Bob Pittman, 66 WNBC New York | September 11, 1977

660 New York WNBC 1977




Bob Pittman. Photo Courtesy of Variety

Here’s the current Chairman and CEO of iHeart Media, Inc. from his days as the Program Director of WNBC! Pittman’s resume is extensive and available elsewhere.

Ironic that this recording shares another, much more infamous date. We’ll leave the twist of historical fate to the reader.

Ok. So, this is “The NEW WNBC“. What’s new about it? Plenty! ALL the staple personalities that had been on the station were let go. Don Imus (this was his infamous banishment to Cleveland), Cousin Brucie who had only jumped ship to WNBC from WABC a few short years before, and some other names. The familiar jingles were also gone. This was a time when FM radio was making serious inroads into the popularity and profitability of AM stations. It happened earlier in New York City than in other markets. So, what made this format special was, WNBC, essentially, tried to bring an FM Album Rock approach and music to AM. As you listen to this aircheck, pay attention to how Bob Pittman describes the changes. He is very thorough in explaining to the listening audience what the NEW WNBC will sound like.

And PD Bob Pittman was only 23 years old at the time!


We think it was a great approach, real out-of-the-box thinking. Unfortunately, it was already too late for AM, and the clock was already ticking…

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