NEW YORK – For six decades, the staccato rhythm of breaking headlines has pulsed from the speakers of WINS/1010 AM, a New York City institution that on April 19th celebrated its 60th anniversary as an all-news radio station. The milestone arrives amidst meaningful shifts in the media landscape, including a strategic pivot towards Long Island, the integration of FM broadcasting, and an evolution in on-air presentation.
“I always thought of WINS like bagels, Ray’s Pizza, the coffee cart guys, taxi drivers — part of the fabric of the city,” reflects John Montone, a veteran reporter who spent 40 years at the station before retiring in 2021. Speaking from his Jersey Shore home, Montone’s voice, “maybe a little raspier,” still carries the resonance that made him a familiar presence during countless crises and triumphs across the city.
The station’s transformation reflects the broader challenges facing radio, including competition from digital platforms and shifting listener demographics. In 2022, WINS expanded its reach by simulcasting on 92.3 FM, previously home to diverse formats, including howard Stern. This move coincided with the closure of WCBS/880 AM, a sister all-news station, and led to an influx of talent, including esteemed anchors Paul Murnane, Wayne Cabot, and Brigitte Quinn.
This strategic realignment has yielded significant gains. According to recent ratings data, WINS has become the most listened-to station on Long Island, surpassing local powerhouse WBAB. Ben Mevorach, the station’s vice president of news, attributes this success to FM expansion and a renewed focus on Long Island coverage. “We used to say we where New York’s all-news station, but I now say that we’re Long Island’s all-news station, too,” Mevorach said.
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The sound of WINS has also undergone a makeover. While the classic, rapid-fire delivery – once described as “like New Yorkers shoving into a crowded subway car” – defined the station for decades, today’s WINS embraces a more conversational style. Morning anchor Scott Stanford, who joined from WCBS/880 and World Wrestling entertainment, injects humor into the broadcast, while afternoon host Larry Mullins offers candid commentary.However, this shift hasn’t been without its critics. Ted david, a retired anchor with decades of experience in television and radio, including WINS, has voiced concerns about the “infotainment” approach. “If you’re going to listen to the news, you are interested in the news, and you want to get it from a serious source.I don’t want someone throwing off one-liners every five minutes,” David explained. “For me there’s a credibility gap.”
Mevorach countered, “we don’t program the station for Ted’s demographic.”
The station’s commitment to innovation extends beyond programming.In 2012, longtime morning anchor Lee Harris developed an app that allowed reporters to broadcast studio-quality audio from any location using thier smartphones. Montone recalls being told by an editor while covering a flood, “it was like you were right there in the water.”
The shift towards FM broadcasting also meant the retirement of the station’s iconic teletype sound effect. “That insisted that if we just give it 22 minutes, it will give us the world. Through the great city’s ups and downs,through Wall Street booms and busts,that clattering teletype tone clattered on. Like Montone’s, those familiar names attached to careers that lasted decades hear carried on too …,” the station said in a statement.
Did you know? The teletype sound effect, frequently used in Hollywood movies, was sampled in dozens of Hollywood movies over the years to give some scene an authentic, down-in-the-streets New Yawk flavor.
Even the teletype sound effect is now gone.Mevorach said it had to be sacrificed as it didn’t sound right on the FM signal, so the station’s commitment to the classic all-news is not ironclad.
While WINS has adapted to the changing media landscape, it continues to provide new Yorkers and Long Islanders with up-to-the-minute news coverage. whether it’s through traditional AM broadcasts, FM simulcasts, or digital platforms, WINS remains a vital source of facts for millions.
