Chernoff’s Weekend Forecast: ’70s & ’80s
• Mark Chernoff‘s stellar five-decade radio career will formally come to a close on June 30 when he steps down as Brand Manager for Audacy’s WFAN/New York and CBS Sports Radio after 28 years — but before he goes, Cherny is going to trade in his suit and tie and return to his radio roots, as he digs his Pro4AAs out of a box in the garage and plays the hits one last time this Saturday as he takes over the 7-midnight shift on Classic Hits sister WCBS-FM/New York.
“I’ve always had a love for Classic Rock, Oldies, Classic Hits — any kind of rock and roll — and having been a DJ for many years, I thought it would be a lot of fun as my days wind down at WFAN to get the opportunity to be a music jock one more time on our extremely successful Classic Hits station,” Chernoff told WFAN.com. “WCBS-FM is a station I’ve long admired and respected through the years, having had an array of great jocks and program directors and played a lot of great music throughout all of their formats.”
Chernoff got his radio start as a jock at Rutgers University’s WRSU and started his professional on-air career at AC WNNJ/Newton, NJ, eventually rising to PD. He later moved on to WDHA/Dover, NJ as the morning host and eventual PD, and in 1985, he marked his first stint at the late, legendary WNEW/New York, then a rock station, as the MD and eventually, PD. Chernoff also programmed Howard Stern‘s former longtime terrestrial flagship, the late WXRK (92.3 K-Rock).
“I’ve always been in these two worlds of music and sports, but for me, it’s getting back to my roots, where my first passion in radio was on the music end,” Chernoff explained. “Things developed nicely into 28 great years at WFAN, but I’ve always loved being on the music end. Having my roots as a DJ from 1976 until even into 1993, I thought a fun way to end my days with the company would be to go back to my roots and play some rock and roll records.”
Although WCBS-FM’s core sound is currently centered in the ’80s, PD Jim Ryan agreed to let Chernoff bend the format a tad and go back in time. “I’m very much looking forward to playing a lot of songs that are the biggest hits that CBS-FM plays, and adding some flavor to some of the great songs that have influenced me over the years, particularly from the ’70s and ’80s,” said Chernoff, adding, “Jim was nice enough to say you can stay on as long as you like, so I plan on hitting most of the posts.” [Special thanks to Lou DiPietro]
