NYC Radio: WCBS-FM Honors Retiring Scott Shannon

Scott Shannon with GM Chris Oliviero

On Tuesday, WCBS-FM 101.1 celebrated the career of longtime on-air host Scott Shannon, who will retire on December 16.   The station dedicated the WCBS-FM 101.1 studio in Scott's honor, renaming it as "The Scott Shannon CBS-FM Studio."

Scott Shannon

Scott Shannon grew up an Army brat in Indianapolis, Indiana. He began his radio career during his own Army stint at WFBS 1450 AM in Spring Lake, North Carolina (now WFBX). From there he moved to WCLS 1580 AM in Columbus, Georgia.

Shannon worked full-time in radio at WABB in Mobile, Alabama, where he acquired the name Super Shan.

After a brief stint at WMPS in Memphis he moved to Nashville, where he was the evening disc jockey at WMAK 1300 AM, later becoming that station's program director. Under Shannon's direction, WMAK became the market's top-rated station.



Shannon departed WRBQ-FM Q105 in Tampa in 1983 for New York City.



Shannon is perhaps most famous for his work on Z100 in New York City in the mid to late 80's. Along with former disc jockey Ross Brittain of WABC's popular "Ross & Wilson Show", he founded the "Z Morning Zoo." He was the driving force in helping Z100 become the top-rated FM station in New York City within a mere 74 days of signing on the air. During this period, Shannon also served as one of the original VJs on VH1.



In 1989, Shannon left Z100 in what was an emotional farewell to head to Los Angeles to start up Pirate Radio, KQLZ.



Pirate Radio employed a similar Top 40 concept. As the 1990s began, Top 40 radio experienced a decline, and eventually Pirate Radio struggled as well, leading to Shannon's departure. He was sometimes referred to as "El Diablo" in Los Angeles because of a billboard image that made him resemble the Devil.



In 1991 he returned to New York and resurfaced on Z100's biggest rival, WPLJ. This station had also been struggling since its glory days of the mid 1980s, and Shannon became program director and morning drive co-host.

Shannon created a Top 40 format that was geared more toward the adult contemporary audience, brought in co-host Todd Pettengill to form "The Big Show," and the WPLJ call letters were re-emphasized. The "new" WPLJ has not generally equaled the ratings of Z100, but it found a niche in the New York radio market.

In addition to his New York the WCBS-FM morning show, Scott can be heard across the country on his weekly syndicated show  'America's Greatest Hits'  and on The True Oldies Channel radio network. He also records intros and bumpers for talk radio's "The Sean Hannity Show."

• Scott is one of several disc jockeys honored in an exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• In 2000, FMBQ, a radio trade magazine, named Shannon "Program Director of the Century."
• In 2003, he was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C., and in 2006 he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago, Illinois.
• Scott was also a successful radio consultant in the 1990s for WPLY Philadelphia and WKCI-FM New Haven.
• In September 2010, Scott was named Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year at the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Radio Awards.