WCBS-FM Radio

What WCBS-FM Radio does

WCBS-FM 101.1 is a classic hits FM radio station broadcasting at 101.1 MHz in the New York metropolitan area, one of the largest radio markets in the United States. The station is wholly owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. (NYSE: AUD), a publicly traded radio broadcasting company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA and formerly known as CBS Radio and Entercom. WCBS-FM was founded in 1965 and currently programs a classic hits format featuring music from the 1960s through the 1990s, targeted at adults 35-64. On-air programming includes personalities such as Race Taylor (morning show), Jesse Addy, John Foxx, Broadway Bill Lee, and Dave Stewart. The station also operates on-demand podcasts, listener contests (including the $5,000 30 Second Song Challenge), and live event programming as extensions to its core linear broadcast.

The station's distribution spans over-the-air FM broadcast, the Audacy mobile app and website, smart speaker and voice assistant platforms (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Samsung Bixby, Microsoft Cortana, Sonos), streaming devices (Roku, Xfinity X1, FireTV, Chromecast, LG Smart TVs via VEWD), and automotive integration (Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Waze, select GM vehicles). Most of this digital distribution infrastructure is inherited from the Audacy platform rather than built independently by WCBS-FM. Audacy operates a portfolio of more than 900 AM/FM stations across the United States, providing shared advertising sales, technology, and cross-promotional scale.

The business model is advertising-based. Over-the-air and digital streaming are free to listeners; monetization occurs through advertising sales, sponsored content, on-air mentions, and promotional campaigns targeting local and national advertisers seeking reach into the New York metro audience. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Audacy offers premium streaming subscription services separately from the station's broadcast advertising business. No station-level revenue, audience rating, or headcount data is disclosed in the available source material.

Name

WCBS-FM Radio

Legal name

Audacy, Inc.

Website

https://wcbsfm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WCBS-FM 101.1 is a New York City classic hits radio station wholly owned by Audacy, Inc. (NYSE: AUD), serving the New York metropolitan area with 1960s-1990s music programming for adults 35-64 and monetizing through advertising sales across broadcast and digital streaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

Keywords

• Classic hits radio
• FM radio broadcasting
• Radio advertising sales
• Music radio programming
• Audio streaming services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: WCBS-FM generates revenue through advertising sales, with sponsored content, on-air mentions, and promotional opportunities for local and national advertisers. The station runs contests and promotions that incorporate advertiser participation.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WCBS-FM 101.1 is a New York City classic hits radio station that broadcasts personality-driven music programming from the 1960s through the 1990s over the air at 101.1 MHz and via the Audacy digital platform. The station monetizes its audience reach primarily through the sale of on-air advertising, sponsorships, promotional mentions, and contest-based campaigns to local and national advertisers.

Product overview

WCBS-FM 101.1 is a classic hits radio station operated by Audacy, serving the New York metropolitan area. The station operates as part of Audacy's broader audio platform, offering live radio broadcast at 101.1 FM, streaming through Audacy's digital platform, and on-demand podcast content. Programming includes on-air shows featuring personalities like Race Taylor (morning show), Jesse Addy, John Foxx, Broadway Bill Lee, and Dave Stewart. The station engages listeners through contests and events, while integration with Audacy's ecosystem provides access across smart speakers (Alexa, Google Nest, Sonos), streaming devices (Roku, Xfinity, FireTV), automotive platforms (Apple CarPlay, Android Auto), and mobile apps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AudacycoreTechnology or IntegrationWCBS-FM is owned and operated by Audacy, formerly Entercom and before that CBS Radio. The station operates as part of Audacy's portfolio of 900+ live and local music, news, sports, talk, and comedy AM/FM radio stations across the United States. Audacy provides the digital platform, app technology, streaming infrastructure, and advertising sales infrastructure for the station.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Q104.3 (WAXQ): Q104.3 is iHeartMedia's classic rock station in New York. Strong peer given the format overlap with WCBS-FM's classic hits positioning and shared target advertiser base in the NYC market.
• WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM: WFAN is a sister Audacy-owned station in New York. Direct peer within the same parent company, sharing Audacy's platform, sales infrastructure, and digital distribution while operating a different format (sports talk).
• WINS 1010 AM: WINS is another Audacy-owned New York news/talk station. Direct peer sharing infrastructure and sales capabilities while operating a distinct format targeting news consumers and commuters.
• WLTW 106.7 Lite FM: WLTW is another major-market New York FM music station (soft AC format) operated by iHeartMedia. Direct comparison as a NYC-licensed music-format commercial FM station competing for the same advertiser and listener pool.
• WHTZ Z100: Z100 is iHeartMedia's CHR/Top 40 station in New York. Direct peer as a flagship NYC FM music station targeting a different but adjacent demographic within the same market.

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia: iHeartMedia is the largest US radio broadcaster with 800+ stations including multiple NYC properties (WLTW, Z100, Q104.3). Broad incumbent peer — same industry, similar revenue model (advertising), direct overlap in New York market.
• SiriusXM: SiriusXM is a satellite radio subscription service competing for in-car audio listening time. Broad incumbent peer competing for the same advertiser-funded audio audience through a national subscription + ad-supported model.
• Audacy, Inc. Audacy is WCBS-FM's parent company and the third-largest US radio broadcaster. Also functions as a broad incumbent peer given its 900+ station portfolio, public-company scale, and overlapping advertising sales operations.
• Cumulus Media: Cumulus Media is the second-largest US radio broadcaster with hundreds of stations. Broad incumbent peer operating AM/FM stations with similar advertising-driven revenue model across multiple markets.

Emerging players

• Spotify: Spotify is the leading global audio streaming platform with a free ad-supported tier. Emerging competitor capturing listening share away from traditional FM, particularly in-car and on smart speakers, and competing for advertising dollars in audio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wcbsfm
• Facebookfacebook.com/wcbsfm
• Instagraminstagram.com/wcbsfm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wcbs-fm-radio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WCBS-FM Radio