Uggh! Cousin Brucie!

[slickkicker]

I don't really know Bruce Morrow except his show on WCBS-FM. I'd rather not see this guy return. I'm in my mid-forties now and his reign back in the 50's, 60's and 70's means nothing. Why New York continues to regurgitate geriatric personalities from by gone days simply baffles me.

The quotes from The Post reaffirms that sounding "New York" means basically being an old dude until you end up being a joke or punchline. Only Stern rises above this in recent years. Opie and Anthony have made some inroads yet ain't really getting the cred. And lets barely even mention Don Imus.

Bringing WCBS-FM back is a low point for broadcasting as far as I'm concerned. And witnessing some of the crap that's happening on the dial in the nations top market leaves much to be desired. When an operation is so desperate that they flame WCBS, put on a lame JACK outlet, and then bring back a torched brand, I say try something else. Hire a kid instead of some guy who hasn't picked a hit in thirty years.

 

[wgliradio]

I would be surprised to see Brucie back. He's under contact with Sirius and I think his ship has sailed. You'll probably see Shannon and maybe one or two others that were there.

I think they should tap into some of the talent that was let go from LTW (Steve Roy anyone...).

 

[leethalweapon]

I don't really know Bruce Morrow except his show on WCBS-FM. I'd rather not see this guy return. I'm in my mid-forties now and his reign back in the 50's, 60's and 70's means nothing. Why New York continues to regurgitate geriatric personalities from by gone days simply baffles me.

It is the same no matter where in the world you go. Amongst the talk stations in our top market here in Australia, you see the same heads pop up constantly when ever there is a firing at one station, you can pretty much bank that the fired talent will turn up on the other side of town not too long afterward. One day people will wake up and realize that they should be shopping for fresh blood, not recycling has beens.

 

[fang39]

I don't really know Bruce Morrow except his show on WCBS-FM. I'd rather not see this guy return. I'm in my mid-forties now and his reign back in the 50's, 60's and 70's means nothing. Why New York continues to regurgitate geriatric personalities from by gone days simply baffles me.

What you must understand about WCBS-FM is the legacy to Rock & Roll radio history that many of their jocks brought to the airwaves. For those of us who grew up in New York/New Jersey in the late 50's & 60's, "Cousin Brucie" is synonymous with the music that eventually became the "Oldies" format. He's the living link to great local radio stations of the past like WABC (now talk), WMCA (now talk), WINS (now news) and other legendary stations across the country. It's one thing for a jock to relate to the format. It's quite another for one to have actually lived it. That should be respected. And while I'm not a great fan of the "Cuz", I do recognize what he represents to the listeners of this area and believe every effort should be made to include him in the "new" WCBS-FM.

In this market, perhaps more so than any other, Radio is a Personality Driven medium. And that's why you've seen the same names consistently resurface up and down the dial. However, as formats continue to dissappear and automation, syndication and voice-tracking become more the rule than the exception, you'll see this happening less and less. That's also why there was such an outcry when "The Golden 101" was replaced by "Jack." It wasn't as much about the music as it was the personalities. Many of these beloved jocks, who probably knew their time left in the industry was dwindling down, were disposed of and never to be heard from again without having the chance say goodbye and thank their longtime listeners.

 

[XM RADIO]

Leave Cousin Brucie and Mr Music on Sirius,,, Till I got Sirius I never heard of these guys!! With the merger inevetable,,, they XM and Sirius need to pay for these legends,, They are worth every dollar they ask for.. Kenny in Concord Calif

Three XMs
Three Sirius

 

[Walter Graff]

I don't think you folks see this correctly. CBS is returning but not as if it never left. It will be a new oldies (more 70's and on) and with that will be an evolution of what it was. Yes, personalities have always been the driving force in the success of NY stations and CBS's legacy, DJ's with personality is what you will see, not necessarily or particularly, Brucie, Shannon, or anyone else from the old CBS. And if you do, it will still be an updated version of what it was before it left. The mistake was to get rid of a successful personality driven station for an automated station in NY. The bigger mistake would be to return to CBS without a fine tuning for the future.

 

[UncleBozzle]

Good points Walter. I think folks truly miss the point regarding this return. It's awesome that CBS-FM is coming back, but it will not be the same station it was prior to Jack. Life has evolved for everyone since that day 2 years ago. The jocks have moved on and have gigs that they might be very happy with. Listeners have found new alternatives to getting their oldies fix, and approaches to the ratings game have changed. If it is indeed the personality and not so much the music than some fresh voices need to be given a chance. You can utilize the legends, but give some "80's" and "90's" jocks a chance. Being 33 years old I can remember the likes of Ross Brittain, Brian Wilson, Fast Jimmi Roberts, Magic Matt Allan, Ray Rossi, to those of us who remember 70's and 80's music these are the folks we remember. You could even throw John Lander in the mix for goodness sake. He's already employed by CBS Radio in Boston. Time changes and you need to make this station reflect that.

 

[OldiesCat]

Yes, please. No Cousin Brucie and Harry Harrison and the legends of that era. That era is over, time to move forward, not get mired down in the quicksand of 1963 radio. It's the "golden oldies" image of jocks like that which makes the format less appealing to folks in their 40s who may have known about CBS-FM in it's heyday but were not users of the station, this developing no affinity toward jocks who are now pushing 70.

 

[fang39]

Yes, please. No Cousin Brucie and Harry Harrison and the legends of that era. That era is over, time to move forward, not get mired down in the quicksand of 1963 radio. It's the "golden oldies" image of jocks like that which makes the format less appealing to folks in their 40s who may have known about CBS-FM in it's heyday but were not users of the station, this developing no affinity toward jocks who are now pushing 70.

While I'm not advocating the hiring of Brucie, Norm N. Nite, et al as full-time jocks, I do think they should be given weekend slot for the sake of good press. Given the way the station and it's airstaff was discarded (it was front page news on all of the NY daily papers), it would help the station re-establish itself in the market and transition itself from its "Golden Oldies" past to the "Classic Hits" mode it appears to be headed in. But if you think the station will be accepted by the general public by hiring no-name talent or even worse, going jockless, then you are guaranteed to fail.

I do like the idea of bringing in some recognizable 80's jocks for full-time slots. I think "Broadway Bill Lee" would be an excellent candidate. You can bring in John Lander, but only if he brings "Mr. Leonard" and his lime green Ford Pinto along with him! LOL!

 

[DToTheJ]

... it would help the station re-establish itself in the market and transition itself from its "Golden Oldies" past to the "Classic Hits" mode it appears to be headed in. But if you think the station will be accepted by the general public by hiring no-name talent or even worse, going jockless, then you are guaranteed to fail.

Basically, if you think about it, CBS' "Fresh" format is kind of a younger version of "Lite" - AC with younger, less famous jocks.

 

[fang39]

... it would help the station re-establish itself in the market and transition itself from its "Golden Oldies" past to the "Classic Hits" mode it appears to be headed in. But if you think the station will be accepted by the general public by hiring no-name talent or even worse, going jockless, then you are guaranteed to fail.

Basically, if you think about it, CBS' "Fresh" format is kind of a younger version of "Lite" - AC with younger, less famous jocks.

Maybe so, but they're a "new" station and not relying on the "cache" of what the "brand" name WCBS-FM represented to this market. BTW, it appears Bob Shannon will in fact man the mid-day (11-3) shift, when the anticipated flip takes place Thursday afternoon.

 

[Walter Graff]

Just to pull the reigns in:

CBS has both an easy time and a hard time. An easy time because while they have been off for two years, they still have the audience that remembers what it was and liked it. It was a ratings winner and a money maker any way you sliced it. I disagree with those that said they lost the audience. That audience will find CBS again very quickly. But that is also the problem, how to do reintroduce the station and make it feel like it was, or do you make it feel like you want it to be moving forward? In case anyone forgot CBS had already made some evolutionary changes, dropping 50's and 60's some time ago and going for a later oldies sound al la 70's and 80's with an occasional 50s and 60s song. Even so it was a good crossover for listeners as it had wide appeal. They will turn some off and some on, but in the end find an audience fast regardless of what they do.

As for on air talent, as I said NY has always had success with personality driven stations. In fact it's what these conglomerates that own the stations now don't know so don't have great success anymore. 101's success was very much a part of the personality that drove it as much as the music. But they don't need to have the most famous of names to make it a success, nor all the old timers that were slowly being phased out before they went off the air. They do need to have the right attitude on air and be personalities. Remember that CBS introduced some lesser names in their first incarnation in later years that quickly found their place because once agian it was about a theme and personalities to make that theme come to life.

So can they move forward without the Harry Harrisons?
Need I remind you that they were already doing that with such changes as Michael Nesmith in the morning and other introductions throughout the week. They will do well in their second reincarnation because if they follow the old template for community radio, the station will have good crossover appeal and a wide demo, something most stations do not try nor understand how to do. It was a station that a 30 year old could listen to sitting next to a fifty year old. And if they follow the theme that is long lost in NY, stations that are the center of the community and part of it, they will easily be back where they were, and maybe in a slightly newer and better place.

 

[fang39]

Just to pull the reigns in:

Need I remind you that they were already doing that with such changes as Michael Nesmith in the morning and other introductions throughout the week.

You got the wrong Monkee! It was Mickey Dolenz in the morning!

 

[Walter Graff]

[/quote]

You got the wrong Monkee! It was Mickey Dolenz in the morning!
[/quote]

Oops! That's what I meant.

 

[RadioMan203]

CBS-FM has a great chance to be what it use to mean to the, dare I say it, "oldier" generation. I think a well executed, but updated format will fly quite well and I have a feeling CBS isn't willing to gamble on the fate considering it's the swan song for JACK.

Personally, I think they have a great shot to bring in fresh "new" talent. They don't have to been "kids" but not exactly the legacy personalities for the days of yesterday. This along with a transition to "newer" oldies would be a great base to build on.

I'm actually excited to hear this launch - there's so much potential if they do what they should.

 

[junior]

Doesn't anybody on this board have any respect for talent and heritage ? If you work in this business and you advocate not bringing back the jocks that MADE this format then I can only hope to be the GM who lets you go when you become too old. These jocks are talented and you speak of them with no respect. I know for a fact that some people who posted in this thread don't even work in radio. Cousin Brucie is talented and a great guy. I did a very short stint at oldies radio and I believe we need it to return to what it once was. Hits from the 50's and 60's. Yes play some 70's and 80's but only SOME. I am not some geezer asking for a return of the past. I am 41 and I have had many people call me asking me if CBS was coming back and none of them have anything to do with radio. That shows me at least they have the audience waiting for their request to be answered. Give the people what they want not what the consultants said they wanted !!!!!

 

[Walter Graff]

Doesn't anybody on this board have any respect for talent and heritage ? If you work in this business and you advocate not bringing back the jocks that MADE this format then I can only hope to be the GM who lets you go when you become too old.

Like when Dan Ingram walked out because he didn't get the respect he deserved? These are great guys and if a few of them fit into the mix, which they will, then great. But respect would have been never to give up 101 in the first place. That's not us who don't respect their careers, but the conglomerate that owns the station. CBS was already evolving when it was canned. Now they need to pick up the best of what they had and move forward into the future. A few well-known names are not going to do that alone.

 

[Adman4120]

Hello Everyone...Even though I live in Upstate New York in the Utica/Rome market, I used to listen to Cousin Brucie and others on WABC at night while a teen. Just my opinion, but I will also agree that someone like a Cousin Brucie might sound a bit stale even for an oldies format, even though it depends what direction the oldies station is taking on from a production, quality of sound and announcer/personality delivery standpoint.

Me personally...I could still listen to Jack Armstrong of KB in Buffalo fame, and Terry "Motor Mouth" Young on XM Oldies Channel 6. I just think there style, with the right jingles and sound processing would work with any oldies format from the 60's through 80's. Maybe not the 90's and today, but they can just go and not stumble.

In any event, just my thought. Thanks for letting me express my opinion on this thread.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

...I could still listen to Jack Armstrong of KB in Buffalo fame... I just think his style, with the right jingles and sound processing would work with any oldies format from the 60's through 80's...

Absolutely! Jackson Armstrong, 7-Mid or 6-10 p.m. would be a smash hit in the Big Apple. Talk about legends. This guy would sound good working everything from 1965 to 1985! Armstrong has been a success in LA, Pittsburgh, Boston and yes, in Buffalo on the legendary WKBW in the late 60's-early 70's when Buffalo was a much larger market. The guy is more than just a "fast talker," he's funny, topical and damn entertaining. He'd kill! And he's available. Sign him up!

 

[Walter Graff]

Save your breath. This is not an oldies station like it was. Oldies will be eighties and pop. Shannon and others will return but it will not be the 101 like you remember twenty years ago. It has to move forward to find a new audience.