RIP: CBS-FM 101.1

[musicradio77]

I looked up in a number of sites that CBS-FM has gone "Jack" since 5:00 PM this afternoon. It's sad to see them go. CBS-FM was a great station playing oldies. Is that true?

[vashti1999]

I just heard about this on the news. It's shocking, WCBS-FM had been around forever. Article below:

Infinity launched the Jack format in New York City and Chicago today. WCBS-FM in New York City made the switch at 5 p.m. ET, kicking off the new programming with "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" by the Beastie Boys. In Chicago, WJMK-FM launched Jack at 4 p.m. CT.

The WCBS-FM Oldies format will continue to exist as an online radio station (www.wcbsfm.com). WJMK-FM will also transfer its Oldies format online at www.WJMK.com.

"New York deserves a radio station that is equally as eclectic as its listener's personalities and attitudes," said WCBS-FM VP/GM Chad Brown. "Jack-FM promises to be unlike anything currently heard in the market. Others have tried to imitate the Jack format, but time and again it has been proven that the success of the format is achieved by fully committing to its objectives and delivering a completely new and unique product. We look forward to changing the landscape of the New York radio market."

Among the different artists heard on WCBS-FM will be Aerosmith, Duran Duran, No Doubt, Lenny Kravitz, The Eagles, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. The station's new Web site can be found at www.ilikejack.com.

Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City," The Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep," Rick James' "Superfreak," Barenaked Ladies' "One Week," A Flock Of Seagulls' "I Ran," and Robert Palmer's "Bad Case Of Loving You" are among the diverse song titles that will be featured on WJMK-FM. The station's new Web site can be found at www.iknowjack.com

"These are the songs that we all loved growing up, but haven't heard in years," said WJMK-FM VP/GM Dave Robbins. "But this station is about more than just the music - it's about being a true reflection of our great city's culture. We couldn't be more excited to debut Chicago's newest and most unique radio station."



Infinity Broadcasting launched its first Jack station in July 2004 at KJKK-FM in Dallas. The station has improved its position from 28th to 5th, and currently ranks as the most listened to station in the market with adults 25-54. Jack format changes have also occurred at stations in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Buffalo.

[musicradio77]

That's sad. I remember CBS-FM from the start back when I was a kid where they used to play oldies. I used to tape a lot off the radio and everything that I remember all about CBS-FM and the station. It's been a great 33 years since CBS-FM was an oldies. Oldies is gone in New York City. There are a number of stations besides CBS-FM that I get oldies like "Cool 92.9". That a great station where they still playing oldies in the Hudson Valley done to the format change of "Jack" in New York City. I like the oldies but I won't give up listening to it. "Music of Your Life" is another network has heard on many radio stations playing a mix bag of standards, big band music and oldies. Long live the oldies. CBS-FM will not be playing oldies anymore. RIP: CBS-FM, New York's Oldies Station - (1972-2005)

[Cactus Jack]

I love Jack FM

[AllIWantIsYourClutch]

Originally Posted by musicradio77

I looked up in a number of sites that CBS-FM has gone "Jack" since 5:00 PM this afternoon. It's sad to see them go. CBS-FM was a great station playing oldies. Is that true?

Yah that happened to the oldies station in Chicago too. It scared me. But I actually think it's better than the old one.

[Steve M.]

"Jack?" What the does that in' mean?

[vashti1999]

Oldies radio is dead in New York City.

After more than three decades as the top oldies station in the country, WCBS-FM (101.1 FM) abruptly scrapped its format yesterday for a concept called Jack.

As Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" trailed off at 5 p.m., a voice intoned: "Why don't we play what we want? There's a whole world of songs out there."

The first song under the new format was the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right." Soon after, CBS played Bruce Springsteen's "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)."

The station had been home to some of the most famous names of New York radio, including Cousin Bruce Morrow, Harry Harrison, Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy, many of whom shifted from WABC-AM when it went from music to talk.

"I've expected something like this," Morrow said yesterday. "They have every right to try what they want to try. My audience won't be without me for long."

The move stunned longtime listeners.

"I came home and I turned the radio on and it was not there," said Pamela Hall, who lives in the Bronx. "I thought I was going to faint . . . I really am sick. Part of my family is gone."

"This is the largest, the biggest abandonment of a loyal market segment in the history of New York radio," said listener Howard Bailen, of Manhasset, L.I. "I tuned in and heard a song you'd never hear on CBS. It's the last thing New York needs."

But officials at Infinity Broadcasting, which owns the station, said the new format was right for New York. "We did a lot of market research and found a hole in the market that wasn't being served by any other station," said Chad Brown, CBS' vice president and general manager.

No personalities will be heard on the station at the start. Oldies fans will be left to satellite or Internet radio; www.wcbsfm.com still will offer oldies programming.

The Jack format blends hits from the past four decades, creating what the company claims is the "most expansive" playlist heard on radio.

[musicradio77]

Here is an audio comment done by Allan Sniffen about the demise of CBS-FM.

Click here

[MrWarmth]

Very sad. I too was a listener for many years. Harry Harrison. Cousin Brucie," EEEEE Cousins!" Joey Heathertons brother, whats his name. Grew up on WABC too when that's all there was to listen to on our little transistor radios. Dan INgram was a scream in the afternoons. Ron Lundy's "Hello LOVE!", Goeorge Micheal, the DJ not the singer. Lotta memories. SIRIUS radio is now my friend. Thanks for the memories.

[musicradio77]

Here is also an interview that WOR-AM made today about Bruce Morrow and his demise of CBS-FM.

Click here

[vashti1999]

Here's the latest Daily News article

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com

'CBS fans think they got Jack-ed

By RICHARD HUFF
DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR
Tuesday, June 7th, 2005

Long-time listeners to WCBS-FM are still steaming about Infinity Broadcasting's decision to dump the oldies format for a new concept called "Jack."
"The people who made this decision don't know jack," said Michael Hart of Staten Island.

Hart is not alone. Since Infinity Broadcasting officials suddenly pulled the plug on WCBS-FM's oldies format, heartbroken listeners have flooded the Daily News with calls seeking help.

Friday at 5 p.m., Jack, which boasts a playlist of 1,200 songs spanning four decades - which is triple the size of many stations' playlists - replaced the oldies format. Station officials likened it to an iPod programmed on shuffle.

However, as Hart pointed out, iPod users choose the songs on their electronic devices. In this case, listeners have no say.

In defense of Infinity officials, WCBS has suffered some audience erosion in recent years and attempted to adjust the playlist to draw more listeners. Likewise, it tended to draw older listeners, who are not as attractive to advertisers as younger ones.

And not all listeners were upset. Since the switch, some have called the station with positive comments - which have been replayed on air.

The oldies songs will, however, continue to be streamed online on the station's Web site.

"This was a difficult decision and was by no means a reflection of the work of the station's on-air personalities," an Infinity spokeswoman said. "We are hoping that many of them will play a role in the station's online stream in the near future."

Still, a lot of folks are upset.

"I come home and all of a sudden there's some wacko music on my station and some guy like Big Brother [is] saying 'Change is good,'" said Eileen Oster of Bayside. "Why didn't they announce it to us, and give us some recourse?"

Fans of WCBS' format, which consisted of songs from the '50s, '60s, '70s and some '80s, are now left searching for alternatives. Satellite radio services Sirius and XM both offer channels of classics - segregated by year - but neither has a stand-alone offering like WCBS.

"We don't want to be treated like that," Oster said. "Anybody who jacks something, basically hijacks something."

Many callers to the News expressed concern for the disc jockeys, who were also cut loose on Friday and learned just as they were to start their shifts.

Indeed, Mickey Dolenz, the morning host, learned the same day he held an on-air blowout marking his 100th show.

"I'm fuming," said Vincent Malingo, who was at Dolenz's show at B.B. King's. "What the heck do you have a big live broadcast for to celebrate a positive thing and hours later disband the whole thing?"

[dlemond]

RIP CBS FM.

Graveyard of my childhood radio stations:

WNEW FM

WCBS FM

the old WPLJ

WAPP- remember that station??-first came on the air with a commercial free summer.

[musicradio77]

Originally Posted by dlemond

RIP CBS FM.

Graveyard of my childhood radio stations:

WNEW FM

WCBS FM

the old WPLJ

WAPP- remember that station??-first came on the air with a commercial free summer.

You forgot something:

WNEW-AM
WQEW
WWRL
WNJR
WNBC
WABC

One of the great radio stations still lives in the grave.

[musicradio77]

I looked up on the New York Radio Message Board that there's going to be rally at the Infinity studios this Thursday at 12:00 PM about the problems at CBS-FM and "Jack". I hope that I can wait and see.

[musicradio77]

Allan Sniffen posted on the NYRMB that John Troll has put together a composite of CBS-FM during its final days as an oldies station. I hope you will enjoy it! Thanks to Allan Sniffen for posting this link on NYRMB. Here it is folks, the CBS-FM Composite, the Last Days featuring all of the jocks like Harry Harrison, Bruce Morrow, Don K. Reed and the rest are saying goodbye instead of doing their final shows. That's sad.

CBS-FM DJ's Says Goodbye