Metromedia Radio broadcasts music in the tradition of the World’s Greatest Radio Station, WNEW-AM 1130 in New York.
Metromedia arose from the ashes of the DuMont Television Network, the world’s first commercial television network. In 1955 DuMont management realized it could not compete against CBS, NBC and ABC, and decided to shut down network operations.
In 1956 DuMont formally shut down network operations and spun off its two remaining owned and operated TV stations, WABD in New York and WTTG in Washington, D.C., to shareholders as the DuMont Broadcasting Corporation. The company’s headquarters were co-located with WABD in the former DuMont Tele-Centre (now the FOX Telecenter) in New York.
In 1957, DuMont Broadcasting purchased two New York area radio stations, WNEW-AM and WHFI-AM. Later that year DuMont changed its name to the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation to distance itself from its former parent company.
John Kluge
The following year Paramount Pictures, an indirect player in the failure of the DuMont network, sold its shares in Metropolitan Broadcasting to Washington-based investor John Kluge, who became the company’s chairman and whom later gained a 75-percent controlling interest. WABD’s call letters were later changed to WNEW-TV to match its new radio sisters.
Under Kluge’s direction, the Metromedia Network of television and radio stations expanded across the country. At WNEW-AM, Kluge became very active in the management and operations of television and radio. This knowledge gained from his hands on style was pivotal in the overall expansion of Metromedia Radio
Rupert Murdoch
On May 6, 1985, Kluge announced the sale of Metromedia’s television stations, and Metromedia Producers Corp., to the News Corporation (owned by Australian newspaper publisher Rupert Murdoch) and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation (owned jointly by Murdoch and Marvin Davis) for $3.5 billion. Metromedia Television thus became the new FOX network.
In 1986 Metromedia sold nine radio stations and a Texas radio network for $285 million to an investor group headed by the president of Metromedia’s radio unit. The sale was effectively the end of the legacy Metromedia Radio.
Michael Bloomberg
WNEW-AM eventually ended up in the hands of Michael Bloomberg. WNEW-AM was closed and the station was transformed into Bloomberg Financial Radio. The WNEW-AM radio stations archive library was thrown in a dumpster.
Over the last twenty years various fans and collectors have saved from the trash parts of the archive library. Over a period of two years hundreds of WNEW-AM 10 and 5 inch tape reels have been restored and converted to MP3 formats.
With the help of former WNEW-AM and Metromedia Radio talent and executives, a new Metromedia Radio has been established on internet radio.
The power of both the internet and new recording technologies has allowed a bright new future for a resurrected WNEW-AM® and Metromedia Radio®. We are now broadcasting in over 60 countries globally.
We hope you enjoy the exciting new recreation of Metromedia Radio®, WNEW-AM® and NEW Radio 1130 in New York TM. Enjoy the broadcast.