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
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The WABC sound …
The WABC sound continues on WLNG 92.1 FM and streaming on the web, check it out.
But didn’t they …
But didn’t they have a sister FM station at the time and move their DJs there?
It was from …
It was from corporate they where really hurting in the number of listeners and had to make a change to survive.
talk radio has …
talk radio has killed true dissent
I wonder what …
I wonder what bonehead suit killed this legendary radio station?????????????,77WABC MUSIC radio was the best,thanks to all who programmed it.
It was a commercial …
It was a commercial for WNDE indianapolis. It was recorded in 1979.
Dan Ingraham, Ron …
Dan Ingraham, Ron Lundy, Harry Harrison, George Michaels were classic DJ’s and radio personalities. Grew up listening to them on Long Island. Lundy was right in the news report, no station has ever come close to being as big as WABC was. Thanks for posting.
WABC was the 800-lb …
WABC was the 800-lb. gorilla in the room when it came to East Coast music. I listened to it constantly as a teen, and I grew up in Maine–its signal out of NY was that strong. Not so good daytime, but strong & clear after sundown. Other stations in Boston, Philly, etc., competed, but “77 WABC” ruled. WABC was pivotal in introducing the Beatles, Stones, the whole “British Invasion,” and so much more.
Today’s FM wars– constant format changes, and canned content–are killing radio.
Anyone who (as of …
Anyone who (as of 2009) is in their mid-to-late-30’s or older who lived anywhere on the East Coast between 19690 and 1982 listened to WABC Musicradio 77 at least once.
And now, talk is starting to migrate to the FM dial as well.
Proposed legislation that would force radio stations to pay royalities to performers for music played could accelerate this trend.
Ironically, WABC-AM today consists of 24/7 syndicated talk shows , although several of them are produced at WABC’s studios.
i agree, radio …
i agree, radio today just doesn’t cut. although born in los angeles, can remember stations like these, but WABC seemed to be tops. i wasn’t even born when that was around but still feel the pain. I have to say, todays KIIS FM doesn’t have that rockin sound and the jingles to match and the jingles from jam can own. and I think they can still own realworld! Do any LA fans agree, I say put Jam back on KIIS, we rocked the 90’s and still think we can own 09!
77WABC was the best …
77WABC was the best station for it’s time, and the best time for this station. There was the rival station WMCA the Good Guys, which was also good.
But nothing compared to WABC with the best of them all Cousin Brucie.
Uh, to put it …
Uh, to put it mildly, from a Boomer who was there during the PEAK of the 60s.
KGO talks shows …
KGO talks shows today are some political and some mellow as of today.
Man!!! just listen …
Man!!! just listen to that jingle. What memories
You better believe …
You better believe it.
Imus is now the …
Imus is now the king of WABC
Yes indeed it was! …
Yes indeed it was! I listened as a kid with my small battery operated radio growing up in central NJ.
i bet WABC was the …
i bet WABC was the tops before talk?
I loved 77 WABC. …
I loved 77 WABC. WNBC was almost as good. Todays radio stations are not as good, I think. Good memories!
the yoru mo hippare!
the yoru mo hippare!
Agree, George, even …
Agree, George, even though I liked the WMCA Good Guys just a little more.
Still a sad day for …
Still a sad day for me, a born and raised NYC kid.
Remarkable in retrospect is the idea of a local newscast devoting 4 minutes to a story that featured no violence or titillation as a selling point. A different time!
That was a sad day! …
That was a sad day!
I grew up in New York and remember WABC very well.
It will always be my all-time favorite radio station.
I loved it and miss it.
Thank you for posting this.
George Vreeland Hill
I’m listening to …
I’m listening to WABC’s sat nite oldies right now on a ‘58 Grundig
I have seen the …
I have seen the ones on here, this one was like from the late 70s, MAYBE ‘78 or ‘79. It was some NY station as I lived in the city. I have seen a few of them on here, but not that, its the original one.