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cbs-fm years back

O

oyvey

Guest
I have a few questions, when CBS-FM flipped to Solid Gold Radio, following the success of WCAU-FM in Philly. CAU featured future gold a few times an hour, and did play instrumentals 5 minutes before, just so a vocal song would not cut into the ID. They were also automated and played no doo-wop. I heard CBS never had future gold, played more "oh wow" cuts, had live NYC jocks and featured doo-wop tunes every hour, is this true and if so it must of been a fantastic station in the early 70's. Living in Philly I never heard them when they were at their peak, how did they rate in the early 70's with this format, CAU always boasted over a 4.0 until they were killed for Disco.
 
If memory serves me correctly, from what I've read about WCBS-FM in their early "Oldies" years and from when I started listening to them in the mid 1980's they did play at least one or two current and one or two re-currents an hour (the currents were played usually around 15 & 45 past the hour). Harry Harrisons morning show didn't play any currents (at least when I started listening). They were played the rest of the day and night with the exception of certain weeknight Hall of Fame shows (Thursday night 60's, Friday night 50's for example). Currents / re-currents were also played on weekends with the exception of certain specialty weekends (decade specific for example), the Top 20 Oldies Countown, Cousin Brucie's Saturday night show, Max Kinkels New York Oldies party (?) (although I heard a re-current or two on that one), and Don K Reed's Doo-Wop Shoppe. They stopped playing currents during the day in mid 1988. I remember writing a letter to Joe McCoy complaining about that. Currents were only played during Cousin Brucies New York Countdown on Wednesday evenings and between 11:00PM-5:30AM (they started at 10:00PM on Wednesday's). The New York Countown show ended sometime in the early 1990's leaving them only to those nighttime hours. And the currents stopped altogether sometime in the mid 1990's. IMHO I had always liked it when they mixed in old and new music, it created a balence. Even with the music scene changing the way it was top 40 wise in the 90's I had always thought that if they went with a more A/C approach with the currents, they would have stuck around longer. Perhaps "Jack" would have never reared it's ugly face in New York.
 
I have an aircheck from 1991 in which CBS-FM played a Whitney Houston song from 1985, with their 'tympani drum' tag line "CBS-FM remembers... 1985!" That would be like them playing a song from 2006 now!
 
Here is what I know. Early on WCBS FM leaned soft. When they signed on in 1972 they played large amounts of pre 64 rock and roll oldies, about 3 or 4 traditional easy listening vocalists like Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin stuff from 1955 and after an hour. They played only Soft hits from the 60's and 70's and hardly any Motown. They also played soft AC cuts from the early 70's and a couple current hits an hour.

By 1975, CBS FM purged the Sinatra/Johnny mathis Stuff with a handful of exceptions and added more Motown, harder Beatles, some classic rock by artists like The Rolling Stones. They were about 1/3 pre 64, 1/3 1964-1969, and 1/3 post 1970. By then they played 2 currents an hour and a recent hit an hour in addition to a couple more 70's songs.

By 1981, they were playing about 5 pre 64 oldies an hour, 4 songs from 64-69 an hour, 4 70's songs an hour, an 80's an hour, a recurrent, and a current an hour during the day. At night they also played an additional current an hour. During Harry Harrison's show they played a current every other hour due to the fact they played fewer songs during his show.

By 1986, CBS FM went to about 5 pre 64 songs an hour, 5 songs from 64-69 an hour, 3 or 4 70's songs an hour, an 80's hit every other hour, a recurrent every other hour and a current an hour. At night they played more songs so they played 2 currents an hour at night from 11 PM to 5 AM plus a recurrent every hour and an 80's an hour. Harry Harrison played one current a shift, a recurrent a shift, and an 80's pre shift.

In 1987, CBS FM decreased currents to one every other hour during the day and one an hour overnights plus a recurrent a shift plus an 80's a shift during the day and one of these each hour overnights. In 1989, CBS FM banished currents and recurrents to overnights. At this point they played 5 pre 64 oldies an hour, 5 or 6 64-69 songs an hour, 3 to 4 70's an hour, and 80's were played at least once a shift, usually 2 per shift, sometimes every hour. It would change from day to day sometimes. On Overnights though, they played an 80's every hour, a recurrent every other hour, and a current an hour.

In 1991, daytime rotation went to about one 80's an hour, Overnights played 3 80's an hour and currents were played once a shift as CBS FM cut back current product to only several songs. The station played 3 to 5 70's an hour, tons of late 60's and about 5 pre 64 oldies an hour. In 1993, 80's were cut to one a shift and 70's to 3 an hour, even overnights, Currents were back to onec every other hour.

By 1995, CBS FM was playing about 1 80's an hour day and night, a 90's a shift at night, and a current an hour once again. The rest of the mix was about the same as its ever been. They stayed like this till 1999. In 1999, some hours CBS FM increased 80's music to 3 an hour, other times one every couple hours. It would change day to day - probably to throw off competition at the time (Jammin Oldies 105 WTJM). Rotations changed so often it was hard to keep track.

In 2000, the station pretty much was playing 5 pre 64 oldies an hour, 6 post 64 60's songs an hour, 4 70's songs an hour, and an 80's an hour. Overnights, 90's were played every hour, and a current an hour. This was short lived. In 2001, CBS FM dumped currents, 90's music altogether. They also dumped half their specialty programs. They were now playing 2 80's an hour, 5 70's an hour, 5 late 60's an hour, and down to 3 pre 64 songs an hour. In 2002 they increased 70's songs by one and cut pre 64 songs to one or 2 an hour. In 2003, the station was up to 6 60's an hour, 5 70's an hour, 2 80's an hour, and one pre 64 an hour. Later in 2003, the station was down to one pre 64 every other hour. Then in march of 2004 the pruge continued...down to about 500 songs...Most hours half late 60's and half 70's. Every couplr hours an 80's was played...every couple hours a pre 64 was played. By then they played about 25 ore 64 songs totally. They also played about 20 80's songs totally. This was where they were when they folded in 2005. Now CBS FM 2: The Sequel is playing about 3 80's an hour, 6 70's an hour, 3 or 4 60's an hour, and a pre 64 every few hours. The station plays about 1500 songs and deep with 70's music.
 
Yes, as someone said above, CBS FM did not play currents on specialty shows like The Hall Of Fames in the 80's when it was deeply just one artist. Also the Sock Hop and Doo Wop Shops and Top 20 Oldies Countdowns had no current product. SOme specialty weekends also had none such as Fabulous 50's, Sensational 60's, and Golden Decades for example. It was the end of 1988 when Currents were banished to overnights. Beginning in 86 when Hall Of Fame was overhauled, Currents were played Monday and Tuesday evenings and Wednesday Night was a countdown show which played them. The Yesterday & Today Countdown last aired March 6, 1991. Of course 60's and 50's Hall Of Fame SHows also played no currents. On Wednesdays Currents began to be played at 10 PM - Sundays played none till Midnight into Monday. Music For Lovers Only played unusual amounts of 80's music at times as well.
 
Marckd: an interesting analysis to say the least.

Amazing that a classic hits station / oldies would play currents as late as early 2001, even if it was overnights.

I can imagine the difficulty in choosing the songs to play as currents that could fit the format, considering the type of music that was out in the 90's to 2001.

Love to see a history for KRTH in L.A. as well, like the one you posted.
 
Currents played on CBS FM from 1972 to 73 were AC hits. By 1974, they were songs that were big on both AC & Top 40. They played a few Top 40 Only songs that were by oldies artists though as well as some AC only hits by core artists. By 1981 they were still playing currents that hot both AC and CHR during the day and at night a few more CHR Hits they would not play during the day. Like in 1982 songs like Centerfrold or Shake It Up were heard on overnights only while Ebony & Ivory and Chariots of Fire were heard day and night.

Into the 80's, CBS FM was playing primarily songs that hit both CHR & AC. A couple CHR only songs like Living In America by James Brown were played because of James Brown's history as an oldies artist. Very late in 1988 when they banished currents to overnights they would still occasionally play a current during the day by an overwhelmingly oldies artists. Once currents were banished to overnights, the ones played were charting both CHR & AC. They would choose a few AC only hits by a core artist. Then in 1991, they cut back the currents to only core artists or artists they were regularly playing.

Some were obscure songs by oldies artists like Silver & Gold/Randy & The Rainbows, Soulfingertips by Bobby Jay's group the Laddins, My Juanita/Joel & The Dimensions, Soul Medley by the Committments, Like A Rolling Stone/Rolling Stones, Free As A Bird/Beatles, Soul & Inspiration/Bill Medley & Darlene Love. These types of songs played during the day a couple times. More usual songs played in the 90's included Can't Help falling In Love/UB40, Take A Bow/Madonna, Way She Loves Me/Richard Marx, River Of Dreams/Billy Joel, mambo 5/Lou Bega, Believe/Cher, If I Had A Million Dollars/Barenaked Ladies. They were playing a few currents per overnight during this time.

During the day with rare exception they cut off at 1989, from 1990 on. Just about all post 1989 songs were banished to the 11 PM to 5 AM time slot. Starting a few weeks into 2001 they made the rotation day and night identical, ending current product and increasing how often 80's music was being played day and night.
 
recto101 said:
WCBS-FM in 1967-1968 carried WCBS 880 News for a short time until WCBS AM towers were fixed.
Click to expand...

The AM tower (singular) was demolished. They launched the news format on the FM, and then used WLIB's auxiliary tower to broadcast on AM until the fallen tower was replaced. WNBC went to WABC's aux tower. A replacement tower was up in 5 days at the origninal site, and it took a few months to get back to 50 kw.

http://www.americanradiohistory.com.../BC-1967-09-04-Page-0061.pdf#search="wcbs-fm"
 
Thank for the info about CBS-FM and the Future Gold. I've never heard of Future Gold which I was a kid. Throughout the 80's, they had a "Yesterday & Today Countdown" show with Bruce Morrow every Wednesday night until the 1990's when it was replaced by "Cousin Brucie's Yearbook" show. I missed them all.

If CBS-FM want to bring Future Gold back, they should play LMAFO's "Sexy And You Know It" or maybe a Maroon 5 song called "Moves Like Jagger". I don't think CBS-FM is planning to bring back Future Gold. That's not gonna happen.
 
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