colmes being there until the last day. As a matter of fact they switched formats during Alan's show. I think he counted down. I was in the process of moving to New York that day and I was staying overnight at the Super 8 in Stamford, Connecticut. I remember being in my hotel room listening to the station as they made the switch.

 

[oldies981fan]

I may be wrong ( I probably am) but I thought the line up was..

Imus in the morning, followed by Captain Frank Reed's all Request show, than Alan Colmes or Soupy Sales, and than Alan Bebee at night.

I do remember being in the Quakerbridge Mall when the change occurred. Wasn't it Alan Colmes or Cousin Brucie who provided the last show and the "countdown" to WFAN???

Thanks,
Stuart
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

To answer your question Stuart, it was Alan Colmes who did the last show on WNBC on that day.

 

[easttxtv]

I found these reports covering the switch:

WABC/7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbyujYKKbDM
WCBS/2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RmljR1-bc8
WWOR/9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRvvAaM-Rvc
WPIX/11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvuUkWhPLZA
WNYW/5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or5blFP8C7Q
and of course
WNBC/4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxxvFvfrbX8

Interesting to see the different angles each station took with the story, and Ch.9's version of a Peacock, well, probably won't be embraced at 30 Rock anytime soon.

 

[Stuart]

Thanks easttxtv,

This one is the best WNBC/4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxxvFvfrbX8

Stuart

 

[DToTheJ]

... I do remember Alan Colmes being there until the last day. As a matter of fact they switched formats during Alan's show. I think he counted down. I was in the process of moving to New York that day and I was staying overnight at the Super 8 in Stamford, Connecticut. I remember being in my hotel room listening to the station as they made the switch.

I also recall that in the station's final moments, Colmes gave away a pair of "Cats" tickets to a caller named, I believe, Caroline... Then the chimes, and then the FAN. I believe there's audio of the aircheck somewhere on the Internets. What I'd really like to hear, though, is the aircheck of WFAN at 1050 AM transitioning to the recorded loop ID-ing itself as "WUKQ" and telling listeners to go "down the dial to 660 AM."

 

[pjc1961]

Starting in early-mid 1988, Dave Sims hosted a Sportstalk show from 7pm-Midnight on WNBC. Most evenings it would be pre-empted for broadcasts of Knicks basketball & Rangers hockey, which WFAN inherited when they moved down the dial from 1050 to 660. WFAN took the Mets baseball broadcasts with them in the same move. The 1st Mets game broadcast on WFAN 660 was the Mets-L.A. Dodgers NL Championship Series Game 3 at Shea Stadium on a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon, October 8, 1988.

Tie-in to the current MLB playoffs: it would be in the fateful Game 4 of that same series that L.A.'s catcher Mike Scioscia would hit a 9th inning game-tying home run off of Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden, sending the game into extra innings. The Dodgers eventually won the game in 12 innings, 5-4, & would go on to defeat the Mets in the series, 4 games to 3. Scioscia now manages the L.A. Angels of Anaheim, who are currently playing the Boston Red Sox in one of two AL Division series. (Yankees-Twins being the other.)

 

[Don Juan]

I remember Soupy took over captain Frank Reed's slot. But I'm almost positive Soupy was gone by 1988.

Before the change occurred, Soupy had a very public dismissal.

He had been told that he was being let go. He proceeded to go on the air and rant against the station for an hour and 45 minutes....before management took him off the air.

 

[MickeyD]

Thanks easttxtv,

This one is the best WNBC/4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxxvFvfrbX8

Stuart

Well they should have had the best, they were only 4 floors apart. The second floor studios became the TV network's satellite distribution area. Having the tours constantly staring in at you gets to you after awhile.