When WCBS-FM bluntly became JACK

Sorry for the lack of images.

I thought it might be interesting to let you hear that moment when WCBS-FM became JACK.

Radio switches can be very blunt and badly-mannered. In a shocking and controversial move, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, June 3, 2005, WCBS-FM 101.1 flipped formats from Oldies to the new "Jack FM", and was self-identifying under that term. Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" ended the 1st era of Oldies on the analog channel. No DJ knew at all what was going to happen, as you'll hear, except the very last one, Bill Brown. (I wonder what made him suddenly guess ?...)

This montage contains the final sign-offs of many of the WCBS-FM DJs.
Since they never had the opportunity to sign-off for themselves, the people from wcbsfm.org thought it would be interesting to chronologically string together as many final sign-offs as could be found into one aircheck.

The result is the following 9:41 montage. This is what you will hear:

1. Harry Harrison - Saturday May 28th 10am - Beatles #1s
2. Mike McCann - Sunday May 29th 9pm - Elvis #1s
3. Norm N Nite - Sunday May 29th 1am - Heart of Rock and Roll
4. Bruce Morrow - Wednesday June 1st 10pm - Soul Patrol in the Yearbook
5. Don K Reed - Friday June 3rd 6am - He would later appear with Mickey Dolenz at BB Kings as a guest
6. Mickey Dolenz & Mike Fitzgerald - Friday June 3rd 10am - From BB Kings
7. Randy Davis - Friday June 3rd 1pm
8. Bill Brown - Friday June 3rd 4pm - Last words before flip
9. End of Summer Wind - Friday June 3rd 4:30pm

So as you'll hear, clearly, the DJs did not know that this would be their final WCBS-FM show with the exception of Bill Brown.

The recordings were contributed by CBS-FM longtime listener Linda Cohen and edited together by John Troll. Enjoy and feel free to comment.

(Source: wcbsfm.org)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• wcbs-fm
• jack
• bruce
• morrow
• bill
• brown

[ragamuffin92]

Great!. I found out about the flip between 4 & 5 AM the next day, while working. I called JACK to say that I was unhappy with the change, & asked who I could write to. At first the guy on the phone was polite, but he turned into a wise guy, saying "You can write the station, you can write the Governor, you can even pray, but you'll never hear oldies on this station again." As I listened to Bob Shannon's show when the station returned, I wondered what the moron I had spoken to at JACK was doing

[rigaudien]

@ragamuffin92 What a lack of respect to the person who signs his paycheck: THE LISTENER !

[pedrock1952]

RIP Bill Brown. 10/9/11.

[rigaudien]

@pedrock1952 Have a good trip, Mr. Brown. Thanks for having had the guts to mention on air that something was happening !...

[101Wcbsfm]

Three years ago today ( June 3 rd ) that dark day came over us.......

[rigaudien]

@101Wcbsfm Thanks for posting and reminding !....

[Pookatube]

@Pookatube

And now we hear that Chad Brown is a Manager of a McDonald's on Long Island!

[Buccanadien]

I remember banning 101.1 FM from my car radio when it became JACK. It stayed that way until it CBS-FM truly returned.

As for the person who wished for a return of the "Doo-Wop Shop," I agree that those listeners should be thrown some kind of lifeline.

[texacobigred42]

The WCBS flip was only half of the shocker: the other half was the fact that its Chicago counterpart was also flipped to Jack at exactly the same time... fortunately, however, that station also returned to "normal," relaunched as "104.3 K-Hits."

[Tmetrvlr]

JACK FM was the unofficial station of NAMBLA.

[GeneralZodFDNY77]

I remember the moment they switched. Never been so pissed in my life. And Bill Brown's intro to Rescue Me, classic. The man who was pretty much there the whole original oldies ride. Rest In Peace, Bill. You were the voice of my youth. Godspeed.