Musicradio WABC Pictures of the Week for August, 2010

Week of August 3, 2010:

Thirty six years ago this week, Cousin Brucie did his
last show on Musicradio WABC

Over the years there has been a great deal of discussion about Bruce leaving WABC. 
Bruce has commented that WABC was becoming too restrictive for him to do his kind
of personality radio and his boss, Rick Sklar, argued that Bruce was not as attentive to his show as he could have been.

Either way, it seems WABC wanted to tie Bruce's compensation to the ratings which opened his contract for negotiation.
Rival station WNBC was courting Bruce to take over for the departing Wolfman Jack so the opening of Bruce's contract
gave him the opportunity to change stations--and he did.

Bruce continued at WNBC for three years.
Meanwhile WABC hired George Michael to replace him.

Bruce Morrow's Last Musicradio WABC Show
August 7, 1974

      
        Mp3         Real Audio

Week of August 10, 2010: 

This weekend, August 14 and 15, Rewound Radio is going to broadcast the
entire 1984 "Reunion of the Rock and Roll Radio Greats".

It was originally broadcast on WCBS-FM on August 18 and 19, 1984.
It was the first radio reunion weekend that CBS-FM did and was a very special event
that took place almost exactly 26 years ago to the day.

Rewound Radio will broadcast it in "real time".
By that, we mean it starts on Saturday morning and will run without interruption until Sunday night.
Each show is uncut and will actually start at the time it originally did.
It will be like listening to the weekend just as it was originally broadcast.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time something like this has ever been done... anywhere.

Fans of Musicradio WABC and Good Guys WMCA will get a chance to hear what some of
their favorite DJ's sounded like in 1984 as they reunited for a fun radio weekend.

For more information and the schedule, click here!

It starts Saturday morning at 6:25 AM!
Click:

Rewound Radio

Week of August 17, 2010: 

"The Tombstone"

In the summer of 1973 Wolfman Jack came to New York at rival WNBC.
His competition was Cousin Brucie on WABC.
As part of the media hype for his arrival, WNBC had this tombstone
delivered to the front of ABC corporate headquarters. It read:

Cousin Brucie's Days Are Numbered
Wolfman Jack is on the Prowl
7 PM to Midnight
Monday Thru Saturday
WNBC 66 Radio
New York's Personality Station

Desktop size replicas were also delivered to radio and advertising
executives all over New York City.

For once, WNBC went all the way.
Time Magazine covered this media event.
Bruce's picture appeared and below it Bruce was quoted as commenting
"Wolfman who?"

Ed Johnson, was a relief engineer at WABC during the summer of 1973. He wrote:

I worked the board for Bruce the night Wolfman Jack
delivered the 6 foot tombstone to ABC.
I never got to see the tombstone because security
would not let them bring it up to the studio floor.
But I was six feet from Bruce when the security guard phoned him
to tell him it was sitting in the lobby.
Bruce's look was one of total disbelief!

Who won the great Brucie vs. Wolfman battle?

Wolfman only lasted about a year at WNBC.
In one of the all time great New York radio ironies, he was replaced by Brucie.
Wolfman wanted out of his contract and WNBC persuaded
Cousin Brucie to switch stations a year later in 1974.

Week of August 24, 2010:

l to r: Bruce Morrow, Ron Lundy, Rick Sklar, Chuck Leonard, Harry Harrison

This is a picture WABC PD (and author) Rick Sklar autographed for Harry Harrison
when Rick's book "Rocking America" was published in 1984.
Take a look at Rick's note to Harry!

Week of August 31, 2010:

"Cousin Brucie Lisa"

You ask... What?
Here's Rick Sklar and Bob Lewis to tell the story:

            
            Mp3            Real Audio