Ernie Durham, an alumnus of New York University with a journalism major, secured his initial radio position as a newscaster on WDET in Detroit during the early 1950s. During his tenure there, he also commenced hosting a jazz program. In 1955, upon joining WJLB, Durham found himself broadcasting in two different cities during his formative years in the industry. His schedule involved hosting a 3-6 p.m. show on Flint’s WBBC (formerly a Booth station, later transitioning to WTRX), followed by an immediate transition to Detroit for his nightly 8 p.m. slot on WJLB (the flagship station of Booth Broadcasting). Today, he is esteemed as one of Detroit’s broadcasting icons. After leaving WQBH, Durham returned to WDET prior to his passing in December 1992.
Today we are presenting Ernie Durham’s WJLB show-opening theme. This one from 1955 – HAND CLAPPIN’ – by Red Prystock.
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
New Detroit R&B Soul Station PD Will Launch “Young Sound” and Apply Consistency To Programming
DETROIT — WJLB, Booth Broadcasting’s 1,000-watt R&B operation here, has just launched a new programming policy centering around tighter production, faster pacing, and a new set of custom jingles created and packaged by Quincy Jones.
Wash Allen
Wash Allen, who just recently took over WJLB program director duties after being transferred from Booth’s WABQ in Cleveland, said the Detroit station would be “running with a full-blast, exciting young sound.” Playlist will be 40 records, to which he will add as necessity demands. “You can never tell how many good tunes will come out in a good week, but I think the average will be about five new records a week,” he said.
WJLB Martha Jean ‘The Queen’, 1967
The aim will be to establish consistency in programming, Allen said. He felt his philosophy in programming was the same as Bill Drake, consultant to RKO General stations, and Paul Drew, program director of CKLW in Detroit. “Certain top tunes must be played consistently and deejays must be consistent in their shows. One dee-jay can’t make a station; it has to be a total operation and this is a new concept in R&B radio. In the old days, one guy could make a station; he could make a record. It can’t be like that today.”
Things are changing so fast in radio, especially in R&B radio, that Allen felt many older dee-jays were finding it difficult to grasp what was happening. “To some extent,” Allen said, “it was necessary to teach radio to these people. It wasn’t anybody’s fault that this situation developed. It’s just that times are changing and a radio station has to move with the times.”
WJLB ‘Frantic Ernie’ Durham, 1967
Allen began his radio career with WVOL in Nashville while attending Tennessee State University. He had been with WABQ about two and a half years before moving to WJLB. He considers himself a “derivative of Ed Wright,” who’d been program director of WABQ prior to joining Liberty Records as head of its Minit label.
Allen wrote lyrics and produced the Jones jingles. Future plans call for psychedelic jingles. Station has brought in new equipment and is building up its news department. In MarthaJean Steinberg and Ernie Durham, Allen felt he had two of the top air personalities of any station in the nation. “Now, with the new equipment, we find we have everything to work with. END
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Information, credit, and news source (as was published): Billboard; September 23, 1967
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2019. Newspapers.com.
The above WJLB newspaper feature was ‘clipped,’ saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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WBBC/WJLB ERNIE DURHAM SHOW THEME * Hand Clappin’ * RED PRYSOCK * 1955
‘FRANTIC ERNIE’ DURHAM
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Ernie Durham, sometimes referred as ‘Ernie D., but more commonly remembered as ‘Frantic Ernie’ on the radio, began his Detroit radio career as a newscaster and host of a jazz show on WDET, prior 1955. With a desire to get more into mainstream popular music, Ernie landed a DJ stint with WBBC in Flint, in 1955, which was owned by Booth Broadcasting.
Sometime during 1956, Booth Broadcasting, which owned parent-station WJLB, would also hire Durham for their Detroit outlet, eventually splitting his weekly shift between both stations. Mornings on WBBC. Evenings on WJLB. At one time, Ernie Durham commuted daily between the two stations for well over a year. Before year’s end, 1958, Durham would leave Flint’s WBBC to work for WJLB in Detroit.
The popular Detroit soul radio legend would remain there for decades and some years after WJLB 1400 transitioned into WQBH 1400 on the AM dial in 1982. Thereafter, for a brief time, Ernie D. was on WJR.He would return to WDET-FMwith a nightly show in 1991, where he was still employed, at time of his death.
Ernie Durham passed away, twenty-five years ago, Wednesday, December 2, 1992.
DETROIT FREE PRESS: WJLB-AM ‘ “Frantic Ernie,” Who Isn’t ‘
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(Above WJLB related article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2017. Newspapers.com).
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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WJLB-AM ‘Ernie Durham First Record-Hop Man’
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(Above WJLB related article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2017. Newspapers.com).
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