Someone heard doing a commercial on the radio is hardly noteworthy. But when the person is “Cousin Brucie” Morrow and the station is WCBS-FM, the ears perk.

For nearly a quarter-century, Morrow talked to his “cousins” on CBS-FM, primarily Wednesday and Saturday nights.

Now, his famous voice is back on WCBS-FM, but this time to shill for Lexus.

Morrow tells FishbowlNY that the spots date back to CBS-FM’s 40th anniversary last July.  As part of his “reunion” broadcast, Morrow did several live commercial reads, including one for Lexus.

• Related: FishbowlNY, Cousin Brucie Recalls His Brooklyn Roots

“They loved it so much, they called me the next day and asked me if I’d do their commercials for them,” Morrow says.

He says the ads run on all CBS Radio stations in New York.

That deal, though, almost didn’t happen.

Brucie came close to saying no to the one-time return on his beloved CBS-FM, still sore about the ugly 2005 flip to the jockless Jack-FM.

He says Jim Ryan, who became program director around the same time as the station anniversary last summer, kept pursuing Morrow to be part of the special weekend of music and memories.

“No way am I ever going to come back to that radio station,” Morrow recalls telling Ryan. “These people did a terrible thing, they’re nasty people and I can’t forgive them.”

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It was a stretch of nearly 25 years for Al Bernstein at WLTW/Lite-FM. Bernstein left the Clear Channel, perennial top-rated station, in 2007. Nearly five years later, he’s resurfaced at WCBS-FM in a part-time role. After a brief training appearance this week, his first official shift is Sunday afternoon.

Bernstein is reunited with his former program director, Jim Ryan, who took over that position at CBS-FM last month.

WCBS-FM has been in the market for another personality since veteran jock Bob Shannon went on medical leave before the start of the year. While Shannon convalesces, evening and overnight DJs Ron Parker and Joe Causi have rotated on the midday shift.

With more than three decades in New York radio, Bernstein has also been heard on WNEW-FM, WBLS, WYNY, and WKHK (the Country precursor of WLTW).

A native of Westchester, Bernstein’s distinctive sound has led to doing voice-over work on an assortment of radio and TV commercials.

Credit: whud.com

Without any fanfare, it’s a typical month for WLTW/Lite FM. The Adult Contemporary giant was number one in the just-released overall PPM ratings for June.

Lite FM saw its huge numbers dwindle from May (8.1 to 7.7). But the station maintained its 5,600,000 cume (audience).

A surprise at number two, where WLTW sister station WHTZ/Z100 made a nice .5 leap.

Despite only slipping .1 for June, WCBS-FM fell from its usual second-place perch. The Classic Hits format, now under the direction of longtime WLTW programmer Jim Ryan, finds a home in third.

It’s the second ratings book for WBLS since the Urban station gave a voice to several displaced KISS FM/WRKS personalities following ESPN’s takeover of the 98.7 frequency.

WBLS had a fourth-place showing, with only a minimal drop off to 5.6.

As for ESPN/WEPN, the all-sports station lost .2 to 1.6 in the overall ratings. By contrast, rival WFAN improved slightly to 3.3.

More ratings insight after the jump

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After nine years and several jobs later, Dave Price is back home at WNYW/Channel 5. Price took the seat next to Rosanna Scotto on Good Day New York. Good Day viewers will recall Price on the show from 1999 to 2003, then as the weather anchor.

“Look at who the wind blew in this morning,” Scotto opened the broadcast.

“I was fired,” Price retorted. “So I was just sitting around for 18 months.”

Gaining chemistry in front of the camera is one of the keys to making a morning newscast work, and the most elusive. Greg Kelly vacated Good Day to become the station’s lead anchor beginning tonight.  For four years, “Rosanna and Greg” had a perfect connection with each other and viewers. Despite Price’s previous work on Good Day, and occasionally with Scotto, that will take time.

“I’m not at home, I’m not comfortable yet,” Price said.

“Good, we don’t want you to get comfortable just yet,” Scotto responded.

After exiting Channel 5, Price worked as a weatherman at Channel 2 then as a meteorologist for CBS News.

“It’s been two years since you’ve actually been allowed back in the building,” Scotto said. “Weren’t you escorted from this place at one point?”

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Jim Ryan, the WWFS/Fresh 102.7 program director, is adding to his workload. Ryan takes on the title of WCBS-FM program director, effectively immediately. He assumes the role vacated by Brian Thomas, who moved to Florida to head CBS Radio’s Tampa cluster.

“Jim knows New York radio and its core audience like no other, which is a perfect fit for the station that embodies and personifies the city,” said Don Bouloukos, senior vice president and market manager, CBS Radio New York. “I have had the good fortune of working with Jim for the past two years and his day to day performance made my final decision an easy one. This legendary institution [CBS-FM] begins its 41st year in very capable hands.”

Ryan is known for his time as programmer at Clear Channel’s WLTW/Lite FM from 1996 to 2008.

Before joining CBS Radio, Ryan was head of his own consulting company, Jim Ryan Media, where he advised many top radio stations, including market leaders in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston, and syndicated national personalities, in addition to providing Arbitron PPM analysis to influential clients in the talk radio industry.

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In case you missed any of our special feature 9/11: New York Remembers, today we’re observing the 10th anniversary of the tragic day linking back to the entire series.

• After an introduction, we began on August 19 with the memories of famed anchors Ernie Anastos, Bill Ritter, and Chuck Scarborough.
• On Monday, August 22, we returned with one-time WABC/Channel 7 reporter Jeff Rossen describing the horrific scene at ground zero.
• Longtime WINS reporter John Montone had his own struggles dealing with the disaster.
• On August 24, we offered the account of two veteran NY1 reporters.
• Tom Kaminski, well-known to WCBS-AM listeners for his chopper reporting, was in the air during 9/11.
• Another well-known radio personality is Harry Harrison who, with his familiar style, was an important part of the healing process.

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Just as Mayor Giuliani provided a calming influence during the unthinkable events of 9/11, then-WNYW/Channel 5 Good Day New York anchor Jim Ryan had his patented easy-going demeanor to serve him well.

9/11: New York Remembers features interviews with several key members of WNYW’s frantic coverage. 

Good Day was in a commercial when the first plane slammed into the north tower at 8:46 a.m.

But by 8:48, WNYW cut away from a trailer for the movie Zoolander and went directly to political reporter Dick Oliver outside City Hall (watch the clip below). His location just blocks from the World Trade Center alerted viewers to the breaking news first, complete with an initial look at the smoldering north tower. 

“Come back to me, come back to me!” Ryan recalls Oliver saying off-air. “A plane just hit the World Trade Center!”

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Updating a story we reported earlier this week, CBS Radio made it official yesterday hiring veteran DJ Karen Carson at WWFS/Fresh 102.7.

Carson takes over the midday shift (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) vacated by Heather Walters who left the station last week.

Carson starts at Fresh on February 7.

She comes to Fresh after many years at WLTW/Lite FM. At her most recent stint with the Clear Channel powerhouse, Carson was co-host of the morning show from 2007 to 2009.

“I am thrilled to become a part of CBS Radio and the team at Fresh.  I am even more thrilled to be working once again for program director Jim Ryan,” Carson said in a statement, “He has given me more opportunities in New York Radio than anyone and he is great to work for.  I love his vision for Fresh and can’t wait to be a part of it.”

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Veteran New York DJ Karen Carson has reportedly left her on-air position with WLTW/Lite FM. Radio-info.com reports Carson is joining WWFS-FM/Fresh 102.7.

It marks a reunion for Carson and her former Lite FM boss Jim Ryan, now the program director at Fresh.

FishbowlNY attempted to reach Ryan for a comment.

Carson has been a mainstay at Lite FM since 1996. The accomplished voice-over artist has also done shifts at Classic Rocker WAXQ/Q104.3  and middays at the former “Big 105.1″/WBIX. 

In 2009, Carson began splitting her time between New York and Los Angeles when she was named midday host at KOST.(She is still listed on their website.) 

Last week, Heather Walters left her midday shift at Fresh.