Now Hear This – WCBS FM, 1970

We are continuing our selections of airchecks from other markets, a sound presentation for our shut-in audience.

This struck me as an odd presentation. A mix, somewhere between adult contemporary and album rock, delivered in the style of an adult contemporary or MOR jock, with Coca-Cola as a sponsor.

WCBS FM had dropped the Young Sound format in 1969, and launched a freeform rock format, which was becoming increasingly popular, and all other CBS-owned FM stations followed suit. For the first time, WCBS-FM would have an airstaff. Bill Brown began his long tenure with the station, and Don K. Reed began his late in 1971; both remained there until 2005. Radio personalities such as Bobby “Wizzard” Wayne, Tom Tyler, Ed Williams, Steve Clark, Roby Yonge, K.O. Bayley (Bob Elliott from WOR-FM), Les Turpin, Bob “Bob-A-Lew” Lewis also briefly joined the WCBS-FM “freeform” format.

WCBS-FM was never successful with this rock format, where it competed with stations such as WPLJ and WNEW-FM; these two stations had most of the rock audience. As a result, WCBS-FM switched to oldies on July 7, 1972, becoming one of the first full-time stations in the country to use that format. (Wikipedia)

This aircheck consists of the album cuts and oldies mix of New York’s, WCBS-FM, in the summer of 1970. (26:29)