Subject: WINS SWITCHES FROM TOP 40 TO NEWS
Station: WINS New York
Date: April, 1965
Time: 23:02

It was a precursor of things to come.

In April, 1965, WINS New York became one of the first of the major U.S. AM Top 40 stations to turn off the music. Many more Top 40 stations would follow suit over the years, but these were the '60s and music formats were very much thriving. It was a groundbreaking and historic move.

WINS originated as WGBS in 1924. Owner William Randolph Hearst bought the station in October, 1931 and changed the call letters to WINS in January, 1932 (it was named after Heart's International News Service.) On September 8, 1954, Alan Freed brought his rock 'n' roll show to WINS from Cleveland. Over the next decade, WINS became a major player in the New York Top 40 wars with jocks like Cousin Bruce Morrow, Stan Z. Burns, Irv Smith, Jack Lacy, Murray the K, Mad Daddy and Johnny Holliday. Rick Sklar - later of WABC fame - programmed WINS from 1954 to 1960.

This wonderful aircheck captures the last weekend of music at WINS, and the beginning of the all-news format. Among the jocks you'll hear are Murray the K., Mad Daddy, Lacy, Steve Woodwin, Mickey O'Hara, Ken Dryland, Joel Sebastian and Holliday. Jim Gordon delivers the first newscast of the WINS all-news format. And Dan Ingram implores listeners to tune in to WABC.

The WINS music era ended at 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 18 with Holliday playing "Out in the Streets" by the Shangri-Las. WINS hasn't played another record since, but has gone on to become one of North America's most successful all-news stations.

Listen as the WINS jocks say goodbye and all news programming begins here.

(The Gary Liebisch Collection via Peter Kanze)