WCBS

WCBS may refer to:

Assets of CBS

Other WCBS Meanings:

WCBS-FM

WCBS-FM (101.1 FM) is a CBS-owned radio station in New York City, offering a Classic Hits format. The station's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood of Manhattan, and its transmitter is located on the Empire State Building.

WCBS-FM was one of the first notable oldies stations in the country, with the format dating back to July 7, 1972. Between June 3, 2005, and July 12, 2007, the station aired the automated adult hits format "Jack FM". The new programming was unsuccessful, and WCBS-FM switched back to a personality-driven classic hits format. The station is continually ranked one of the highest-rated stations in the New York market, as well as one of the highest-rated classic hits stations in the United States.

History

Early years

In 1940, during the early days of FM broadcasting, what is now WCBS-FM was allocated an FM frequency and callsign, W67NY, becoming CBS's first FM station. The original transmitter site was atop the building at 500 Fifth Avenue. The allocated dial position changed several times before the station finally went on the air at 46.7 MHz on December 1, 1941. On November 1, 1943, the callsign was changed to WABC-FM for Atlantic Broadcasting Company, the former owner of CBS's AM station (no relation to the present-day WABC). With the reallocation of the FM band, WABC-FM's new frequency became 96.9 MHz. Finally, in September 1947 the station became WCBS-FM, and the frequency moved to the current 101.1 MHz. This allowed the station to reflect its corporate ownership by the Columbia Broadcasting System or CBS. The transmitter was moved to the Empire State Building in the early 1950s.

WCBS (AM)

WCBS (880 AM), often referred to as "WCBS Newsradio 880" (pronounced as "Eight Eighty"), is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of CBS Radio News. The station's studios are located in the combined CBS Radio facility in the Hudson Square area of Manhattan, and the transmitter is located on High Island in the Bronx, New York.

WCBS broadcasts in the HD format.

History

Before the news

The station's history traces back to 1924, when Alfred H. Grebe started WAHG at 920 AM. WAHG was a pioneering station in New York, and was one of the first commercial radio stations to broadcast from remote locations including horse races and yachting events. Two years later, in 1926, Alfred Grebe changed the station's call sign to WABC (for his Atlantic Broadcasting Company) after concluding a business arrangement with the Ashland Battery Company (which had owned the call sign for a station in Asheville, North Carolina) and moved his studios to West 57th Street, which would not be the last time the station would operate from 57th Street.