I may not have all of this straight, because it was from a while ago -- and it doesn't address the B-101/WCBS-FM spacing.
In the NYC metro, 100.3 was given to Newark NJ, not to NYC. WHTZ's license, and its TOH ID, is legally Newark (and suitably buried at every opportunity). WHTZ is the former beautiful-music WVNJ-FM, the 620 AM of which also was licensed to Newark NJ.
Since Newark is closer to Philly than the Empire state building is, a 100.3 in the Philly market had to be awarded to a place concurrently distant from Center City. Media was, I gather, the closest COL of prestige to C.C. as could be arranged, geographically.
Someone else here would be better informed as to whether WKSZ/WPLY/WRNB was originally WXUR Media's FM.
The subject of that wide-load 101.1 jam-up in central NJ also would best be explained by someone with more knowledge than I. My only recollection of reception on 101.1 was driving a few times, north, on 206 in NJ. Uphill I'd get WEAZ ; downhill it was CBS-FM.
Two other notes:
1) It had to've been a good ten years ago when WHTZ (Z-100) in NYC went after, and won, WKSZ 100.3 (Z-100) for using the same positioner.
Huh? Why was that a problem? How could diary confusion hurt? The more the merrier, I should say.
2) Lol -- I worked both WEAZ and Kiss-100 years ago. When I switched employment, a great NYC-area pal from the school days grumbled, 'Figures. So that means I still won't be able to hear you on the radio here. What else is new?'