Scott Shannon was a brave man playing Stars on 45 in 1983 when most stations were not even playing it as a recurrent. That's what made him so innovative...and successful.
In the mid-to-late '80s, Z100 had a pre-produced legal ID that I loved: "Z100, WHTZ Newark, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and a little itty-bitty piece of Pennsylvania!" Shuttling between Hartford and D.C. during that time, catching that would be the highlight of my drive! Thank you, Ellis, for preserving radio history from this era. ---First time commenter, long-time subscriber, Doug Bertel
What a blast from the past!!! I grew up in BKLYN and remember Scott, and in the evening was Jack Da Wack, and who can forget Mr. Lenard from the Morning Zoo:)
Yes, I remember WVNJ, known as WV, Enjoy, in New Jersey, with the Beautiful Music format that stations like WTFM, and WHUD, used to follow in those and earlier days, before it disappeared.
@@EllisFeaster Taylor has a great book about his radio career which you can by via his website. He was the biggest advocate for the BM/EZ format. marlintaylor.com/
Those were great times. Scott really knew radio. Amazing that he couldn't pull the same results in L.A.with Pirate radio. But he came back and is still on top @ CBS fm!
@@EllisFeaster I usually agree with you Ellis but Top 40 was alive well into the late '90's with many syndicated count 'em down shows getting plenty of airtime eg Casey Casem and Leeza Gibbons were only 2 names. When I left NY in 1989 WPLJ & Z100 still had that format ig I remember correctly.
@@EllisFeaster I agree that Rock 40 came and went. However it was Pirate Radio that started the Rock 40 fad, and not WMMS or WAAF. I had a Rock 40 station that adopted the 4 in a row with no talk were I grew up. The Crossover Rhythmic format was making waves and taking CHR in a permanent Rhythmic direction...not even Disco did that. Even with KIIS leaning Rhythmic, it was a KPWR that took it further.
Steve W Top 40 kind of died around 1979-ish to about 1982-ish. It has been going fairly strong, with highs & lows ever since. I don’t think I ever said or wrote otherwise, unless it was a typo. I spent most of that time in top 40 programming. I DID say Rock 40 died pretty quickly.
@@EllisFeaster Top 40 was in a state of flux during the early 1980's. At the moment the adult sound was popular again especially the west coast sound later nicked named yacht rock. With MTV started, yacht rock lost its appeal and with the birth of Z100 and some help from rival WPLJ coupled with KIIS-FM in LA being the top of the CHR class in that respected market Top 40/CHR remade itself...just like it did in the 2000's and 2010's.
Great aircheck. Was surprised to hear intro of New Edition's Is This The End cause I assumed that their pop airplay didn't start til their 84 self titled album. Although I have heard on a few Top 40 air checks from this time period that Candy Girl had a few spins.
@@EllisFeaster Musical Youth was signed to MCA as well but their records were Reggae heavy since their folks migrated to the U.K. from The Carribean. I could see how the two acts could be confusing for some since there were no kid acts out at the time besides those two getting pop airplay.
I am nowhere near as well known as Scott, but Z-93, a station I worked for starting in April of 1984 was, I think, based on Z-100. I have a tape or two from the first summer, but I wish I had some from our 10,093 in a row days.
How about "memorials" of KHTR in L.A., Ted Carson or "Uncle Johnny" on WRQX Washington? WRC and WPGC Washington? (OK, WPGC was licensed to Morningside, MD...), The chicken coop that was "Radio California" (KACY, Port Hueneme (Oxnard)), WQAM, and KFRC? And, north of the border, CKLM, Montreal and CJRC, Ottawa? Great Top-40 radio in French!
@@EllisFeaster But the Airpower package came on soon enough. Lots of people don't know this. Just their long term relationship with the Holy Grail of jingles...JAM Creative Productions.
Don McCullen Back in the day, I had wondered why they chose AirPower. I thought they wold have gone with one of the Jam packages, but I wonder if they were trying to go from a different sound than the style we were hearing in WPLJ & what WABC was running in it’s final years. By 1984, they were shifting over to Jam. I did get a kick out of hearing some classic PAMS sounds on Z100 in those early days.
@@EllisFeaster My guess would be that the station just signed on, and JAM Creative did not have something that they wanted. Music Now (created for BBC Radio 1) proved to be something over the heads of American CHR stations. WHTZ's sister station in Milwaukee at the time also used Airpower. If TM knew about Music Now, what they did is take the all male group and make the jingles more Drake friendly. Music Now was not exactly friendly to the rules of Bill Drake. The Z100 packages were louder than the WLS-FM/KIISFM packages but not too loud. The AC station in my market used Hot KIIS.
Thank you so much Ellis for these great video pieces on You Tube! This brings back great memories!
This brings back so many memories. This is why I did radio in high school and college.
Scott Shannon was a brave man playing Stars on 45 in 1983 when most stations were not even playing it as a recurrent. That's what made him so innovative...and successful.
In the mid-to-late '80s, Z100 had a pre-produced legal ID that I loved: "Z100, WHTZ Newark, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and a little itty-bitty piece of Pennsylvania!" Shuttling between Hartford and D.C. during that time, catching that would be the highlight of my drive!
Thank you, Ellis, for preserving radio history from this era. ---First time commenter, long-time subscriber, Doug Bertel
Bertelevision Thanks Doug! I enjoy you TV & radio preservation also!
Loved the Z...Thanks again Ellis.✌️👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Grew up listening to Z100. The Z Morning Zoo!
What a blast from the past!!! I grew up in BKLYN and remember Scott, and in the evening was Jack Da Wack, and who can forget Mr. Lenard from the Morning Zoo:)
I remember the summer I spent in NYC , 1986. I remember the station ID was THE STATION THAT SHAKES THE LAKE'S & RULES THE POOLS....Z100 NEW YORK
Ellis, your enthusiasm is contagious!
I started listening 2 Z100 around 1984 85 etc.....
There is also a WHTZ radio station here in Florida in Hudson! It was first named WJQB.
Yes, I remember WVNJ, known as WV,
Enjoy, in New Jersey, with the Beautiful
Music format that stations like WTFM,
and WHUD, used to follow in those and
earlier days, before it disappeared.
93 WPAT would fit into that group also!
@@EllisFeaster Their was also WRFM which was a BM/EZ station and was direct competitor to 93WPAT. WRFM was programmed by Marlin Taylor
Don McCullen That’s right! I knew something was missing!
@@EllisFeaster Taylor has a great book about his radio career which you can by via his website. He was the biggest advocate for the BM/EZ format.
marlintaylor.com/
Serving the Universe from the top of the Empire State Building - Z100 - New York!
It this point, they are serving NJ & half of metro NY from the Oranges.
Ellis Feaster doesn’t have quite the same ring to it does it?
LOL! Not at all!
This was long before Livestreaming and the internet.
Z morning zoo. I remember it well!
Those were great times. Scott really knew radio. Amazing that he couldn't pull the same results in L.A.with Pirate radio. But he came back and is still on top @ CBS fm!
Pirate radio was not really about Scott failing. It was the wrong format at the wrong time. The Rock 40 format came & went pretty quickly.
@@EllisFeaster I usually agree with you Ellis but Top 40 was alive well into the late '90's with many syndicated count 'em down shows getting plenty of airtime eg Casey Casem and Leeza Gibbons were only 2 names. When I left NY in 1989 WPLJ & Z100 still had that format ig I remember correctly.
@@EllisFeaster I agree that Rock 40 came and went. However it was Pirate Radio that started the Rock 40 fad, and not WMMS or WAAF. I had a Rock 40 station that adopted the 4 in a row with no talk were I grew up. The Crossover Rhythmic format was making waves and taking CHR in a permanent Rhythmic direction...not even Disco did that. Even with KIIS leaning Rhythmic, it was a KPWR that took it further.
Steve W Top 40 kind of died around 1979-ish to about 1982-ish. It has been going fairly strong, with highs & lows ever since. I don’t think I ever said or wrote otherwise, unless it was a typo. I spent most of that time in top 40 programming. I DID say Rock 40 died pretty quickly.
@@EllisFeaster Top 40 was in a state of flux during the early 1980's. At the moment the adult sound was popular again especially the west coast sound later nicked named yacht rock. With MTV started, yacht rock lost its appeal and with the birth of Z100 and some help from rival WPLJ coupled with KIIS-FM in LA being the top of the CHR class in that respected market Top 40/CHR remade itself...just like it did in the 2000's and 2010's.
Great aircheck. Was surprised to hear intro of New Edition's Is This The End cause I assumed that their pop airplay didn't start til their 84 self titled album. Although I have heard on a few Top 40 air checks from this time period that Candy Girl had a few spins.
They got Pop AirPlay was those 2, as well as Popcorn Love. In 1983, when this was all new, I kept confusing New Edition with Musical Youth.
@@EllisFeaster Musical Youth was signed to MCA as well but their records were Reggae heavy since their folks migrated to the U.K. from The Carribean. I could see how the two acts could be confusing for some since there were no kid acts out at the time besides those two getting pop airplay.
I am nowhere near as well known as Scott, but Z-93, a station I worked for starting in April of 1984 was, I think, based on Z-100. I have a tape or two from the first summer, but I wish I had some from our 10,093 in a row days.
He later called it The True Oldies Channel with other stations also simulcasting it.
Z100 NYC 1983 WORST TO FIRST
How about "memorials" of KHTR in L.A., Ted Carson or "Uncle Johnny" on WRQX Washington? WRC and WPGC Washington? (OK, WPGC was licensed to Morningside, MD...), The chicken coop that was "Radio California" (KACY, Port Hueneme (Oxnard)), WQAM, and KFRC? And, north of the border, CKLM, Montreal and CJRC, Ottawa? Great Top-40 radio in French!
TM Male Jingle Singers: New York's hit music! SCOTT SHANNON!! Z100!!!
No jingles yet! That came along later.
@@EllisFeaster But the Airpower package came on soon enough. Lots of people don't know this. Just their long term relationship with the Holy Grail of jingles...JAM Creative Productions.
Don McCullen Back in the day, I had wondered why they chose AirPower. I thought they wold have gone with one of the Jam packages, but I wonder if they were trying to go from a different sound than the style we were hearing in WPLJ & what WABC was running in it’s final years. By 1984, they were shifting over to Jam. I did get a kick out of hearing some classic PAMS sounds on Z100 in those early days.
@@EllisFeaster My guess would be that the station just signed on, and JAM Creative did not have something that they wanted. Music Now (created for BBC Radio 1) proved to be something over the heads of American CHR stations. WHTZ's sister station in Milwaukee at the time also used Airpower.
If TM knew about Music Now, what they did is take the all male group and make the jingles more Drake friendly. Music Now was not exactly friendly to the rules of Bill Drake.
The Z100 packages were louder than the WLS-FM/KIISFM packages but not too loud. The AC station in my market used Hot KIIS.
About time we heard something else from the big day. We know the opening moments all too well.
That's why I posted it! More tomorrow!
Song and artist? 2:35, 2:41, 3:43, 4:27, 5:01, 6:20, 6:40, 6:48, 7:56, 8:44, 9:34, 11:48
You have a turntable as your profile photo...and you really don't know any of these songs? None???
Now every station in NY is top 40 and they all suck. I miss when z100 was alternative rock in the mid 90s.