WCBS 880 signing off after nearly 60 years, ESPN New York to take its place

WCBS 880 AM, one of New York's leading news radio channels for nearly 60 years , will be replaced with ESPN New York on Aug. 26, as 1010 WINS becomes the main radio station for real-time news coverage in the New York metro area.

Audacy, the parent company for both WCBS 880 and 1010 WINS, announced the agreement with Good Karma Brands, a sports media network, on Aug. 12. The station 880 AM will become the new home of ESPN New York and will use the call letters WHSQ-AM, pending FCC approval.

You heard it on WCBS 880

Audacy, formerly known as Entercom, said 1010 WINS will become the only 24/7 exclusive all-news station for the tri-state area and will remain at 92.3 FM. However, as Audacy remains the owner of both 880 AM and 92.3 FM, Audacy-produced sports content, including coverage of the New York Mets, will continue to be broadcast on the station.

"WCBS 880 has been one of the most respected radio stations in history, with a legacy cemented by the hundreds of world-class journalists, on and off the air, who willed it into existence over the decades. If it happened in New York or the world, you heard about it on WCBS 880," said Chris Oliviero, president of Audacy's New York market. "Today, 1010 WINS@92.3FM, equally iconic, moves forward as New York’s only 24/7 all-news station with the best distribution platform, the largest audience and the most recognized brand in the industry. All-news is a pillar of Audacy, and this decision, though difficult, fortifies that leadership position for generations to come.”

WCBS 880 AM switched from music and radio to an all-news format in August 1967. This year marked its 57th year on air as one of the two all-news format radio stations in tri-state area.

1010 WINS remains oldest all-news AM station in US

1010 WINS remains the oldest all-news AM radio station in the United States, providing local, traffic and weather news for millions of New Yorkers since April 1965. Audacy introduced a simulcast on 92.3 FM in October 2022 and now has a listenership of almost two million people a week.

Audacy said the station will honor WCBS 880 with a live broadcast special "WCBS 880 News: The People, the Moments and the Events that Shaped our Lives" on Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The broadcast will include interviews and historical clips from major moments in New York history when the radio station delivered crucial information to listeners across the area.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: WCBS 880 signing off after nearly 60 years, ESPN New York to take its place