OLDIE But Goodie -- COUSIN BRUCIE Gets New Gig On Satellite Radio

(From The Newark Star Ledger -- By Vicki Hyman)

A stranger named JACK may have commandeered WCBS-FM, but legendary deejay COUSIN BRUCIE has caught a ride on a satellite.

BRUCE MORROW, the New York radio royal who lost his throne when the station abruptly ditched its OLDIES FORMAT, has signed with SIRIUS to host three live shows on satellite radio.

Two shows will feature songs from the '50s, '60s and '70s, requests and dedications, and the third will be talk, touching on music, culture and politics. Morrow will debut with a special broadcast from THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM in Cleveland over FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND.

He said he looks forward to invading SIRIUS' library of 200,000 records, vast compared to his typical playlist of 280 records.

"I'm like a little boy at F.A.O. SCHWARTZ," he said during a telephone interview from SIRIUS' Manhattan headquarters. "I feel like I've been reborn."

Even before the new gig, Morrow had predicted huge growth for satellite radio, but he said he never really talked to company officials "until just when this ridiculous business decision was made."

The BROOKLYN-born Morrow has worked in New York radio for more than 40 years. He brought THE BEATLES onstage for their celebrated 1965 SHEA STADIUM CONCERT and was inducted into THE RADIO HALL OF FAME in 1988.

He had been with WCBS for more than 20 years; he also spun discs at WABC-AM for 13 years and hosted the famous PALISADES PARK ROCK CONCERT.

"If there's any New York personality who's known out of the metro area from the OLIDES ERA, it's Bruce," said TOM TAYLOR, the editor of INSIDE RADIO, a daily industry newsletter.

"There's probably kids who can still do a COUSIN BRUCIE imitation who now live in Florida," Taylor said. "As the diaspora of people have left New York to go to the Sun Belt and Florida, they take those memories of New York. That's one reason (HOWARD) STERN has done so well."

Morrow is the latest popular broadcaster to switch to satellite. He joins shock jock Stern, whose morning show will move to SIRIUS in January, and BOB EDWARDS, the former NPR newsman who joined XM SATELLITE RADIO after he was pushed from his morning slot last year.

INFINITY BROADCASTING, which owns WCBS-FM, dropped the OLDIES FORMAT on June 3rd in favor of the younger-skewing JACK, which offers no on-air talent but boasts an atypically large playlist of 1,200 songs from the last 40 years. INFINITY also owns WXRK-FM (K-ROCK), the station Stern is leaving.

Morning show host MICKY DOLENZ, the former MONKEE, just celebrated his 100th show on WCBS the day INFINITY announced the switch. The company let Dolenz go, but spokeswoman KAREN MATEO said deejays BILL BROWN and RANDY DAVIS and part-timer HARRY HARRISON are still employed.

INFINITY plans to continue to stream THE OLDIES FORMAT with traditional patter over the Internet at www.cbsfm.com. "Our goal is to continue working with several of the on-air personalities," Mateo said.

A lawyer from THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TELEVISION AND RADIO ARTISTS, the union that represents much of the on-air talent, refused to comment.

As for his former colleagues, Morrow said he would talk to SIRIUS executives about bringing them on as well. "I can safely say that I have a good feeling about that," he said.

A SIRIUS spokesman had no comment.

WCBS refugees are still hoping another local station will flip to THE OLDIES FORMAT, Taylor said. While the format is on the decline nationally, WCBS still ranked in THE TOP 10 in THE NEW YORK MARKET in THE WINTER ARBITRON RATINGS.

MIKE McCANN, who hosted WCBS' SUNDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN SHOW and a recently launched ELVIS SHOW, said there may be a one-time farewell broadcast featuring the station's celebrated personalities -- but not on WCBS. A suburban station that he declined to name is working on it.

[COUSIN BRUCIE was just part of growing up in the NY/NJ area. I got the opportunity to meet him as his daughter, MEREDITH MORROW, was a student at ITHACA COLLEGE with me. I'll always remember his "Cousin Bruuuuuuuucie" sign on and the fond memories of the true WCBS-FM (at 101.1 FM). I guess I'll have to get a SIRUS RADIO.]