NYC Radio: WCBS-AM..The Early Years

Late '60s Logo

WCBS-AM's history traces back to September 20, 1924. It was issued its first license to Alfred H. Grebe & Company. It used his initials for its original call sign, WAHG. It was a pioneering station in New York, and was one of the first commercial radio stations to broadcast from remote locations including horse races and yachting events. It started on 920 kHz and in early 1925, it moved to 950 kHz.

In 1926, Grebe changed to the station's call sign to WABC. This used the initials of the Grebe's new business name, the Atlantic Broadcasting Company. He made a business arrangement with the Ashland Battery Company in Asheville, North Carolina, which had been assigned WABC in 1925 for its station. Grebe then moved the studios to West 57th Street, which would not be the last time it would operate from 57th Street. On March 26, 1925, a second station, WBOQ, standing for "Borough of Queens", was licensed to A. H. Grebe & Company on 1270 kHz. Grebe's Atlantic Broadcasting Company eventually was licensed for four New York City-area stations: WABC, WBOQ, plus portable stations WGMU and WRMU.

The two portable stations were deleted on July 31, 1928, after the recently formed Federal Radio Commission (FRC) decided that movable stations were too difficult to regulate.  On November 11, 1928, WABC and WBOQ were formally consolidated as WABC-WBOQ, and the FRC's General Order 40 moved the combined operation to a "clear channel" frequency of 860 kHz.  WABC-WBOQ became a part-time network affiliate of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), which actually wanted a full-time radio presence in New York City. CBS programming had earlier been heard on 710 WOR also on a part time basis. WOR remained independent for a few years, then helped form the Mutual Broadcasting System.

1946 Logo

CBS Ownership

After a short time broadcasting CBS programming three days a week, CBS president William S. Paley purchased WABC-WBOQ and it became a full-time CBS Network owned and operated station. WABC-WBOQ increased its transmitting power from 5,000 to its present 50,000 watts, the maximum permitted by the FCC. Studios also moved into the CBS headquarters at 485 Madison Avenue, on the corner of 52nd Street.

The station featured a mix of local interest programming along with dramas, comedies, news, sports and music programs from CBS's national feed. As time went by, WABC turned more and more to the national programming provided by CBS and its affiliates, and its broadcast day was influenced by CBS's growing interest in news programming. In 1939, the broadcasting operations were moved across 52nd Street from the headquarters to the new CBS Studio Building.

New frequency and call sign

On November 2, 1946, the call sign was changed from WABC to WCBS, to differentiate the station from the recently formed American Broadcasting Company, and more closely identify it as Columbia Broadcasting System's primary outlet. 

On June 15, 1940, the generally unused WBOQ call sign was eliminated from the station's dual call letters, and it became just WABC.  In 1941, due to the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), WABC moved to the frequency it currently occupies, 880 kHz.

On September 8, 1946, the call sign of a station in Springfield, Illinois, was changed from WCBS to WCVS. This allowed WABC in New York to change to WCBS on November 2, 1946, to identify more closely with its parent network, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). It also helped avoid confusion with the rival network of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which began operation under that name in 1945.  Control of the WABC call sign was retained by renaming a relay station from WEHG to WABC. Longtime, and unrelated, ABC radio flagship station on 770 kHz in New York was assigned the WABC call letters in 1953, after operating since its beginning in 1921 as WJZ.