This is a follow-up to yesterday's feature about the future of WCBS-FM. The other shoe dropped with that CBS Radio press release, issued yesterday. CBS-FM returns to its roots on Thursday at 101 p.m. as Bob Shannon brings back the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s to New York...
Shannon will be followed by Bill Lee from 3 to 7 and then, presumably a jock-less stream of music until the new morning man takes over at 6 a.m. Friday. There's nothing new about that morning man. Dan Taylor has been heard on a New York microphone since 1979 when he debuted on...CBS-FM strangely enough, at the tender age of 21. Let's see...that makes Dan, 49, a mere babe in the radio woods for an oldies station. Dan will be joined by Mr. G for weather and Al Meredith for news (no ages given for Mr. G and Al to protect their vanity). Sound familiar? This was the morning team, minus Phil Pepe, pre-Micky Dolenz (remember him?)...
There will also be added features like "WCBS-FM Vault of Classics", "CBS-FM Hall of Fame" and an interactive feature called "Decades on Demand" as part of the CBS-FM music format...
I wish everyone I know and worked with in my previous incarnation with CBS-FM, all the luck in the world as they launch their radio retro rocket back to the future...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1866] Indelibly etched: Edison P. Clark of Northampton (MA) makes his mark in the world by patenting his indelible pencil...
- 1900] Nipper arrives: RCA Victor registers "His Master's Voice" a.k.a. "Nipper". The dog looking into the horn of the gramophone machine becomes the symbol of the label...
- 1950] And the hits just keep on comin': "Your Lucky Strike Hit Parade" debuts with the arrival of Eileen Wilson, Dorothy Collins, Gisele MacKenzie, Russell Arms and the one, the only: Snooky Lanson, seen here in a 1956 video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXO1EtQkHvU&mode=related&search= ...
- 1962] Telstar launched: The communications satellite will relay television and telephone signals between the U.S. and Europe...
- 1969] Diamond Dust: The National League splits into 2 divisions. Eventually both the National and American Leagues break into 3 divisions and hold on to your hats - in 1995 there will be a wild card team that makes it into the playoffs...1971] Red Sox slugger Tony Conigliaro, the victim of a horrible beaning in August, 1967 announces his retirement at 25. Tony C will try to come back in 1975 but he was never the same. Tony's starstruck life will end way too soon when he suffers a fatal heart attack in 1990 at 45...1984] Dwight "Doc" Gooden of the Mets becomes the youngest player (at 19.7) to appear in an All-Star game...
- 1979] "Happy Trails": Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler, who led the orchestra for half a century, passes away from natural causes at 84...1989] Mel Blanc who provided the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and countless other WB characters, dies from heart disease complications at 81...
- 1985] What was that stuff???: Coca-Cola cans its old formula, renaming it "Coca-Cola Classic" and continues to sell "New" Coke. Bill Cosby was the only one who liked it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4YvmN1hvNA After consumers don't consume it, they can the "New" Coke in favor of the "Old" Coke...
- 1992] Manuel labor: Former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega is sentenced to 40 years in prison on drug and racketeering charges. Personally I think it was the loud rock and roll played outside his compound that made him surrender...
- 1997] A symbol for the Geico Cavemen: Scientists in London say that DNA from a Neanderthal skeleton supports a theory that humans descended from an "African Eve" 100,000 to 200,000 years ago (give or take a few centuries)...
- 1999] I am woman see me roar: The U.S. wins the Women's World Cup in soccer. Brandi Chastain whips off her jersey and twirls it over her head, exposing her black bra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYSR8NnqvJg ...
Music Memories:
- 1965] #1 on this date: "Beatles VI" LP (which stays #1 for 6 weeks)...1965] "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - Rolling Stones (their 1st #1 hit)...
- 1968] Eric Clapton makes it official, Cream has soured, Cream is kaput...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Well so much for the anticipated audience of 2 billion watching "Live Earth". In the U.S. the live Eco-friendly special was the least-watched show on mainstream television on Saturday night. It was even beaten by a re-run of the animated film, "Monsters Inc." The average audience was 2.7 million viewers although 19 million saw some coverage of the event. More than 9 million "streams" were generated during the day, surpassing the Live 8 concerts in 2005, according to Nielsen...In the U.K., the average TV audience was 3.1 million, less than a third of the figure for the previous weekend's "Concert for Diana"...I'm sorry to hear that Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN after 18 years for greener pastures apparently. He was one of the few sports guys I could tolerate on ESPN...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Jessica Simpson (27), Arlo Guthrie (60), Mavis Staples (68), David Dinkins (80), Eunice Kennedy Shriver (86), Jake LaMotta (86)...
Timeline Countdown: The All-Star game is tonight in San Francisco and in 20 days every NFL camp will be open...
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