NEW YORK – On Thursday there was a reunion on the radio with familiar names and voices.

Dozens of current and former WCBS 880 employees participated in a special on-air tribute while the news channel prepares to sign off.

On Thursday, there were hugs on the street before they went into the studio for three hours of reminiscing on the radio.

For 57 years, the WCBS 880 team told the story of New York.

“We knew how important it was. We knew how to do it right. And we knew people were listening,” said retired reporter and editor Jane Tillman Irving.

She still remembers the joy she felt when she was hired at Newsradio 880 in the 1970s and sat alongside legends like Ed Bradley.

“It’s been a part of my life since college,” Irving said.

For those toiling in the vineyard of radio news, a job at WCBS 880 is a step into the big leagues.

“I tried for years and they always said no. I called every six months. I worked at an FM station in New York and I always said, ‘Please, I’ll do anything,'” said host Deborah Rodriguez.

“Everyone listened”

Craig Allen and Todd Glickman have both been at WCBS 880 for over 40 years.

“News, sports, weather and traffic. Everyone was listening because they needed to know before they walked out the door,” Allen said.

“This is all part of being part of the community and the fabric of New York,” Glickman said.

Joe Connolly has been with the station for 30 years.

“So many people told us how much they were going to miss us, and I realized I was going to miss WCBS, too,” said Joe Connolly, who has been with the station for 30 years.

Earlier this month, WCBS 880 owner Audacy announced that the iconic station’s all-news format and call letters would be scrapped and the station would relaunch as WHSQ-AM, ESPN New York, effective August 26.

Audacy also owns 1010 [email protected] FM, which maintains its all-news format.