WOW! Bravo! As a former Tri-State resident living in the Sunshine State, the first thing that needs to be said is thank goodness we have internet streaming. I have been literally glued to listening to this special. As the songs played and in anticipation of what was coming next, I found myself remembering those great Tuesday "survey days" on WABC where there was usually a surprise or two. But this "Z to A" countdown has been better than anything I've heard in I don't know how long.
First, it's so cool that a station thinks enough about it's audience to reward them with a treat like this. When I first heard this was scheduled, my first thought was that it would turn into a mini Beatles marathon. I certainly love the Fab 4 but often this type of programming can result in hearing the Beatles multiple times every hour. That was not the case here. Instead we had a very deliberate and smart positioning of the widest variety of music. And it worked!
What I find increasingly great about WCBS-FM is that they are not afraid to play country and jazzy cross-over hits as well as not observing the utterly ridiculous line of demarcation rule that no song prior to the mid 60s ever be heard from again. You know, you can have the best jocks and the best programmer but if they aren't allowed to be creative, then you have boring radio and that is now sadly the norm.
Speaking of the jocks, I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge excellence in broadcasting. My favorite moment was when the always clever, always witty and just all around brilliant talent in Bob Shannon talked up the back-to-back play of 2 favs of mine - Midnight Blue and Midnight at the Oasis. It doesn't get any better than that. Hearing Pat St. John and his sharing of music knowledge with the audience makes me feel like he's talking just to me. Gees, I'm recalling my long hair and youth listening to Pat on WPLJ. He's sounding as good as ever.
Sorry to get a little long here but I'm pumped and I want to acknowledge one more thing. It's so refreshing to experience the latitude the talent is given when they air calls or break programming to play a special song for a listener. Apparently, the audience is not only treated as adults but the jocks are as well. WCBS-FM is without a doubt my favorite station - period! You've earned your success and I think you guys are very well positioned to keep doing what you're doing. Keep up the great work!