1010 WINS RADIO New York switched from top forty to the first successful all-news station April 19, 1965.
Previously when WINS was one of four premiere New York Rock 'N' Roll radio stations only a few snippets of on the half hour five minute Dick Waffle "Newswatch" broadcasts are known to exist. This rare audio was recorded by Phil Gries at 10:55 AM from his Brooklyn New York home on Saturday morning, February 4, 1961.
Dick Waffle reports at the "Newswatch." Waffle reports initial bulletins reporting the blizzard of '61.
This third "knockout" blizzard of the winter accounted for a 17 consecutive day of temperatures below freezing, the longest in New York history. We also hear the 1010 WINS sign off as the WINS announcer reports that the next news bulletins will be heard will be at 11:25 AM.
NOTE:
The Blizzard of February 3 - 4, 1961
The storm, U.S. HEAVIEST SNOW STORM SINCE 1947 tied up the Northeast coast. It occurred toward the end of an extended cold snowy period that brought the temperature in New York's Central Park down to -2 (2 degrees below zero) on the morning of February 2nd. The storm reached blizzard proportions throughout much of the northeast and winds at LaGuardia airport gusted over 80 miles per hour on the 4th. Snowfall totals exceeded 20 inches over much of the region. Falling on top existing snow cover, including that left over from the "Kennedy inaugural" snowstorm on the 19-20th of January, the aftermath of the storm found near record snow cover over the region ranging from 2 to 2 1/2 feet in and around New York City up to nearly 4 feet around Newburg, New York.
Snow began falling on the evening of February 3rd 1961, dumping six inches and continued through the morning of the 4th, with an additional 11.4 inches of snow piling up. The snow that fell on February 4th was heavy and wet and was driven by gale force winds. This was the third major snowstorm of the winter, following 15.4 inches on December 11th and 12th 1960, and 9.9 inches of snow recorded on January 19th and 20th. However, those storms were characterized by very cold temperatures while this storm saw temperatures rise from the upper 20's to the mid 30's during the afternoon of the 4th when the snow changed to rain. This was the second winter in a row to have two snowstorms of one foot or more.