WABC Radio last day of music (WCBS-TV report)

WABC New York was America's biggest top-40 music station for most of the 1960s and '70s. It had millions of fans, and influenced a generation of people in the radio business. At noon on May 10, 1982 the "Musicradio" format ended and WABC became a news-talk station. This is how WCBS-TV covered the event on their local newscast that evening.

The jingles used by WABC from 1963 until the present were produced by PAMS Productions (www.pams.com), and then JAM Creative Productions (www.jingles.com), both located in Dallas, Texas. This is our tribute to a legendary station. -jmw

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• WABC
• Radio
• NY
• 1982
• Musicradio
• 77
• WCBS-TV
• WNBC
• Downey
• Lundy
• Ingram
• Sklar
• JAM
• PAMS
• jingles

[writerspells]

Ironic. The last minute of WABC's music station was "Imagine" by John Lennon and news/talk radio with names like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity took over.

[JAMcreative]

I understand the irony, but it was many years later before Limbaugh and Hannity arrived. In the beginning, WABC's talk shows were fairly mellow and not totally political. Many of them originated on the west coast and were part of the ABC Talkradio network. In fact, Ross and Wilson continued to do the morning show for a while and even played some music!

[randal2477]

PIG VIRUS!

Paul Giamatti did him a favor.

[Morasch]

"today there are more stations and more choices.... but no giants".

That saying is just as true today as it was back then, and Ron Lundy's prediction for the future still holds true today.

Great video post Jon!!

[joeybinky]

I remember when WABC played music when I was a little kid. Radio was good then. Now it's the same 10 songs all day, every hour on the hour by the same artists. Music and radio really sucks today. I'm very disappointed, being that I grew up loving radio and wanting to be a radio disc jockey when I was age 5.

[TheScreamboy123]

lol "So you listen to FM?"

[patrickb5197]

If you grew up in NY in th 60s, as I did, this station and these DJs will never be 4gotten.

[jpwjr1199]

@Morasch what was ron lundy's prediction?

[tyrese3745]

...And to simply quote Steely Dan's 1978 hit songs "FM" (also the title for that 1978 movie) from one of their verses: No static at all.

[wannawatchu66]

@godgundam10 WNBC didn't switch to another format because music was still working, and with WABC now out of the race, they had no competition from them as they always had. One could also ask why WLS didn't switch formats when WCFL did. The less competition you have, the better. Plus, NBC decided to get out of radio, they didn't have to sell off their flagship AM.

[lpvcrcd]

@Harlan346 sounds like a great past --Go for it --Life is too short -- Don't hesitate!

[Harlan346]

My time in NYC in the early 60s was the greatest time of my life. I want to go back to the past!

[fluffydolly]

it was sad ....but now real americans can be heard....a great thing!!!!

[godgundam10]

After WABC switched to talk, why didn't WNBC switch to a new format as well? What I mean is, why didn't NBC phase out Top 40 for sports so they didn't have to sell to WFAN?