Craig Allen: 'I Am In Love With Our Listeners,' Mourning Loss Of WCBS

MERRICK, NY — There is a void on the radio landscape in New York since WCBS-AM went off the air Sunday night. It ended the all-news station's legendary run in New York, which started in 1967.

Meteorologist Craig Allen was an important voice on WCBS since the early 1980s, telling listeners about urgent weather events over the decades.

"I am amazed. I am in love with our listeners," Allen told Patch.

He was reacting to the outpouring of responses on social media and via email, showing such an emotional connection to him and the station.

"I would say 99.9 percent of them are very sad [and] a little scared because it does change their routines," Allen said.

While Allen loses his longstanding radio role, he'll be seen delivering forecasts on weekend mornings on CBS2.

" I was supposed to be on vacation this week anyway," he said. "So I'm almost acting as if it's still vacation time. I don't think [it'll] completely hit me until the day after Labor Day when I'm not going to get up in the morning and start my ritual."

Allen and his colleagues received an email just before the public found out that Audacy was selling off WCBS to Good Karma Brands, bringing ESPN Radio to the vaunted frequency. Two weeks later, anchor Wayne Cabot shut the mic for the final time with the signoff, leaving the legendary forecaster with numerous feelings, including anger.

"I just don't like the way this went down," Allen said. "I feel like the legs were just cut right off from under us... I just think there was a way to save it."

Allen did give Audacy bosses credit for allowing the proper goodbyes, including a three-hour farewell with past on-air talent and classic airchecks.

"People didn't leave. Once we got to work there, we loved it and we stayed," Allen said. "Believe me, this was hardly our choice. We wanted to stay."

Watch the full interview with Craig Allen on the "Patch Weekly Spotlight" below.