Rock Radio Scrapbook
AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of December 18, 2005
Weekly issue #356
Subject:
WQXR becomes WNEW
Station: WQXR/WQEW New York
Date: December 2, 1992
Time: 15:19
WQXR-AM was an island of stability in an sea of change. Born in the days of crystal sets and Franklin Roosevelt, this New York station maintained a classical music format at 1560kc for 56 years. But finally, on December 2, 1992 - besieged by poor ratings - one of radio's grandest eras came to an end. At the same time, another one continued.
WQXR-AM closed off its classical music programming to make way for a different kind of classics as WQEW (the classical music continued on WQXR-FM). The music of choice at the new station was "American Popular Standards" - the best of Sinatra, Basie, Ella, Bing and other legendary 20th century performers. WQEW followed in the footsteps and tradition of New York's WNEW, which ended its long-running standards format at 1130kc just nine days after WQEW started. Several top WNEW personalities - including Jonathan Schwartz, Bob Jones and Les Davis - moved over to WQEW, whose 50,000-watt signal could be heard throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada.
WQEW proved to be the last gasp for a standards format in New York - it was replaced by Radio Disney's pre-teen format on December 28, 1998. But it had a great run, if brief.
Hear the end of WQXR-AM - and the beginning of WQEW here.
(The Bill Dulmage Collection)
