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Tuesday, September 02, 01:13:20am [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, [7] ]

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Date Posted: Thursday, December 01, 10:09:26am
Author: Frank De Rosa
Subject: Re: Six Months Ago this Weekend
In reply to: Larry 's message, "Six Months Ago this Weekend" on Thursday, December 01, 07:58:05am

When Infinity pulled the plug on CBS-FM June 3, I actually didn't find out until I read it in the Star Ledger the next morning. I subscribed to Sirius in 2003 and had already moved on from CBS-FM. I saw the handwriting on the wall even then.

The first sign that this was coming, I believe, was back in December 1998, when WQEW switched from Pop Standards to Radio Disney. WQEW may not have been my favorite station, but I felt if that could be done to my parents' music, it wouldn't be long before Baby Boomers would face the same issue. The debut that same month of Jammin' Oldies 105.1 was also cause for concern. In 1998, CBS-FM was No. 1 in 25-54.

The early success of Jammin' Oldies shook up CBS-FM quite a bit, enough for them to make a few changes. The most notable change I recall from early 1999 was the Sunday night Doo Wop Shop being cut to four hours from five. CBS-FMs other specialty programs pretty much remained in place. At the end of 1999, CBS-FM enthusiastically promoted the two-CD compilation "The Millenium's Greatest Hits". The slogan was "the station that rocked you in the 20th century, rolls you into the 21st".

In early 2001, the big changes started coming. 50s and 60s music was cut drastically, replaced with more 70s and 80s. Weeknight specialty programming was eliminated. CBS-FM sounded more like Adult Contemporary than Oldies. Then in 2002, the Doo Wop Shop was cancelled. In 2003, the weekend countdown shows ended. CBS-FM was but a shadow of its former, glorious self. My decision to subscribe to Sirius was made.

I too, have followed New York radio since the late 50s, and never have I seen such a negative reaction to a format change. New York City is the center of the entertainment world and it doesn't have a station playing Oldies, Pop Standards or even Broadway. The city is synonomous with those genres. The recent Country Music Awards Show was held at Madison Square Garden, in a city that hasn't had a country music station in 10 years! I heard that Sirius and XM representatives were at the show promoting subscriptions to their services.

The killing of CBS-FM is sadly a statement of how business, not just radio, is done in 2005. It is done for management, not so much for shareholders, and even less for consumers.

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