The TeaM

New York’s Best Rock With Magic Matt Craig

What is New York’s Best Rock?
Depends on who you ask. It doesn’t seem possible today, but in the early to mid 70s, the AM band was the dominating force in radio. In fact, it wasn’t until 1973 that the US Government mandated that all new cars had to be sold with both AM and FM tuners. AM Radio was dominated by tightly programmed music stations that played the same top 40 songs all day. Many songs repeated as frequently as every 45 minutes! So, those of us music fans who grew up during that time were hungry for more than just those 40 records repeated over and over. In the New York Metro area, we were lucky to have a radio station whose slogan was “New York’s Best Rock”. They featured deep album tracks from rock bands of the time. It was around that time that album sales started to eclipse singles sales. New York’s Best Rock, an “Album-Oriented-Rock” (AOR) station was certainly one of the forces behind that shift. For the first time, we could hear an alternative to the hit songs off an album on the radio. They featured deeper album tracks, and it was a tremendous success. So much so, that if you ask anyone of a certain age what New York’s Best Rock was, they can still tell you all these years later. It wasn’t just the music, it was also the DJ’s. Those who presented this music were stars themselves. It wasn’t unusual for John Lennon or Elton John or other big acts of the day to stop by the studios and chat with them when they were in town. 

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, and in 1983, New York’s Best Rock was no more. Today, over 40 years later, New York’s Best Rock hasn’t been forgotten! Magic Matt Craig was one of those fans who grew up in the shadow of New York City listening and loving this great radio station, and it certainly had an effect on his musical tastes. Matt never forgot those heady days, and now, all these years later, he’s taken his obsession for it and turned it into his own weekly radio program. No, it’s not the original station, there’s no way to duplicate that, instead, it’s Matt’s vision of what New York’s Best Rock could have been if it lived on beyond 1983. 

Matt Craig graduated from the New Institute of Technology with a BFA in Communication Arts. He worked at WGLI-AM and WNYG-AM, both in Babylon, NY. His career path veered into sales, until he retired in 2021. From 2004-2005, he hosted “Studio 108” on WEBE 108 in Bridgeport, CT. He has hosted New York's Best Rock since 2020. He also has the premiere aircheck collectors website, www.bigappleairchecks.com which has been up since 2002.

Matt lives on Long Island with his wife, daughter and 3 cats.

 Forgotten Retro Radio With Jim Tirey is a look at the "Great Songs You Forgotten" in a two hour time capsule each week. Hosted by Broadcast Veteran and Sportscaster Jim Tirey. 

 The Moptops And The King

Steve Chelmsford is the host and producer of The Mop Tops & The King and has been a fan of The Beatles and Elvis Presley since he was three years old. We are an independent, weekly, one hour radio show featuring the music of The Beatles and Elvis Presley with some fun surprises in between!  Our goal is to spread a little joy and happiness to the entire world one listener at a time through the music of Elvis and The Beatles!   We strive to keep the show entertaining and fun.  Please check us out!

The B Side With Steve Benz

Steve Benz is an On-Air Personality with over 30 years of on-air experience. He produces and presents his 2 hour show called the B-Side which offers the overlooked tunes of the80/ 90s with a different theme each week.

Charting In The USA With Chuck Shorter 

About Chuck Shorter

The year was 1962. The scene was my parents’ kitchen in Philly. Suddenly, I heard something coming from the top of the refrigerator. Mom said it was a radio playing music. Right then and there, I was hooked! I asked my Dad to take me to the record store and bought my first 45’s, “Go Away Little Girl” by Steve Lawrence and “Ruby Baby” by Dion.

A little later, I discovered American Bandstand and it solidified my passion for music. Growing up in Philadelphia didn’t hurt. At the time, some of the best music was heard on the great WIBG and WFIL. I knew then that I wanted to be a DJ, entertainer, and musician!

In 1974, I attended broadcasting school and landed a job working in the mail room at WCAU-TV and radio where I continued to learn about broadcast media, with the hopes of catching a break in a major market in the USA. But fate had other plans.

In 1977, I was offered a position at CBS Records to work in the mail room and learn the music business. I progressed through the ranks…mail room to merchandiser to sales. In 1986, I was offered the opportunity to move to the Washington, DC region to manage a sales territory and I have been in Maryland ever since. This was by far the BEST job anyone could have! What a time to be in the music biz!!!

In 1989, I realized my dream as I took over as an on-air host for a local pro wrestling talk show on WMET. In 1993 when the show ended, another co-host and I developed the show for TV. We debuted on Public Access TV in Montgomery County, MD and Washington, DC in 1994. This show ran on air for 20 years before ending in 2014. In 2003, I went back to radio, hosting a show on WYRE playing the great music of the 40’s through today.

From 1975 through 2016, I was a mobile DJ working at weddings, corporate events, family fun nights, and everything in between. I also managed to spend time in a wedding band from 1979 to 1984. 

Entertainment and music are in my blood! I am now retired from radio sales and am extremely excited to bring my enthusiasm for the music of my youth to the airwaves.

My passion has been entertaining people for over 40 years and keeping the music alive.