After WABC dropped its MusicRadio format in 1982 and went to all-talk I switched over to WNBC 660 (when I wasn’t listening to WLIR or WNEW for rock). The station featured both Imus In The Morning and Howard Stern at one point in the afternoons (the two couldn’t and still can’t abide each other) and overnights, until October 1988, the Time Machine, a recreation of 1960s pop radio complete with era music, jingles and the golden throat of Big Jay Sorenson (today employed by CBS-FM). The Time Machine would play stuff WABC wouldn’t touch in its heyday.
Jay would run “Record Pig” trivia contests and in the days before Google and wikipedia you had to know your stuff. I won boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts, sweatshirts and keychains.
For example, I got this correct: ‘Who pulled their “Weight” highest?’
The fun ended in October 1988 when WNBC became WFAN, and the fast-talking DJs were soon replaced by Chris “The Mad Dog” Russo.
9/5/13