Throwback Thursday: 94.7 the Block about to celebrate 1-year anniversary
NEW YORK -- This Throwback Thursday, we're talking about a New York radio station playing throwback hip hop.
94.7 the Block is the new home for the classics, and the station is about to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
As CBS2's Zinnia Maldonado reports, it's the new station to turn to if you love a good throwback from the 1990s into the early 2000s.
"We play music that makes everyone happy," afternoon host Shelley Wade told Maldonado.
Wade is behind the mic for The Block's afternoon show and describes the listeners they've gained since the station launched last October as "loyal."
"When you talk to them on the request lines, they have these stories -- passionate stories -- about why they love the station so much," she said.
Creating that bond between the station and the community is the goal, according to Assistant Brand Manager Andre Yancey.
"We have a huge audience just looking for a place to come for nostalgia," he explained. "We are a radio station for all people. Doesn't matter which walk of life you come from."
"We've seen tremendous growth -- about one million listeners a week. And that is really exciting for a station to be under a year old," added Brand Manager Skip Dillard.
Dillard says the team hopes to connect listeners in the Tri-State Area to music that has direct ties to New York City, playing hits from local artists like Biggie, Nas and the Wu-Tang Clan.
"It's one thing to play great music. It's another thing to play music that was birthed in the marketplace that your station is serving, and that makes it a lot of fun for us," Dillard said.
He adds they're able to lean on Wade and other talent, including Nick Cannon, Ed Lover and Miss Jones, to help gain traction in the city.
"They were all able to get together, share on social media," he said.
With year one almost done, the team says they're ready to take on year two.
"People, when they hear us, really love that it's the music that takes them back to a time when things were less stressful, they had less responsibilities, less bills. So they love that," said Wade.