Episode Details

Walter Sterling interviews Jay Clark, the founding program director who navigated the historic 1982 transition of New York’s WABC from a legendary music station to a talk format. The discussion highlights the cultural magnitude of "the day the music died" and the strategic patience of ABC management, who famously anticipated a ten-year timeline for profitability to establish the new genre. Clark reflects on the challenges of curated programming, such as the mixed reception of Los Angeles-based hosts and the immediate pressure of shifting listener habits in a major market.