Posted by chicagomedia.org on April 15, 2008 at 16:05:31:
Legendary Rock Radio Station 'WNEW' Finds New Life On-Air, Online And On-Demand
The Past Meets The Present When The Formidable WNEW Returns Featuring Unparalleled 30-Year Archive Of Historic Interviews And Live Performances By Rock Immortals Presented In A Contemporary Musical Context, Listeners To 'Staff' The Station And Its Website
By CBS RADIO
NEW YORK, April 14 -- Today marks a milestone in rock 'n roll history as celebrated rock station WNEW marks its triumphant return on-air (102.7 HD 2 in New York) and online (www.wnew.com). The legendary station has been reborn for the passionate rock music fan in the spirit of WNEW-FM's commitment to exposing the best new artists.
Completely updated to reflect its historical influence on today's contemporary rock scene, the revolutionary new WNEW.com features recordings from the dawn of the album era in the late 60s and early 70s through today, as well as music from the most promising emerging artists yet to be discovered by the masses. Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Spoon, and Vampire Weekend will be among those featured along with the likes of REM, Foo Fighters, The White Stripes, Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.
In addition, thousands of hours of archival interviews by former WNEW hosts Scott Muni, Dave Herman, and Richard Neer, among others, with such artists as John Lennon, The Who, Stevie Wonder and David Bowie will be integrated hourly throughout the station's on-air and online programming. Also finding a home on WNEW.com's lineup will be exclusive live performances from artists who contributed to the station's storied history.
The modernized WNEW.com will also offer the listening audience a complete interactive and social networking experience through the station's website (www.wnew.com) and CBS Corporation's Last.fm (www.last.fm). Using these two online portals, fans can listen on demand, share feedback about the former and current station, join dedicated groups, meet fellow WNEW listeners and become a part of the station's "staff." Staff members will have the opportunity to program and participate in the presentation of the station and its website through a series of on-air and online initiatives including blogs, concert reviews, music forums, and artist profiles.
At the helm of this ambitious project is Norm Winer, CBS RADIO Vice President of Adult Rock Programming, and, for more than 25 years, the award-winning Program Director of the landmark WXRT in Chicago. He said, "As a music fan and radio geek who grew up in Brooklyn listening to the original WNEW, I'm excited to help recapture the spirit and philosophy of progressive radio, using tools we never dreamed of back in the early days. With the foundation of a timeless and totally one-of-a-kind archive, we will provide rock devotees of all generations the chance to hear incredible moments from our collective past and enable them to connect the dots to rock's most compelling artists of the present and future."
Special programming on the influential station will include:
-- Interview With an Icon: showcases classic extended on-air interviews with rock legends from WNEW-FM;
-- Live From the Archives: vintage performances from rock's most prominent artists. In addition to the vaults of WNEW-FM, the station will have access to the recorded treasures of many of CBS RADIO's prominent radio stations such as WBCN in Boston, and WXRT in Chicago;
-- Emerging and Amazing: the station will regularly debut music from rising artists and those whose names are not yet known to the listening audience
Launched as a free-form progressive rock station on Oct. 31, 1967, WNEW-FM is considered the first station of its kind in the nation. It quickly went on to become both an institution and a piece of radio history for which it is remembered today. The station rocked New York City for three decades breaking some of the biggest artists of all time, including David Bowie, Elton John, and The Talking Heads. To many who grew up in the 60s and 70s, WNEW-FM remains to this day the embodiment of the times, turmoil and tunes of those eras in New York City.