Courtesy of Contributor Henry Nelson (WHRK, WMC-FM), here’s one of the earliest incarnations that we can find of Oldies 101 WCBS-FM!
Were it not for Bill Gilliam giving the date at the start of the 10pm newscast, we’d have guessed this aircheck to be from 1971 or so.
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Modern day programmers would cringe at Ed Williams’ delivery. Talking over the ends of songs, in most breaks, not a mention of the radio station call letters… I’m not sure where Williams went after WCBS-FM, but someone may know. This aircheck is so different from all the other ones of 101.1 that it’s not even worth comparing. If this is the overnight show (and I think this is, but it could be daytime) then the laid-back delivery fits, if not, then Williams was on an FM station going up against Ron Lundy over on WABC, and nobody was going to beat Lundy! Lots of do-wop songs in format, and while it’s cool to hear, certainly way out of place is hearing “If” by Bread, which would have been a recurrent since it was recorded the year before, in 1971.
There’s a lot of bleed through from an earlier recording on this tape, or there was a microphone on in the room… or perhaps interference from another radio station (although this is not likely because its on FM).
Heard toward the end of this recording is a short but full newscast delivered by Bill Gillian. The news starts out with Gillian telling us the date of this recording, and a ‘This Date in History’ segment (a nuclear test explosion). You’ll hear about a total eclipse occurring in NYC and seen around North America this date before the recording runs out.
Thanks for posting this aircheck. Bill Gilliand, newsreader on this aircheck, was a CBS staff announcer. I did not know he did news. Thanks for posting.
The early days. I can not think of an earlier aircheck of WCBS-FM as an oldies station than this one.
I don’t remember a local news reporter on the overnight show. For most of their history, the only time they played CBS (network) news was on the hour from Midnight to 5 AM.
Also of interest was the use of a teletype SFX during Mr. Gilliand’s newscast. How many years did ‘CBS-FM use such a sound on their news?
In addition, I think Mr. Gilliand’s newscast was from the afternoon . . . and in those days, only CBS’s New York-based staff announcers (including Allan Berns, Wally King, Pat Canal, Dave Campbell, Bob Hite, Don Robertson, Gaylord Avery et al.) handled the newscasts for ‘CBS-FM. It wasn’t until later in the decade that actual newscasters began doing so (including Judy DeAngelis, now one of the morning anchors on 1010 WINS).
This was a mid-day show, hence Ed’s plugging of Bobby Wayne at 2 o’clock.
Wanted to let you know my father along with Bob Hite and roger Foster has passed which I think you might already know but thought I would write in to thank you for having his name still around because I remember him running the news program for WCBS FM and remember visiting the station alot growing up. If any one there would like to see his obit it is on //www.loylessfuneralhome.com thank you again, Mary Gilliand D’Angelo, Bill’s daughter
Thank you for the radio spot that you did on my father, Dad was heard all over. I am Bills daughter and miss him very much.
Thank you for that spot on my father Bill Gilliand, i am his daughter and will miss him very much. If you could send me some of his clips of his news spots I would appretiate them very much and again thank you. Mary Gilliand D’Angelo
Ed Williams came to cbsfm from wlibfm which became wbls.in the early days it had a jazz format which ed did.cbsfm had just switched to oldies 6 days earlier when this aircheck was made.