WNBC Radio sign-off on WABC-TV

On October 7, 1988 at 5:30PM, WNBC radio in New York signed off for the last time. This is how WABC-TV/channel 7 covered the news on "Eyewitness News" at 5. Reported by Garrett Glazer.

[@DrSurprise]

oh wow! Ernie Anastos was on WABC, WCBS and WNYW! he's been everywhere! now, he just needs to be on WNBC!

[@ApartmentKing66]

At 2:30, Glaser says "the biggest stars in the world worked for NBC Radio." What he failed to mention was that they were "the biggest stars" because NBC Radio MADE them "the biggest stars." NBC made them household names.

[@ASKconard]

That station ID at the beginning is excellent.

[@ericgrove7755]

Ernie Anderson did the opening.

[@thisguyhere6641]

This was dedicated in loving memory of WNBC(AM)! Or should I say, W-NNNN-BC!

[@spxmet]

A report on a rival station, with a tremendous respect for its' history. WNBC AM has been gone for 23 years, and Alan Colmes looks prettymuch the same!

[@jmax20121]

I swear that's the same Garrett Glaser who was on Married with Children. In which that episode, he interviewed Al Bundy, when Al imagined he saved people from a burning car and he claimed he always a winner. That's after Peggy Bundy bowled a perfect game, which brought up "The Bundy Curse". A classic episode and hilarious.

[@AarHan3]

And you thought the loss of Musicradio 77 WABC in 1982 was so painful... :-P

[@ericsamuelson5656]

Their former anchor Roger Grimsby reported the same story on Ch 4

[@wmbrown6]

The station I.D. was voiced by Bill Owen.

[@roseweinstein4256]

My childhood is calling me back

[@HipsterDoofus100]

Me too. I used to sit in my bedroom and have WNBC on all the time. I was never actually listening to it, I would have it just loud enough so that my parents couldn't hear the porno I was watching or me cumming all over the place

[@wmbrown6]

And there was an irony here: After leaving ABC and joining WWOR, Mr. Owen's position as "World News This Morning" announcer was taken over by Barbara Korsen who'd been a sub-announcer for Channel 9 in the late 1970's and early '80's when it was a mere WOR-TV (on the airchecks I've seen, she largely filled in there for veteran staffer Russ Dunbar).

[@wmbrown6]

Not only that, but Anastos also had (to my knowledge) never been on WPIX.

[@johnissoevil]

no prob. I think Ernie worked at UPN/My 9 from 1997 to 2001, when he returned to WCBS and was replaced by a returning Rolland Smith.

[@TheBrooklynbodine]

At 3:40, Garrett Glazer said WNBC could be heard in 35 states at night. Also, though he didn't mention it, the station could, at night, be picked up in a goodly portion of Canada. I've lived in West Virginia all my life, and enjoyed "The Time Machine," which had an all-too-brief run on 66 WNBC. It Covered about the last year of the station's existence, if memory serves me right. As many are aware, 660 is still WFAN, the flagship for the Yankees, among other teams. Here's hoping the Yanks at least reach the World Series this year. Posting 8-16-22.

[@kiotr2009]

The Time Machine was heard first on overnights, then added weekends over the last 18 months of the WNBC radio’s existence. Program Director Dale Parsons tells the story of how it came about in this interview: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIfQkqGar8-YiNU

[@TheBrooklynbodine]

@@kiotr2009 When did The Time Machine start? The earliest I remember it was the summer of '87.

[@kiotr2009]

@@TheBrooklynbodine That's right. According to Program Director Dale Parsons, it started with Big Jay Sorensen on overnights in spring 1987, and on Memorial Day weekend that year, weekends were added. Dale tells the story here, starting at 16:15: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIfQkqGar8-YiNU

[@TheBrooklynbodine]

@@kiotr2009 OK, thanks.

[@OOOLDSKOOOOOL]

i wish they spoke more on Neil / Neal Seavey.. he was on with Howard Stern..

[@johnissoevil]

0:02-0:05-That voice-over sounds familiar. Wasn't he the primary announcer on WWOR in the early 90s?

[@mikewolf5367]

It’s kinda weird how most of who were interviewed in this piece are dead.

[@luislaplume8261]

In 1999 this was recorded.

[@DrSurprise]

lol, i didnt know that. thanks for telling me

[@scottburton9701]

The loss of WNBC was truly the end of an era.

[@SailorCallie]

Was that tbe same Alan Colmes who would later be on Fox News w/ Sean Hznnity?

[@radiodj1520]

In This Clip, From 0:06 To 0:22, It Was WABC-TV's Channel 7 Eyewitness News At 5 Video Open From Friday Evening, October 7, 1988.

[@abe_froman8360]

They should never have fired Howard Stern.

[@DamianCampbell-rv4xd]

0:08 November 2 1988

[@johnmiller1376]

"Goodbye wnbc-radio we will miss you everyday".

[@ElectricYangNYC]

I see Ernie now, I keep thinking about KFC... "Keep Fucking that Chicken"! Lmfao!!!

[@goyadressunofficial]

Keep plucking that chicken...

[@marchoffman6878]

WNBC 660 AM

[@fatmanfiftythousand]

@chyrongeek At least a few still do.

[@marchoffman6878]

wnbc signed off for good.

[@radiodj1520]

In This Clip, From 0:00 To 0:06, It Was WABC-TV's Channel 7 Eyewitness News Video ID From October 1988.

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

In the clip, we get to see WABC's old "Chopper 7" Helicopter.

[@kyleg8098]

Howard Stern did it!

[@thisguyhere6641]

Yeah, Kyle G! Howard Stern may have caused W-NNNN-BC to become a distant memory, in a world of radio broadcasting as we know it!

[@sillygoose635]

No he didn't.

[@windowsme2327]

@@sillygoose635 yes he did

[@sillygoose635]

@@windowsme2327 no, he didn't.

[@johnnyballenatl]

@@sillygoose635 It was GE’s 1985 acquisition of NBC’s parent company RCA that _really_ did it.

[@johnissoevil]

You left out WWOR.

[@marchoffman6878]

too bad wnbc is gone.

[@jaycemacinnis2228]

#WNBC

[@Kevin-xv9pm]

If WNBC radio is leaving at the time, will WNBC-TV will leave the airwaves too?

[@jayhe1037]

Engineer: Nope

[@Kevin-xv9pm]

@@jayhe1037 What a relief.

[@user-macquine]

WNBC-FM left the air in 1975.

[@mattypad777]

It won't be leaving the television industry anytime soon.

[@Kevin-xv9pm]

@@mattypad777 Good.