CBS-FM coming back

[Jul]

Do you think that the return of CBS-FM is the most talked about format change in NYC radio history.

 

[NamJock]

Well, there weren't message boards back then (maybe BBS), but Doubleday's WAPP under the leadership of former "Good Guy" Gary Stevens, was pretty big.

 

[motnow]

It certainly looks like a big deal lately.
It reminds me of the CocaCola-> New Coke-> Classic Coke debacle many moons ago.
That mess of decisions worked out for the pop drink.
I'll bet it'll be a win for the station too.
I must admit...I missed CBS-FM (and that's coming from a 45+ WLIR nu-wave fan of the 80s.)

 

[Walter Graff]

Biggest? No, but put it in line with Stern leaving old fashion radio, the end of WABC, Imus getting fired, WNEW switching as well as KROCK and a whole bunch of others.

 

[NJListener]

I beg to differ with you, but CBS is NOT "back" as they are proclaiming. This is not the CBS that their loyal fan base knew and loved. It's ok, but it certainly is a major disapppointment.

 

[Jul]

I beg to differ with you, but CBS is NOT "back" as they are proclaiming. This is not the CBS that their loyal fan base knew and loved. It's ok, but it certainly is a major disappointment.

I think that you and the rest of the complainers should give the new CBS-FM a chance.

 

[NJListener]

Fair enough. They still have me (for now). And for the record, I am not hating the music, I am just acknowledging that the subject matter is not entirely accurate.

 

[fang39]

I beg to differ with you, but CBS is NOT "back" as they are proclaiming. This is not the CBS that their loyal fan base knew and loved. It's ok, but it certainly is a major disapppointment.

I think that you and the rest of the complainers should give the new CBS-FM a chance.

Fair enough. They still have me (for now). And for the record, I am not hating the music, I am just acknowledging that the subject matter is not entirely accurate.

Not entirely accuarte? Let's see...

• Are the old call letters back....YES
• Have they brought back Jocks from the before the flip to Jack....YES
• Are they playing hits from the 60's, 70's & 80's....YES

So, by my accounting, CBS-FM IS BACK! Is it "The Golden 101" of yesteryear? No, but if you had been listening to CBS-FM in the last couple of years before they flipped to Jack in '05, you would know they had already dropped most pre-Beatles era music, and both Harry Harrison and Ron Lundy had retired, so not much has changed in that regard. Hardly what could be termed a major dissappointment. So what is it that's not entirely accurate?

 

[NJListener]

Fang, Even though I had moved to the Jersey Shore in 1990 I still tuned in faithfully tio WCBS. I especially loved the Sunday night, Doo-Wop shop with Don K. Reed which is legendary. The format pre -2005 (or pre-dump) is totally different from what they are playing now. Stop mixing apples with oranges. They fully acknowledge that they added a whole lot of 1980's music and dropped the 50's and early 60's. Just because the call letters are the same hardly qualifies them to jump on this "Welcome Back" theme and attempt to lure us loyal followers back in. 2 NY City Mayors welcomed WCBS BACK last week , I bet they feel duped too. And then the gall to have Franki Valli call in to say "welcome back WCBS and play NOT one Four Seasons song for the past week other than "Grease" which he did as a solo long after the 4 Seasons broke up is insulting and misleading to him, as well. So cut the crap, all of you that are saying we are whiners. We were misled plain and simple. I have a feeling that they are listening to us die hards loud and clear, so I for 1 will continue to be vocal about it. I am thrilled that WCBS has returned but I want my Oldies.

 

[LinoNYC]

And then the gall to have Franki Valli call in to say "welcome back WCBS and play NOT one Four Seasons song for the past week other than "Grease"

I have listened very little since the sign-on yet have heard "Save It For Me", 'Tell It To The Rain" and "Rag Doll" also "Who Loves You" from the later (1974) period.

These commercial stations are programmed for the advertiser's demands regarding listener age, this is as good as a commercial "oldies" station in NY is going to get.

Lino

 

[fang39]

Fang, Even though I had moved to the Jersey Shore in 1990 I still tuned in faithfully tio WCBS. I especially loved the Sunday night, Doo-Wop shop with Don K. Reed which is legendary. The format pre -2005 (or pre-dump) is totally different from what they are playing now. Stop mixing apples with oranges. They fully acknowledge that they added a whole lot of 1980's music and dropped the 50's and early 60's. Just because the call letters are the same hardly qualifies them to jump on this "Welcome Back" theme and attempt to lure us loyal followers back in. 2 NY City Mayors welcomed WCBS BACK last week , I bet they feel duped too. And then the gall to have Franki Valli call in to say "welcome back WCBS and play NOT one Four Seasons song for the past week other than "Grease" which he did as a solo long after the 4 Seasons broke up is insulting and misleading to him, as well. So cut the crap, all of you that are saying we are whiners. We were misled plain and simple. I have a feeling that they are listening to us die hards loud and clear, so I for 1 will continue to be vocal about it. I am thrilled that WCBS has returned but I want my Oldies.

First of all, if you've been listening since 1990, you would have known that they had already begun to phase out the 50's & early 60's music back in 2002, while Joe McCoy was PD and dropped the "Doo-Woppe Shoppe" the same year. By the time Dave Logan took over in '04, it was a "fait accomplit!" By then, the station was also playing many of the 80's hits they're playing now. The difference is now they're promoting themselves as playing the "60's, 70's...and now the 80's, too!"

Hey, I've been listening to the station since day one (July, 1972) and I miss the old stuff too, but we have to face reality here--in order to move forward and be a viable, revenue generating operation, they have to skew the playlist to the demographic that advertisers want to sell to. As you've seen on this board (ad nauseum), 55+ doesn't cut it.

BTW-The Four Seasons "December 1963-Oh What A Night" was the second song they played after they signed on last Thursday, but I'm sure that's not going to satisfy you, either.

 

[NJListener]

Stop making it sound like I am whining unnecessarily. I am very happy that WCBS dumped Jack irregardless. Do I think it could be better? Of course I do. I had different expectations, so I am a little bummed out. They led us to believe that the "oldies" format was returning. Plain & simple. I will get over it or I will just stop listening.

 

[fang39]

Stop making it sound like I am whining unnecessarily. I am very happy that WCBS dumped Jack irregardless. Do I think it could be better? Of course I do. I had different expectations, so I am a little bummed out. They led us to believe that the "oldies" format was returning. Plain & simple. I will get over it or I will just stop listening.

Patience, my friend. It's only been a week! Hits from the 50's and early 60's will be sprinkled in over time. Just this morning, they played Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" and Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" (they had been playing the 1987 Los Lobos cover version). The "new" CBS-FM will continue to be a work in progress.

 

[NJListener]

Poor Cat dude must be cringing. A lot of his posts had comments like "get over it, the 50's music is gone" , "oldies are dead, like all the listeners that like them" , "it's a business decision, forget it, it ain't happening", "the advertisers couldn't care less about capturing that market"(50's lovers), blah, blah

 

[fang39]

Poor Cat dude must be cringing. A lot of his posts had comments like "get over it, the 50's music is gone" , "oldies are dead, like all the listeners that like them" , "it's a business decision, forget it, it ain't happening", "the advertisers couldn't care less about capturing that market"(50's lovers), blah, blah

Doubt it! These "select" tunes will be "featurettes" and prefaced with the "CBS-FM Hall of Fame" bumper along with a live jock intro. This will give the song a showcase to make it stand apart from the rest of the mix. It will also "educate" new and younger listeners by telling them why the record is an important part of Rock & Roll history.

 

[disney fanatic]

Poor Cat dude must be cringing. A lot of his posts had comments like "get over it, the 50's music is gone" , "oldies are dead, like all the listeners that like them" , "it's a business decision, forget it, it ain't happening", "the advertisers couldn't care less about capturing that market"(50's lovers), blah, blah

Forget the 50's music on CBS-FM. I love the 50's songs, but I know a few songs that CBS-FM played since its station's comeback, but there could be enough 50's music to fit the format. The station needs to focus on the 60's, 70's and 80's (just like WBPM did on 92.9). The 50's music should go to AM. There is no standards station at all on AM playing some good music from the 40's and 50's, but there is no "Music of Your Life" stations in New York City at all, but I remember MOYL on some smaller stations where they had Peter Marshall, Wink Martindale, Chuck Southcott and Gary Owens in the mix playing some standards while throwing in an oldies song to its rotation.

I remember WMTR had that format playing 50's music as well, but it comes clear in Brooklyn, but I missed WW1 standards when it was on WMTR, now it's on one of the small HV stations like WHUC, WELG and WKIP carrying the WW1 standards format.

But I've never listened to any oldies station in the city, think of an old pirate station like WHOT 91.5 in Brooklyn, NY where Hank Hayes and Jim Nazium was doing the overnights after WNYE went off the air for a few hours before the station hacked its frequency since the 80's. WNYE was running public affairs as well as NPR. During the overnight since the station's sign-off, Hank & Jim was on WHOT 91.5 where they carried the same format that CBS-FM was doing then. They were playing oldies mixing with top 40 where Hank Hayes and Jim Nazium was doing the talking and taking some calls. What a cheesy ripoff of CBS-FM when it was on a then pirate radio station WHOT when it was on 91.5 while WNYE was carried public radio.

As of right now, the 50's music is done, let's move on! I found a link to it on yes.com, here are the song results.

http://www.yes.com/station/WCBS

 

[KevinFodor]

Poor Cat dude must be cringing. A lot of his posts had comments like "get over it, the 50's music is gone" , "oldies are dead, like all the listeners that like them" , "it's a business decision, forget it, it ain't happening", "the advertisers couldn't care less about capturing that market"(50's lovers), blah, blah

Doubt it! These "select" tunes will be "featurettes" and prefaced with the "CBS-FM Hall of Fame" bumper along with a live jock intro. This will give the song a showcase to make it stand apart from the rest of the mix. It will also "educate" new and younger listeners by telling them why the record is an important part of Rock & Roll history.

And, Fang (and anyone else here)...I believe I recall in the run-up to the debut of the "new" CBS-FM, there was a mention or two of the "Hall Of Fame" feature.
I think the idea (regardless of how it all was fleshed out) was in the mix from the beginning. And, by the way, though I have been an absolute supporter of what they are doing now, I also am completly in favor of this feature.

There are songs from the entire rock and roll era which are, I believe "timeless".
Not necessarily every song from 1955-1963 fits this description, but that era certainly has "timeless" hits. And, sprinkled in properly, they can't hurt any "oldies" station, as long as the "set up" is done well. It also can add to the "illusion" of depth of the playlist. And, if it satisfies (or at least mollifies) the audience that grew up in this era, what's the hurt?

But, I realize it'll never be enough for some of the "diehard" 50's fans. Yes, oldies, as a format, needs to move on...but that doesn't mean some early years songs can't make it through if presented properly. The difference here is realizing that some songs are "timeless", but not all of them are.

This is why I have said all along here people need to give the station some time. The original CBS-FM was not built in a day. This one won't be either.

And, sorry...the advertisers don't care about the 55 plus audience. No matter how much money you have, no matter how you spend it. Until and unless the broadcasting business, as a business, focuses on re-educating advertisers on the value of this audience...it won't drive the radio bus. And, though I think it's wrong, I don't see any of this happening anytime soon. No matter how many times CBS-FM decides to play "La Bamba".

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Great points, Kevin and I agree with all of your post. Timeless hits? Like "Stand By Me" Ben E. King just played into "Don't Stop (thinkin' about tomorrow)"-F. Mac ... hmmm yes remember yesterday but don't stop thing about tomorrow!

 

[adma]

Though "Stand By Me" was a hit all over again in 1986, remember...

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Though "Stand By Me" was a hit all over again in 1986, remember...

Wow I learned something from your post! I already knew it was a hit again in '86, BUT after checking my Whitburn to see it peaked at #9 in late '86 (#4 in Spring 1961), I learned that on the "B" side of the re-released 45 was The Coasters' "Yakety Yak".