Broadcasting Bites

 

My eyes popped with horror when Mikey "Clicks" of the Renegades texted me the breaking news of the day. 

WCBS, the venerable station at 880 AM, is ending its all-news format as the owner, Audacy, enters into a local marketing agreement (LMA). Good Karma Brands will take over the 880 signal, bringing with it the sports programming of ESPN Radio.

The sports broadcasts from WEPN-FM will get a boost having a strong AM signal, as 880 is a powerhouse. The new 880 will use the call letter WHSQ, thus ending a nearly 80-year run for the WCBS calls.

It's not entirely unlike WNBC's switch to WFAN in 1988.

That was sad and so is this.

Most heinous to me is the loss of jobs for many talented people. Beyond that, it's simply a bad day for radio.

I have to hear on a fairly frequent basis that radio (like newspapers, etc) is "dead." I, of course, dispute that, though I recognize we're certainly shuffling the deck chairs in the industry. Corporate ownership, voice tracking, and the overall lack of local personality/programming have greatly damaged radio as we knew it.

There are many more reasons that I read about frequently. I don't pretend to have all of the answers but I also don't think radio -- or audio -- is dead.

We need to program it better.

But the announcement about WCBS has me thinking of the myriad times I reached for 880, especially in the car. For instance, basically, any road trip, especially those heading around the area of New York City, began with me listening to "Traffic and Weather Together on the 8s" for the complete story on the highways. 

Obviously, I also tuned in for the weather.

When I headed out the door in 2012 for Charleston, I put 880 on just as I headed toward the Taconic State Parkway. They told me, at 4:28 am, that the overnight construction on the Major Deegan Expressway was causing a delay at the Cross Bronx Expressway. That was how I was going to head south -- a remnant of road trips of yore with my parents -- and quickly realized break lights trump nostalgia.

Plans scuttled, I switched over to the Garden State Parkway and never looked back.

I was listening to Imus in the Morning at 8:46 a.m. on Sep 11, 2001, when Warner Wolf called in to say a plane had hit a tower of the World Trade Center. As we all tried to figure out the severity of the situation, Imus and company went to commercial.

Right around 9 a.m., something told me to change over to WCBS. I was listening to 880 when the second tower was hit. I heard the description live.

On the plus side, I listened to a lot of sports on WCBS, as CBS Radio carried the national feed of many of the top sports events of the day, including the World Series. I'd listen to Vin Scully call the Fall Classic and feel spoiled.

The Yankees called WCBS home a few times from 1939 until 2013 and I listened to a fair share of games.

That was the power -- good and bad -- of WCBS Newsradio. When there was breaking news, I leaned on 880 immediately for information. Their collection of professionals presented the information in a comfortable manner that felt trustworthy.

Craig Allen, the outstanding weatherman, Wayne Cabot, Rich Lamb, Deborah Rodriguez, Ed Ingles on sports, and Charles Osgood were just some of the names I listened to. Of course, it was local and national, with the top stories at the top of the hour.

And I'd be completely remiss if I didn't name another reporter whose name stuck out to me. In early 2002, the time was approaching for me to become a father. "Sam" had the early lead but I just couldn't have my son be "Sam Adams." At times, his code name was "Shrek."

Then inspiration hit.

"How about Sean?" I asked. "I can't think of any Seans I dislike, plus there's Sean Adams on WCBS."

Sean ... Adams. Like the guy on the radio. It worked.

That story is 100% true though I've never found a way to introduce Sean Adams to Sean Adams.

Such is the impact.

But change does happen. WCBS was an "O&O" as an owned and operated station by CBS itself. Entercom, which would rebrand as Audacy, took over WCBS in 2017.

Business-wise, this move isn't entirely shocking.

Emotionally, it stinks.

The change will happen on Aug 26.

If you don't know, this doesn't spell the end of news radio in New York. We've been spoiled to have two all-new stations, with WINS holding down the fort at 1010 AM. The one-time Top 40 station switched to all-news in 1965 and eventually picked up an FM signal at 92.3.

The big issue for WINS is that we didn't get a strong signal in the Hudson Valley. WCBS, however, always came in loud and clear.

Beginning in a few weeks, we'll be able to listen to ESPN on that clear signal.

Obviously, I love sports, and I'll adjust, but I'll miss the availability of WCBS.

It felt like an old, trusted friend.

Times change, indeed.

That doesn't mean we have to like it.

*****

I ruffled a few feathers with my lack of genuflecting at Noah Eagle, the broadcaster who called basketball during the Olympics. At the same time, the Yankees -- the New York Yankees -- had Craig Carton call their weekend series against the Texas Rangers.

I stayed quiet on that but anyone with a brain knows that it was a stunt.

And, for my money, Carton wasn't particularly good. A few people sent me highlights but I felt I needed to hear some of the details. Maybe he could get better with practice. I don't know. What I heard had him focusing on replays as opposed to live action. I also heard him not name batters or describe pitches at all. 

Was he the worst Yankees broadcaster I've ever heard? That's a loaded question. I'll say I've heard worse.

Carton brings some baggage with him but that's part of what made him appeal to WFAN, who picks the broadcaster.

Whatever. It was a weekend. Life goes on.

But Red Barber and Mel Allen are spinning in their graves. Phil Rizzuto is wondering how such a "huckleberry" was allowed to call these games.

And, sure, I can think of another (veteran) baseball broadcaster who deserves a shot.

However, I'm watching tonight's game as I write and I've got the game on mute.

That should tell you all you need to know.