NYC Radio: First Day A Party for Scott Shannon on CBS-FM

CBS-FM's Broadway Bill Lee, Joe Nolan, Shannon, Debbie Rodriquez, Mr. G, Producer Louis Police

It's a new station, a new studio, new heapdhones and a new ensemble and Scott Shannon's first day on WCBS-FM 101.1 FM had a familiar sound to it.  For example, first song of the morning was 'Eye of The Tiger' by Survivor.  The very same first song on WHTZ, August 2, 1983.

Not exactly a Zoo approach, but there was plenty of time to have in-studio fun with Traffic Host Joe Nolan, Weather's Mr G. and with news goddess Deborah Rodriguez.  CBS-FM PM Drive personality Broadway Bill Lee stopped-by to welcome Shanon to CBS-FM. Shannon also got got celeb calls from Robert Lamm of Chicago, Deborah Norville, Dr. Oz, Cousin Brucie, Billy Bush from Access Hollywood, Jon Bon Jovi, Monkee Mickey Dolenz (a past CBS-FM morning show host)  and others.

“Listeners will hear some new things, because it’s a new station for me,” Shannon told The NY Daily News' David Hinckley.  “This won’t be the ‘Morning Zoo’ or ‘Scott & Todd.’ But they’ll recognize that it’s still my show. There are just some things I’m going to do in perpetuity, as long as I walk the Earth.”

Hosting radio shows for almost five decades, including six years at WHTZ and 23 at WPLJ, does mean he’s lived through a lot of rock ’n’ roll history, and by coming to WCBS-FM, “New York's Greatest Hits,” he can revisit some of it.

But not, he cautions, all.

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“I know there are still some WCBS-FM listeners who want the station it once was,” he says, referring to the days when its rotation included 1950s and early 1960s hits. “But that just can’t be. It didn’t fit any more. It wasn’t a profitable business model.

“Remember, I started at Z100 in 1983. That’s 30 years. The music we were playing then is definitely oldies now.

“If you want something from very early, that’s why they make CDs like ‘Malt Shop Memories.’ I still listen to that myself when I’m in the mood. I like hearing Dion sing ‘The Wanderer.’ But for radio, time marches on.”

During the first hour of the show, Shannon paid tribute for former morning host Dan Taylor, who starts the mid-day shift today.  Joking at first, Shannon said he was afraid Taylor had an Uzi.  But in a more serious tone, Shannon said Taylor was class act who is taking the time change like a gentleman.

Shannon also talked about making peace with Joe Nolan.   Joe Nolan, who was the traffic reporter for Shannon and Todd Pettengill on WPLJ before what Shannon calls an “unfortunate” breakup. He says he and Nolan have now talked “and agreed to leave that behind us.”

During the 9am, Shannon paid tribute to longtime iconic deejay Porky Chedwick, who passed-away at age 96 during the weekend.  Click Here for posting.

New Mid-day host Dan Taylor made an early appearance on-air at 9:42am when Shannon stepped out the the 'little boys' room'.

The produced show intro aired at 6a and 8am.  Listen Here...