NEW!Our first WTAK audio inclusion!A special THANK YOU to our friend, Jim Nuznoff, of Port Charlotte, Florida, for this WTAK 1090 contribution (he personally recorded in 1969) for our Motor City Radio Flashbacks airchecks repository.
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Jim writes (January 9, 2024) — “This track features Paul Winter, as mid-afternoon host on “W-Talk.” The caller’s voice is that of Tom Morkemo, who was 16 years old, and was a former neighbor of mine whose father was transferred by his employer to the Phillipines for several years. Tom, at the time, prided himself as a young history buff and was trying to impress Winter, in this recording, with his knowledge of current affairs and the world of politics.” –Jim Nuznoff
Newly restored! This selected audio recording was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2024.Newspapers.com.
The above featured newspaper (Detroit Free Press) guides was clipped, saved, and was digitally re-imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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A special thank you to senior MCRFB consultant Greg Innis, of Livonia, MI., for contributing the Newspapers.com archives for articles, ads, and images we have provided for this site since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic, Detroit Free Press features possible. 🙂
Detroit is headquarters for one of the country’s largest producers of TV visual presentations in the Jam Handy Organization. The TV department of this company was set up prior to 1941 by Jamison Handy, president, utilizing all the facilities which had been built up over 30 years in the field of visual training and commercial motion pictures, including production facilities in New York and Hollywood, as well as Detroit.
A citation for the “skilled application of commercial techniques to television” was made by the Television Broadcasters Association for the TV commercials of Lucky Strike, produced by the company. In addition, CCNY presented N. W. Ayer & Sons Inc. their 1949 award of merit for creating the most effective spot television announcement. This award was for the Lucky Strike Square Dance commercial produced by Jam Handy. Other Jam Handy TV commercial buyers are Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Curtis Publishing, Gruen Watch, and Standard Oil of N. J.
All of the Detroit stations except WKMH offer simultaneous FM with AM broadcasts. WWJ-FM is one of the earliest stations in the country. In 1936, it began broadcasting in this medium which was so new that a News editorial said at the time:
“The News is happy to assist in the revival of a craft which has languished with the perfection of commercial radio sets, the building at home of receivers suited to the new frequencies. A few of these are now manufactured, and their names or advice and plans for the home construction of sets of the same sort, we shall put at the public’s disposal.”
With FM receivers in the Detroit area estimated at 150,000, the three FM-only broadcasters are working hard at their specialized task, using music, news, and especially strong local programming of live talent. WLDM-FM was recently appointed Detroit outlet for the Michigan FM Network, which give it access to a continuing series of concerts from the U. of Michigan, plus the programming of the other 30 FM stations in the network. The Lincoln Broadcasting Co. owns and operates WLDM.
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WDET (FM), which was established in January of this year by the executive board of the UAW-CIO, works closely with many civic groups plus the many auto worker locals. It is especially forward in presenting programs on controversial subjects. During the recent Ford strike, the station offered its facilities to both the company and the union to present their sides of the controversy. Ben Hoberman is station manager.
Strauss Gantz, head of WJJW (FM) in downriver Wyandotte, is another avid supporter of FM, and said this about broadcasting:
“Radio, either FM or AM, without good local programming, serves no public purpose, and becomes either a glorified jukebox or merely a relay point.”
Since Detroit was hooked up to the eastern coaxial cable in January, the growth of television in this area has been rapid. The latest estimate of the number of sets by the Detroit Edison Co. is over 60,000, and TV men confidently expect to hit 100,000 by year-end. The three stations each opened in a blaze of publicity, getting editorial and advertising support from the Detroit newspapers, each of which put out a TV section at different times. Advertisers, especially the key auto men, have been eager to try to do a good selling job via the new medium.
All four TV networks are represented in Detroit. WWJ-TV is outlet for NBC, WXYZ-TV for ABC, and WJBK-TV handles DuMent and CBS. There is FCC authorization for another channel, with several applications pending.
As expected, the auto men jumped into television with the opening of the first station in the city. The fact that here was a way of actually showing the product along with a spoken sales talk caused a rush to TV by both local dealers and national companies. One station, WXYZ-TV, had an eight-foot opening cut into its studio wall so automobiles could be driven directly onto the stage for commercials. END
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MCRFB Note: This chapter finalizes The Detroit Radio Market report (presented here in six parts) first published by Broadcasting, August 1, 1949.
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This article will conclude our weekly special series on Detroit radio from Broadcasting magazine, from August 1, 1949.
This feature was a special Broadcasting series about Detroit radio, first published, August 1, 1949. The complete article was republished on this site, Tuesdays, throughout August and September for a total of six weeks.
Originally published in Broadcasting magazine under the title “The Detroit Radio Market,” this extensive article was presented in full in six parts, in sequential chapters.
The 1949 article provides valuable insights into the state of radio in Detroit during the late 1940s decade, as it was, then, seven decades ago.
“’Padman’ is a senior teacher, who has studied the Eastern spiritual approach to living for over 50 years. This gives him unique skill and insight into teaching how to integrate spiritual practices into daily life. He teaches from “direct experience” and makes these profound teachings accessible.”
Swami Ramananda, Executive Director, “Integral Yoga Institute,” San Francisco.
“Padman (Robert) taught many well attended, will received introduction to meditation workshops as well as several meditation series for nearly 10 years. He also led an on going weekly donation based meditation class. He exudes the calm, kind demeanor of someone who has had a committed practice for many years. His teaching style is highly accessible and friendly. Students always commented on how much they had learned, and how helpful the instruction was.”
Allison Anderson former owner, Red Sun Yoga, Winter Springs, Florida
“Padman taught classes on living a peaceful, less stressful everyday life, based on inter-faith Eastern spiritual psychology and philosophy in the Rollins College Center for “Lifelong Learning” for around six years. His classes were always among the most popular, the students really enjoyed him.”
Dr. Jill Norburn, Former Director, Life Long Learning Center, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL.
This Book Has Four Primary Purposes
One: Help us conclude we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Two: Help us conclude we cannot find peace by avoiding life. Three: Help us conclude when something or someone pushes our button, it’s our button. And so no one can stop it from being pushed but ourselves. Four: Help us conclude we are all, author included, a work in progress, pen in hand, spiritual life story waiting to written.
The best way to find out if you would like this book is, make believe you’re in a physical bookstore, and do with this book, what we all do with any book that looks interesting; look through it. So after clicking on “Read Sample,” if you think it could be valuable, give it a try. Even if you buy it, “book store look it over” find it doesn’t feel right, you can always return it within 30 days.
“Spiritual Advising”
I have had a spiritual advising practice since 2010. My personal journey began in 1971 when I experienced what some say Mark Twain said: “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”
I taught various classes at Integral Yoga Institute, New York, for about 15 years, was certified there to teach meditation in 2002. All classes I taught were inter-faith, and all about “making practical everyday use” of Eastern spiritual psychology and philosophy, in those unavoidable, challenging, ups and downs of our everyday life. I also took weekly Course In Miracles classes for seven years, and have been teaching since 2002.
When I taught at Rollins College, the name Rollins gave their classes is what I teach: Lifelong Learning.
If you would like to talk about Zoom spiritual advising sessions, pricing, how they work, just let me know. But, no matter what way you choose to remember “you’re a spiritual being having a human experience,” do it. Just Do It! egobutton@gmail.com — Robert Bernstein(author, Padman; formerly Scott Regen, WKNR)
This book invites us to forge our own paths by exploring traditional Eastern spiritual teachings that offer empowering insights. It promotes the development of self-confidence, inner peace, love, and satisfaction in our daily lives, despite the inevitable ups and downs, by addressing and transforming past karmic influences that trigger our reactions. If the messages in John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” and “Imagine,” as well as Paul McCartney’s lyrics, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make,” resonate with you, you’ll likely find that the wisdom and passages in this book will similarly speak to you, just as they did to me with every page I turned. —Jim Feliciano
Reading it now! Wonderful book! It’s a heartfelt compilation Unlike any other spiritual book. Serious yet I have to chuckle as I’m reading. Thank you for sharing your amazing work with us. Namaste — NYC Lady
The answer to many of life’s questions are complicated and sometimes mysterious. This book challenges, your own mind to look beyond the window And see the outside. The authors background as a former radio personality, allows him to intersperse the magical art of music and the stories that the lyrics reveal. It’s truly an enlightening read. Sometimes heavy…. Sometimes humorous, but always thought provoking. I am reading it for the second time which I guess is a testament to its excellence. — Jim Davis (formerly Big Jim Edwards, CKLW)
This article/advertisement courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2024. Newspapers.com
Originally printed in black and white, the featured Detroit Free Press ad was digitally re-imaged, colorized, and was entirely restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE
MCRFB Note: Special THANKS to our friend, John Bartony (a.k.a. Jukebox John) St. Clair Shores, Michigan, for providing the above Detroit Free Press WJR 760 ad (September 1972) for this site, as featured today.
A special thank you to senior MCRFB consultant Greg Innis, of Livonia, MI., for contributing the Newspapers.com archives (Detroit radio related) articles, ads, and images we have provide for this site since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic Detroit radio features possible. 🙂
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Rather than buck the heavy advertising in the Thursday afternoon papers, he advised them to put their money in spots around the Breakfast Club hour, three of which were open. Avoiding price, for their quality foods couldn’t compete with the chains on that basis, the spots stressed just one special all week, with a reference to the convenience of “shopping where you work.” Each booth was to be featured for a week. Results were so good that the market has just signed to take two spots in the fall around the Kate Smith show, in addition to the regular purchase.
The Twin Pines Dairy, a cooperatively owned client of Luckoff, Wayburn & Frankel, has the Dr. Crane health program daily over WXYZ. Lately, the dairy has bought TV spots.
D & C Steamship Lines uses a heavy schedule of spots during the operating season on larger stations to promote excursions and cruises. WJR gets a large share of this business, aimed at tourist traffic from all over the Midwest. Another successful radio user is Cole & Irwin Co., buying 10 spots daily to sell jewelry and radios.
Boyer’s Haunted Shacks, a chain of auto accessory stores, embarked on a saturation spot program on one station, WJBK, featuring an eerie squeaking door commercial, and the copy, “High prices don’t have a ghost of a chance at Boyer’s.” Mr. Luckoff says the chain has had remarkable success. Other leading L -W -F accounts are T. L. Grissom, local Chevrolet dealer, who broadcasts horse races from Detroit’s Fair Grounds; Detroit Ice Assn., using TV spots to promote use of ice; Progress Bedding Co., maker of Rest -O -Craft mattresses, using chain breaks around high Hooter rated shows; Wolverine Potato Chips, with participation shows: and Borin Ice &. Fuel, using TV spots.
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In addition to Industrial National Bank, radio has been used by practically all of the institutional and utilities advertisers in Detroit. Commonwealth Bank, through Ted Reeves, of Toledo, is a long-time user of spots.
Detroit Edison Co., electric power supplier to Detroit and suburbs, uses the H.C.L. Jackson (Detroit News columnist) show, and was one of the first TV sponsors in the area, with its Kitchen Carnival show on WWJ-TV. It has another TV show, the Jane Durelle Story Book, a children’s program five times a week. This is in keeping with the utility’s policy of spending 90% of its budget in goodwill and public service programs. The only sales effort now going on is a spot, campaign throughout southeastern Michigan on electric water heaters. Campbell-Ewald is agency for Edison.
Fred Randall Co. places the Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. sponsorship of the Lee Smits newscast over WXYZ. Though the bulk of Bell Telephone time is placed in New York, the Detroit office retains a measure of supervision over local programs.
It is a doubtful honor in the ears of many, but Detroit claims credit for the origination of the singing jingle. In 1928 Cliff MacDonald, of the coal company bearing his name, in looking for something different for his ads, hit upon the idea of making up a short song to be used in spot radio. He wrote the words to a tune composed by a Detroit pianist, Carl Rupp, and “MacDonald for coal, MacDonald for coke, MacDonald for quality fuel” was introduced by Russ Morgan’s orchestra, then active in Detroit. The tune caught on, and for years Mr. MacDonald was saluted with it whenever he entered a club or dance. It is still used in spots. Neff Radio Productions is the agency.
The position as oldest consistent advertiser on WJR goes with no opposition to the Ohio China Co. of Monroe, Mich. Using participations on the station’s Mrs. Page show, this company has used two spots per week for 18 years, renewing each year, and going through three different Mrs. Pages in that time. Finzel Agency of Monroe handles the billing. Two of the largest spot buyers in the city are Speedway Petroleum Corp. and Federal Department Stores. Both of these 1,000 or more spots-per-year buyers are handled by W. B. Doner & Co. Though a reluctant radio user at first, Speedway Gasoline now puts ‘75% of its budget into radio and is planning a TV show for fall. The King’s Jesters’ singing commercial, “Speedway’s Goin’ Steady With Ethyl,” has aroused many favorable comments.
Federal has had a 1,000 spot-per-year contract for the past five years, and formerly sponsored a local AM amateur show for seven years. With 12 stores in the Detroit area, Federal is planning a super-saturation in August, preliminary to opening a new store; 150 AM spots a day will be used and 30 TV, for two weeks. A preview, complete with columnists, representatives of national manufacturers and Powers models for color, will be telecast. W. B. Doner is president of the company, with Charles F. Rosen as executive vice president. They handle the bulk of the agency’s radio accounts.
Another brewer with a big radio and TV budget is E & B. This company, through the Doner agency, has been placing a third of its budget in air time, and is sponsoring Tuesday night wrestling matches, with a Friday wrestling show scheduled to start in a few weeks. In addition, it is using 20 time report spots per day on WJBK, and has spots running continuously in 10 out-state markets.
Other prominent Doner accounts are: Annis Furs, now buying eight spots per week on major stations, heavier during fur storage season; Enggass Jewelers, one of the oldest spot buyers in Detroit; Faygo Beverages, buying top spot and chain breaks when available; Detroit Retail Druggists Assn., which has five and 15-minute shows on four major stations simultaneously. Doner also prepares copy for the Big Bear chain of super markets, planning radio and TV shows later in the year.
Harry Betteridge, who resigned as general sales manager of WWJ and WWJ -TV in April to form the firm, of Denman & Betteridge, with Willian I. Denman, is another radio and television veteran in Detroit. In lining up sponsors for WWJ-TV, Mr. Betteridge was selling television a year-and-a-half before the first Detroit telecast.
Michigan Mutual Insurance Co. is one of the agency’s principal accounts, using spots 52 weeks a year on 25 stations in five states. Another outstanding effort was that of the Thomas J. Doyle Co., a Dodge-Plymouth dealer, in promoting its Glitter-Glaze, an automobile polish. Through a strong spot campaign over 17 years, it was able to make Glitter-Glaze a common noun in the city, a la Simoniz. Detroit and Toledo Philco distributors last year used nine half-hours per week on television, one of the heaviest TV buys in the U. S. Other active accounts of Denman & Betteridge are Silvercup Bread (Gordon Baking Co.) and New Era Potato Chips. The agency also places the DeSoto Dealers of Detroit business, a buy of telecasting rights to the horse races.
No history of Detroit radio would be complete without recounting the story of The Lone Ranger. This tremendously popular program, with two others, The Green Hornet and Challenge of the Yukon, was created and developed by George W. Trendle, who is now president of Trendle-Campbell Enterprises. Mr., Trendle entered radio in 1930, buying station WXYZ, and operating it with his theatre business associate, John H. King. The firm was then known as the King-Trendle Broadcasting Corporation.
Beginning in 1933, during the depression, the program was a hit from the start. Gordon Baking Co. (Silvercup Bread) began sponsorship in November of that year, and continued until 1941. Now in its seventeenth consecutive year of broadcasting, The Lone Ranger has established a world record for half-hour radio dramas. The show started on a three times a week basis in its first year, and continued without interruption until the death of FDR caused the first cancellation. Since 1941, sponsorship in most areas of the country has been by General Mills for their Brix, Cheerios and Pyequick, through Dancer, Fitzgerald-Sample. In the South and Southeast, the program is sponsored by Marita Bread, through Tucker, Wayne & Co., based in Atlanta, Ga.
The other half of the partnership is H. Allen Campbell, vice-president and general manager of T-C Enterprises, who went to the sales staff of WXYZ in 1930 from a Detroit newspaper. Within six months he was sales manager of the corporation. It was he who first sold The Lone Ranger as a network program, first with NBC Blue, then with ABC. Made general manager of Trendle-Campbell in 1933, he became vice president in 1946, when the firm began to be known as Trendle-Campbell Enterprises. In 1936, Trendle created The Green Hornet, still carried weekly by ABC as a sustaining program. Challenge of the Yukon, latest of the Trendle Trio, is currently being sponsored three times weekly by Quaker Oats Co., through Sherman & Marquette, Chicago. The company also owns and operates WTAC Flint, Michigan. MCRFB: to be continued next week . . . .
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This feature is a special Broadcasting series about Detroit radio. This was first released by the publication on August 1, 1949. It will continue as an exclusive presentation every Tuesday on this site throughout August and in the first and second two Tuesday in September, for a total of six weeks.
Originally published in Broadcasting magazine under the title “The Detroit Radio Market,” this extensive article will be presented in six parts, continuing in sequential chapters.
The 1949 article provides valuable insights into the state of radio in Detroit during the late 1940s decade, as it was, then, seven decades ago.
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2024.Newspapers.com.
The above featured ‘Motown’ newspaper article (Detroit Free Press) was clipped, saved, and was digitally re-imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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“If everybody will keep on remembering, keep the music alive, our children and grandchildren will know what this was.” — Claudette Robinson, November 21, 2009
Motown 50 Ball Golden Gala, Detroit Marriott, Det., MI.
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A special thank you to senior MCRFB consultant Greg Innis, of Livonia, MI., for contributing the Newspapers.com archives (Motown related) articles, ads, and images we have provided for this site since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic, Detroit Free Press features possible. 🙂
“The listing of records herein is the opinion of CKLW based on its survey of record sales, listener requests and CKLW’s judgement of the record’s appeal.”
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The featured CKLW chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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A sincere thank you Mrs. Patti Griggs. This featured presentation would have not been possible without your generosity, dedication, and your continuous support.
Above CKLW music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
Beatles Shea Stadium Second Appearance Disappoint Anticipated Tickets Sellout
NEW YORK — There were certain unmistakable signs at Shea Stadium Tuesday night (Aug. 23) that the phenomenal popularity enjoyed by the Beatles has begun to wane. Although their 35-minute concert netted them a whopping $189,000, the Liverpool moppets drew only 45,000 fans compared with the capacity crowd of 55,000 that jammed the ball park for last year’s show.
Perhaps a more significant omen came from being able to understand some of the lyrics to the group’s 11 songs, including “Yesterday,” “If I Needed Someone” and “Paperback Writer.” In their previous appearances, the din of hysterical, teen-age girls drowned out all sound emanating from the highly amplified speakers.
Another indication that the Capitol Records stars are declining in popularity was the reaction, or lack of reaction, of the screaming Beatlemaniacs. In contrast to last year’s concert, when the young teeners in the lower boxes stormed the stage en masse, only a score of hysteria-clutched fans braved the bolstered police lines (upward of 400 on the field).
It’s doubtful that recent statements from John Lennon, concerning the status of Christianity in the world today, caused a dip in attendance. It is more likely that the mop-tops have saturated the market.
Whatever the reason, it seems that the Beatles have begun the long, slow downward journey, even though their concerts will attract thousands and their records will continue to gross millions for some time.
Other groups that shared a slice of the $292,000 gross, and a much smaller share of the crowd’s enthusiasm, were the Cyrkle, the Remains, the Ronettes and Bobby Hebb. The WMCA Good Guys, Murray the K, “Cousin Brucie” Morrow and Hal Jackson handled the emcee chores for producer Sid Bernstein.
Are the Beatles on the Wane?
The Beatles appearance in Boston (August 18) created only wild enthusiasm for 20,000 youngsters and left next day $60,000 richer. Attendance of 30,000 was hoped for. It is reported that Frank Connelly, impresario of the big Framingham Carosel Theater, who staged the show, took in a gross of from $125,000 to $160,000. Tickets were scaled at $4.75 and $5.75.
The more than 350 State and local police kept the crowd orderly, had little trouble in handling the few recalcitrants who jumped fences and got onto the vast infield where the stage was set up. Local deejays tried to calm the crowd, but in this modern trend, the audience wanted to be the show.
The Remains performed in a nasal imitation of the Beatles; Bobby Hebb and the Cyrkle went on to the thunderous rumble and good-natured screams of the crowd. Then three slim girls in gold-lace dresses, the Ronettes, tried to make themselves heard.
Finally at 9:55 p.m. the Liverpool group sang “If I Needed Someone” to the screaming crowd. And at 10:25 p.m. it was all over. The Beatles gave all they had and it was a good show. END
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Information, credit and news source: Billboard, September 3, 1966
The agency’s oldest active radio account is Schmidt Brewing Co., user of available spots before or after sports events. This account got one of the greatest bargains in radio history last fall when it bought a package deal of the AM rights for the Stanley Cup hockey games. The first game of the series, instead of ending in one hour, went more than two hours overtime, and permitted more than 100 commercials. Naturally, copy wasn’t written for even a great part of that number, and partner Simons wound up dictating new ones over the phone to the waiting announcers at Olympia Stadium. Schmidt is now buying spots on each of the three TV stations, plus a steady schedule of AM spots.
Simons-Michelson also placed Benrus Watch spots before the World Series games last fall, on every available station on a one-time buy. It instigated the Wheaties five-minute sports program before leading football games all over the country-pro, college, even high school or semi-pro if the game had generated enough interest in a specific area. Unfortunately, the football season was just a little too late in the year to do a good selling job on a cold cereal, and the idea was dropped.
[Note: Mouse click over (pc) or tap and stretch (mobile screen) over the WJR ad image for largest detailed read.]
Pepsi-Cola is a heavy spot buyer in the Detroit area. Dossin Food Products is the local bottler, and at present is also using the Ty Tyson 10- minute sports show. One of the outstanding success stories in the food line is that of Velvet Peanut Butter. A comparative newcomer to the field, Velvet now ranks as the largest selling brand in Michigan despite the competition of national names.
This preference for radio has been built in part by the Floyd Rice account, local Ford dealer, which claims to buy and sell more used cars than any new car dealer in the world. About 75% of its budget is put into radio, especially spots, with emphasis on nearness to sports programs. Occasionally it buy sports shows. The agency also handles the Plymouth Dealers of both Detroit and Cleveland. The Detroit organization sponsors the early morning traffic program, Listen and Live, built around music, with a representative of the police department giving pertinent data on traffic, weather and driving conditions for the a.m. drive to work.
During last fall’s Plymouth model changeover, the Detroit dealers used twice as much point of sale display as they did radio, but when the 1949 Plymouth was introduced this year, the program had swung to 100% radio. In Cleveland, a saturation schedule was put on all stations, using over 400 spots in two weeks. Two other active auto accounts are Park and Jefferson Motors, Lincoln-Mercury dealers who buy a half-hour newscast once a week.
An instance of a product catching on with the use of radio through Powell-Grant is Miracle-Power, an engine conditioning product made by the A. P. Parts Corp. of Toledo. Another “off-trail” advertiser is the Southeastern Michigan Tourist Assn., which uses mid-week spots to buck up business in resorts that are having dull times, to pull out-state residents into the Detroit area, and Detroiters into the vacation-land along the eastern shore, north of the city. The association claims it can see a response the next weekend to spots placed on Wednesday. Lee & Cady, wholesale grocer, uses chain breaks to ‘satisfy retailers’ demands for product backing up. A furniture retailer, Fenster’s, uses spot radio in three-day buys when the store holds sales. Robert H. Powell is head of Powell-Giant, with Pat Freeman in charge of radio buying.
One of the outstanding users of radio in this area has been the Goebel Brewing Co., which has expanded distribution to the point where it now advertises as “Detroit’s National Beer.” Through Brooke, Smith, French & Dorrance, Goebel sponsors the AM broadcast of all Tiger games, at home and away, over the Goebel network, a regional buy of over 30 stations, including WJBK and WKMH in suburban Dearborn. In addition, the brewery is telecasting some 35 home games over WWJ-TV. To round out baseball activities, it is active in Chicago, telecasting the Cubs’ games over WEN-TV.
Willard S. French is president of the agency and Guy C. Smith is secretary-treasurer. Other active radio accounts are Iron-Rite Ironers, of Mt. Clemens, Mich., now buying the five minute TV show, Petticoat Lane on WJBK-TV and using occasional AM spots, and Youngstown Kitchens, who plan using a TV test program in the near future.
Hugh Hole is BSF & D radio director, with Clyde Vortman as time buyer. This agency is housed in an Italian Renaissance mansion on East Jefferson that once belonged to the Book family and was a landmark in Detroit’s social life.
Like BSF & D, Jefferson avenue is the home of Maxon Inc., which is housed in two buildings, one the lovely old Barbour family home which contains the media and research departments, and a few hundred feet away, the former building of George Harrison Phelps, a pioneer Detroit broadcaster and ad-man, which now houses executive offices and production facilities. No. 1 radio account of this nationally known agency is the Gillette Safety Razor Co., which sponsors most of the major sports events of the year, including the World Series and the Triple Crown of racing, plus the fights from Madison Square Garden. However, the billing of this account and purchases of time are handled through the N. Y. office, under the direction of Preston H. Pumphrey, and Ed Wilhelm, time buyer. This is also true of the recently begun spot campaign of the H. J. Heinz Co., another giant Maxon account, which is being continued. (In spite of the recent N. Y. Times ad of the American Newspaper Advertising Agency). Searle Hendee, vice-president` of the agency, is account-executive on Gillette.
The chief local radio account of this agency, whose president and founder, Lou R. Maxon, is as well known for his unpublicized charities as he is for his meteoric rise in the advertising world, is that of the Pfeiffer Brewing Co. Currently, this company is using an hour-long 1 a.m. show on WJR, featuring records beamed at stay-up-laters, plus a steady schedule of spots on 53 Michigan stations. The increased advertising of this brewery is in great measure responsible for its recent vault into first place in beer sales in the state. On a slightly smaller scale is the spot campaign being used nationally by Drewrys Ltd. for their beer and ale. Both Of these accounts favor chain breaks and best available spots.
Stockwell & Marcuse is another Detroit agency that has been quite active in the radio and television field. Sam’s Cut Rate, a local department store client, has sponsored the Detroit Symphony and has been a large spot buyer in the past. The agency telecasts pictures of actual homes for sale for Homer Warren & Co., local realtor. It claims a first in bringing a political figure to the TV mike in Detroit in a paid telecast.
Another advertising agency handling radio accounts is Howard D. Steere Advertising with offices at 2812 Book Tower. Howard D. Steere is owner of the firm.
In the institutional field, Stockwell & Marcuse handles the Industrial National Bank, which sponsors the local broadcast of the Ronald Colman half -hour drama. Another steady user of spots is the Michigan Automobile Club, AAA representative in the state. William Stockwell and Philip R. Macuse head the firm, with Mr. Stockwell handling time buying.
One of the oldest firms handling local accounts is Luckoff, Wayburn & Frankel, which evolved from Bass-Luckoff, founded in 1928. One of the original partners, Louis Bass, left Detroit and established a new firm, Bass-Luckoff of Hollywood. Lou Luckoff, senior partner of L, W & F, is a strong supporter of radio, especially spots. He says: “We find that a consistent program of spots, properly used, can go a long way in increasing volume. The key phrase is, properly used.” And he backs his statements with time buys, too.
Another leader in the local field is the Rex Advertising Co., who estimate their radio and TV billings as ‘70% of the agency total. Under the direction of Fred A. Epps, president, and Jack Trustman, v.n. in charge of radio and TV production, this agency has had to change locations three times in as many years, each time doubling space used. They are producing the half hour Club HADA TV show for the Hamtramck Auto Dealers Association, which features talent from the Bowery night club, plus guest stars, in a variety show. This association, whose members are in violent competition with each other, joined hands two years ago in an endeavor to publicize their Auto Row and to win business away from world-famed Livernois Avenue. One of the dealers, Krajenke Buick, in addition just signed a 52-week contract with WJBK-TV for a televising of western serials. Woody Pontiac, and Harley Buick are TV spot buyers. In the AM field, chief spot buyers are Lasky Furniture, Clark Auto Sales, and Kowalski Sausage.
A unique success story is recorded by the Broadway Market, one of the oldest markets in the area, located in the heart of downtown. With the rise of supermarkets in neighborhood areas, business had been falling off badly. The 34 different concessionaires who had booths in the market held a meeting and called in Mr. Luckoff, asking his advice on the spending of a $25,000 appropriation. MCRFB: to be continued next week . . . .
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This feature is a special Broadcasting series about Detroit radio. This report was first printed by the publication, August 1, 1949. This exclusive presentation has continued every Tuesday on this site beginning in August. The last two chapters of this series will be posted two weeks — Tuesdays — into September, for a total of six weeks.
Originally published in Broadcasting magazine under the title “The Detroit Radio Market,” this extensive article will be presented in six parts, in sequential chapters.
The 1949 article provides valuable insights into the state of radio in Detroit during the late 1940s decade, as it was, then, seven decades ago.