Posted by Bob S on July 19, 2004 at 04:48:58:
In Reply to: Joe McCoy: Another Opinion posted by Allan Sniffen on July 18, 2004 at 08:49:04:
"The station had been beaten by Pete Salant’s WYNY over the previous few years". You have to remember that there was no viable Top-40 by summer 1980 and no "lite" format. The FM here in NYC was dominated by BM/Easy, AOR, 3 Classical and 2 R&B. I got out of college in late 1979 and by then WYNY was everywhere and popular in a wide range of age groups.
It was the music, the excellent audio and yes, the hosts.
"As the Post-Salant WYNY began to pull away from that core (a big mistake), sliding CBS-FM into that role was something any competent program director would have done" Rather "pulled apart" not just by WCBS' new focus but the arrival of 2 CHR's and WLTW's lite. I was in my mid-twenties and saw first hand my friends' listening habits peeling-off in different directions when more choices appeared.
As for McCoy's choice of airstaff and music focus. Yes, they were logical choices, McCoy deserves atleast credit for having made common sense decisions in an industry where it is often lacking.
As for the "lack of innovation" comments that are often cited. Joe McCoy; Hired Norm N Nite and brought along his Top-20 countdowns on Sat and Sun. Not earth shaking but for years they were must-listens for me and the more obscure and "bonus" tracks added to my want list.
McCoy hired Max Kinkel a dj with no history in NY except for those of us who'd caught him via CKLW dx. He changed the notion of graveyard shift radio and had remakable one-on-one with listeners in this normally forgotten time period.
McCoy hired Bobby Jay from the moribund WWRL and allowed him to inbue his show his considerable knowledge of R&B. He subsequently allowed him two specialty shows; "Soul Of The City" and "Jukebox Saturday Night".
McCoy hired Bob Shannon who noticeably widened the playlist during his first shift in early evening and still when he was tranferred to the more restrictive PM drive.
"That’s not to say that CBS-FM’s wide playlist was a bad thing. In fact, it was terrific. But it wasn’t great programming that allowed it. It was circumstances."
Don't agree here, I did some touring shows during during the '80s and got to hear alot of radio including oldies stations. Most of what I heard sounded like what WCBS is unfortunatly beginning to sound like now. McCoy could easily have followed this approach and since boomers were "gold" to Madison Ave and there was no competition he probably would have been as sucessful. But the station not as memorable.
As for his hostility toward this board and frankly. the fact that most other DJ's have also remained aloof from it, egos aside it's not hard to understand, any high-profile individual posting here risks being embarrassed by either effusive praise or gored by someone in the peanut gallery with an axe to grind.
-Rob