WNEW FM – New York (1982) :: How To Kill A Radio Station

A slice of 1982. A vignette courtesy of the late WNEW FM – New York, NY.

NEW YORK (AP) — For 32 years, it was the place where rock lived. WNEW-FM once ruled as the nation’s premier rock station, boasting an influence that extended far beyond its Manhattan-based signal. (WNEW) was rock ‘n’ roll: John Lennon stopped by to spin records, the Grateful Dead played cards in the studio, and new music from the Rolling Stones to the Ramones to the Replacements was championed.

Related: Tom Waits :: Nighthawks On The Radio / 1976, WNEW-FM NYC

4 thoughts on “WNEW FM – New York (1982) :: How To Kill A Radio Station

  1. Wow. Hearing that makes me realize what a lost art good radio has become. It’s such a wasteland now. WNEW (102.7) and WXRK (92.3) in no small part influenced all my musical tastes. I was lucky to have been able to hear them in their swan song of the late 80’s and early 90’s. WNEW FM NEWWWWW YORK!

  2. While I loved WNEW during my teens in the seventies, looking back I’m appalled at what they DIDN”T play. Perhaps I’m being unfair (or have a really bad memory), but they didn’t play the Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop, The New York Dolls, etc. I had to find out about those bands by reading about them much later. A pretty sad way to experience music that’s best enjoyed with others and when it’s released. Perhaps they were pandering to a musically conservative strain of rock fandom (and I plead guilty here. I was an ignorant teen.) but they didn’t do what a good radio station is supposed to do: give you a chance to hear new things. I realize they had to pay the bills, so I can’t get too judgemental about it. And if they failed the fans, perhaps the fans also failed the music. Can someone check me here? Maybe you had a different experience.

Comments are closed.