It is absolutely incredible how fast time really does fly. It seems impossible to believe it was exactly a year ago to the day when WCBS-AM in New York reported one last headline – its own demise. It was August 25th, 2024, just before midnight, when 880 AM abandoned its longtime all news format in favour of ESPN, an all sports station. The new call letters are hardly iconic - WHSQ. 
 
The format switch made headlines across North America, likely because CBS-AM was one of the original all news formats and had such legendary calls, along with a killer 50,000 watt signal that reached a lot of the U.S. and Canada.
 
It holds a special place in my memory – back in those pre-Internet audio streaming days, I remember staying up until 3 AM on Dec. 8, 1980, listening to the coverage of John Lennon’s murder outside his apartment in Manhattan. At the time, it was the best source for constantly updated information.  
 
Only WINS 1010 remains pumping out the headlines in NYC, in the same format that 680 News uses. But many still miss the original NewsRadio 88.

If you missed the final sign-off special, you can hear it here.
 
WCBS 880 one year later: Where are its anchors now?