Second Impression: WCBS-FM

A week ago I posted my first impressions of the return of WCBS-FM. It appears what I wrote was read by the management of WCBS-FM because they appear to have addressed the issues I raised:

• That obnoxious jingle telling us where "Jack" went (no one cares and it was ticking everyone off) is gone (or at least it wasn't played during any time I tuned in this past week).

• They seem to have discovered that there are more songs over a 30+ year spread than can be played within 48 hours, and although there still are some repeats, each time I've tuned in over the past week I heard songs I had not heard played since the relaunch.

• And most importantly, WCBS-FM is playing songs from the 1950's and early (pre-1964) sixties. As I stated in the previous article, "there would be no Rock & Roll of the 1960's, the 1970's or beyond without the Rock & Roll of the 1950's."

Richard Kuper
The Op Ed Page
http://TheOpEdPage.com

First Impressions: The Return of WCBS-FM

First Impressions: The Return of WCBS-FM

Here in NYC, WCBS-FM has been an institution since the early 1970's, playing the greatest hits of the 1950's and the 1960's. Then, several years ago, they started fiddling with the format and isolated the 1950's to a once-a-week show, and the rest of the time played songs from the 1960's and 1970's. Then, one day, after more than 30 years of being the favorite station of most New Yorkers who listened to music on the radio, playing the music "we" wanted to hear, WCBS-FM ceased to be. All the DJs were let go and replaced by a voice claiming to be some guy named "Jack" who was going to play what "he" wanted to hear instead of what "we" wanted to hear. Not quite sure why anyone thought that was a good idea.

Well as you can imagine, that caused a major uproar, and the new format failed miserably. It took two years before the management decided to drop the new format and go back, sort-of, to what they had abandoned - the music "we" wanted to hear. But it's not quite the same. Gone are the 1950's all together. Gone are most of the DJs that were the on-air personalities that helped make the station what it was. Instead what is back is music of the 1960's and 1970's, supplemented with songs from the 1980's, plus a few of the DJs that were let go, and some new (to WCBS-FM) DJs.

WCBS-FM came back on the air on Thursday July 12, 2007 at 1:01PM. I listened at different times of the day for the first 48 hours. By day two I was already hearing repeats of songs that had been played. Why are they already repeating songs? Surely they could not have run out of 30 years' worth of music after only one day. And I have yet to hear any song from earlier than 1964. The 1960's start in 1960 after all.

Another thing: They should immediately stop playing that obnoxious promo that includes telling folks where the old and failed "Jack" and the songs "he" wanted to hear could still be heard. We don't care -- and any mention on air of "Jack" just makes us want to hit the button and change channels. They should vow never to mention "Jack" again. He's hit the road and should not come back. In fact, Ray Charles singing "Hit The Road Jack" is what should have been the first song played. I didn't hear it played during the time I listened before writing this article.

And finally, there would be no Rock & Roll of the 1960's, the 1970's or beyond without the Rock & Roll of the 1950's. So to live up to the motto, "The Greatest Hits", the station needs to include the music that started it all.

Richard Kuper
The Op Ed Page
http://TheOpEdPage.com

Forgotten Generation Get's Rediscovered

Back in June 2005 I posted this article about the demise of WCBS-FM. Well, today at 1:01pm it will return, but not quite as the same station. Many of the DJs will not be back, either because they have other commitments now, or have retired, or, sadly, have passed on. Also, it will be a rare moment if any music from the 1950's gets played. The new WCBS-FM will span from the 1960's to the 1980's.

I hope that there will at least be a show somewhere in the lineup that plays music from the 1950's and that they change their mind and play some 50's in the general mix.

Welcome back, sort-of.

Richard Kuper
The Op Ed Page
http://TheOpEdPage.com

The Fairness Doctrine

The problem with what is on the air today is there is a blurry line between news and opinion. What should occur is as follows:

NEWS programs should be forced to be NEWS programs and not opinion factories. If they wish to have opinions expressed, there should be CLEAR visual/audio statements that the following is an OPINION and NOT news, like when the news programs once upon a time had a segment clearly labeled opinion or editorial. If there is to be an interview of someone representing a specific point of view, equal time must be given to the opposing viewpoint, or else the program becomes a biased opinion show and not a news program.

OPINION programs (like Rush and others), as long as they are CLEARLY marketed and explained as OPINION and not NEWS programs, are fine, because listeners or viewers know that they are tuning in to an opinion show.

The above also applies to print media and Internet media. If a publication bills itself as a NEWS publication, then it should be reporting news, with a clearly defined opinion/editorial section for such opinions/editorials. If a publication bills itself as an opinion/editorial publication, then it is clear that is what it is.

Richard Kuper
The Op Ed Page
http://TheOpEdPage.com