RadioBanter - WCBS-FM ralliers get rates boost

By David Hinclley
Daily News Staff Writer

Outraged oldies fans can wave some bitterly ironic numbers today as they
gather outside the WCBS-FM studios protesting the station's recent switch to
the "Jack" format.

Arbitron ratings released yesterday for March-May, the last three months
when the station played oldies, showed WCBS-FM (101.1) up more than 10%
among 25- to 54-year-olds.

That choice demographic is where management felt WCBS-FM's appeal was
eroding, which is why it dumped oldies June 3 for the younger-targeted Jack.

Fans of the oldies format have blasted WCBS-FM for abruptly dumping music
that had been on the air since July 1972 with iconic deejays like Bruce
(Cousin Brucie) Morrow and Harry Harrison.

"Not all city radio stations feel like a part of the city," said radio
veteran Jonathan Schwartz yesterday. "WCBS-FM did."

Today's rally is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. outside the station's
studios at 1515 Broadway.

The goal, organizers say, is not to bash Jack, but to get their oldies
back - though that's likely to be a long shot. WCBS-FM's parent Infinity has
started Jack in several cities and CEO Joel Hollander told CNBC last week
that Infinity will be "better served financially in the long run" with Jack.

As heard on 101.1 FM, Jack is a wise-guy format with no deejays that uses
the slogan "Playing What We Want." So far that has mostly been rock songs
from the '70s and later.

Arbitron figures yesterday showed that for March-May, WCBS-FM rose from 2.8%
of the 25-to-54 audience to 3.2%. Arbitron's ratings can have month-to-month
blips, but fans are likely to see this number, plus a rise in the station's
overall audience share from 3.3% to 3.5%, as proof that oldies was a solid
format.
While there has been no indication whether any WCBS-FM deejays will attend
today's rally, all have expressed sympathy for disenfranchised listeners.

"This was cold and surgical," said Morrow. "WCBS-FM was a unique station in
a unique market, and this decision did not serve the public, which is what
owners of public airwaves are supposed to do."

Originally published on June 21, 2005

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