WQIV use to call themselves "The Quadfather", a sign of the times. I graduated High School the Summer of 75 and was out looking for a job the day WQIV was forced off the air by the FCC. Several hours later I heard "Classical station returns to New York" on WNEW-FM news. Several days after they were forced off the air I tuned in 104.3, the transmitter was up & running with no audio, just some static and every 5 minutes or so a faint message would play saying "WQIV a legend in our own time!"
Incidentally, the Ralph Lowenstein heard here is one and the same as would later that same year join WPIX Channel 11 and remain there as staff announcer for the next two decades, serving as one of the "Voices of 11 Alive" along with Bill Biery.
A fine example of the radio industry before it became covered in a warm and cozy Reagan Deregulation blanket. Still, playing ELO's "Roll Over Beethoven" was not the best song to start off a Rock format after 18 Years as continuous classical. Course the station's owner at the time was a dirty company and got it's hand forced a few months later...
@TheKennesawKyuubi they made a thing out of it on the news that the rock station played roll over beethoven as the first song after the classical station died so what the first fm rock station in new york was worfm the first record they played was wild thing then they gave the record away in a contest
@moshez - That's one way to do it, burn them on some CDs and sell them. Most people seem to look down on people selling airchecks instead of just trading them only because of quality issues and all that (clearly you don't have those) Personally, in this case, I wouldn't mind. It's perfect quality for an aircheck that's about 35 years old.
I remember how I enjoyed listening to this station in quad. Too bad it lived such a short life. Thanks for the memories.
kg4jup 1 month ago
WQIV use to call themselves "The Quadfather", a sign of the times. I graduated High School the Summer of 75 and was out looking for a job the day WQIV was forced off the air by the FCC. Several hours later I heard "Classical station returns to New York" on WNEW-FM news. Several days after they were forced off the air I tuned in 104.3, the transmitter was up & running with no audio, just some static and every 5 minutes or so a faint message would play saying "WQIV a legend in our own time!"
taglic 8 months ago
I was there, in the booth, standing right behind PD Larry Miller when the format changed.
Cameron06820 11 months ago
I remember Bill Biery as Beachcomber Bill.
moshez 1 year ago
Incidentally, the Ralph Lowenstein heard here is one and the same as would later that same year join WPIX Channel 11 and remain there as staff announcer for the next two decades, serving as one of the "Voices of 11 Alive" along with Bill Biery.
wmbrown6 1 year ago
A fine example of the radio industry before it became covered in a warm and cozy Reagan Deregulation blanket. Still, playing ELO's "Roll Over Beethoven" was not the best song to start off a Rock format after 18 Years as continuous classical. Course the station's owner at the time was a dirty company and got it's hand forced a few months later...
TheKennesawKyuubi 1 year ago
@TheKennesawKyuubi ELO's "Roll Over Beethoven was GREAT to start out the new WQIV! Ha Ha Ha!!! The Clasical music people had to almost SHIT! LOL
bootersdad 11 months ago
@TheKennesawKyuubi they made a thing out of it on the news that the rock station played roll over beethoven as the first song after the classical station died so what the first fm rock station in new york was worfm the first record they played was wild thing then they gave the record away in a contest
spacepatrolman 3 months ago
No, I do not have a recording of that.
moshez 1 year ago
By the way, do you have WNCN's return to the air from a year later?
DoubleMiz 1 year ago
That's a nice piece of history, I hope that you'll one day make available the full recording.
DoubleMiz 1 year ago
I have the full recording in mp3. It runs six hours in total, too long to put on Youtube. I may offer it for sale on ebay.
moshez 1 year ago
@moshez - That's one way to do it, burn them on some CDs and sell them. Most people seem to look down on people selling airchecks instead of just trading them only because of quality issues and all that (clearly you don't have those) Personally, in this case, I wouldn't mind. It's perfect quality for an aircheck that's about 35 years old.
DoubleMiz 1 year ago