Above Thursday Radio courtesy freep.com newspapers archives. Copyright 2024; Newspapers.com
The above featured Detroit radio guide was clipped, saved, and digitally re-imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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This article/advertisement courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2024. Newspapers.com
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 WXYZ 1270 ad (November 1960) 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. 🙂
ON YOUR PC? You can read this entire newsprint article/ad — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
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Radio Veteran No Longer Finds Place Nor Pleasure on the Dial at 1270
DETROIT — Veteran deejay Ed McKenzie resigned from station WXYZ here last week in protest of the station’s “formula radio” programming policy.
Detroit radio’s two biggest names, Ed McKenzie, Robin Seymour in the late-1950s.
Rallying to McKenzie’s side was his long-time competitor and another veteran Detroit spinner, Robin Seymour, of WKMH who came out strongly last week for McKenzie and against “formula radio.” Seymour stated: “It’s a crime and a shame when one of the true deejays – one of the men who made the jockey a major factor in broadcasting – has to bow to the dictates of a program director.”
Although Seymour and McKenzie – two of Detroit’s key deejays – have vied for audience ratings for the past 11 years (they occupied the same afternoon time slot) Seymour said they have remained friends — their friendship dating back to the time McKenzie gave Seymour his first radio job at WJBK here.
Seymour has asked McKenzie to appear on his WKMH show this week to discuss the whole formula radio situation and his reasons for leaving WXYZ. Seymour said they will explore the jockey’s need for freedom of programming and speculate on whether the advent of “formula radio” has anything to do with the fact that no new name deejay (other than Dick Clark) has come up from the ranks in recent years.
Seymour said his station, WKMH, is now the only major Detroit station operating on a non-formula programming policy. The outlet did adopt a non – rock and roll format last year, but Seymour said the management dropped the policy last January, and pert record programming back in the deejays’ hands. As a result, the jock said WKMH’s ratings are already showing a small rating climb – the first rating increase for the station in some time.
The WXYZ “formula,” (featuring the Top 40 singles) was adopted by the station about a year ago, and WXYZ vice president in charge of radio, Hal Neal opined “Our interpretation of formula radio is that it is a step forward.”
Ed McKenzie on WXYZ circa 1955
McKenzie on the other hand expressed his opinion that this “formula” did not jibe with his interpretation of radio as “being intimate and friendly.” He stated that his ratings were dropping since the “formula policy” has gone into effect and that he would sooner “dig ditches or sell hot dogs” than go back to formula radio because “I can’t do something I don’t believe in.”
The radio station disagreed with McKenzie’s use of bird calls on the air and his “on the air” comment on office typing and the programming. The station also found themselves in disagreement with McKenzie about their new policy to boost the station on his programs, which the jockey termed `unnecessary.”
McKenzie’s 3 p.m. to 6.15 p.m. spot is being taken over by Mickey Shorr, who will have another replacement for his own Night Train program. Reportedly making between $60,000 and $80,000 a year in his 29th year with radio. McKenzie was Jack the Bellboy at WJBK before he changed to WXYZ radio in 1952. END
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Information, credit and news source: Billboard, March 16, 1959
Ella Fitzgerald guests on WXYZ with Ed McKenzie, circa 1954.
Compiled by the Music Popularity Chart Dept. of Billboard, from national retail store and one-stop sales reports, and radio airplay reports.
Note: This Billboard Hot 100 chart was published Saturday, February 8. The day after the Beatles arrived in New York City from the U.K., Friday, February 7. And on the day before the Beatles were to perform live on the Ed Sullivan Show on CBS-TV, Sunday night, February 9, 1964.
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This list is selected each week by WXYZ Radio reports of records sales gathered from leading record outlets in the Detroit area and other sources available to WXYZ.
The above WXYZ 02/02/1965 chart survey was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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By mid-January 1965, the Detroit Sound Survey charts was no longer printed for the public in general. The WXYZ charts, as featured above, were instead published solely for Detroit record retailers, music outlets and one-stop jobbers and distributors only.
These Radio 1270 top 40 charts was the largest of the WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey charts ever printed, having measured 17.5″ W x 22 L” inches in size. These charts were primarily used for weekly record rank based by popularity, position, retail sales, and were used for record retail rack displays as well.
For the very first time, Motor City Radio Flashbacks will be featuring these extremely rare WXYZ 1965 surveys throughout the new year, 2024.
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ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap over WXYZ chart image. Open to second window. “Stretch” chart across your device screen to magnify for largest detailed view.
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NEW! The above featured Dave Prince WCZY personality card (from 1983) is courtesy of Roy Stephens. Thank you, Roy, for sharing this memory and for your contributions. Much appreciated! 🙂
The featured WCZY image was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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ON YOUR PC? You can view this WCZY 1983 Dave Prince profile card ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above chart image 2x and open to second window.
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The above featured Detroit Free Press article was digitally re-imaged 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 WKMH 1310 ads (February 1963) 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. 🙂
ON YOUR PC? You can read this entire newsprint article/ad — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap on newsprint image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
A MCRFB Note: This WKNR Music Guide was the chart J. Michael Wilson previewed for the week of January 4, 1968 in our recently featured WKNR aircheck, dated January 8, 1968. Hear it again, HERE.
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The above WKNR chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
ON YOUR PC? To fully appreciate this WKNR Music Guide for the week of January4, 1968 chart feature click on image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
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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 WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
The 113 records and 13 albums and their positions on this “Keener Hits of 1969” Music Guide were determined by mathematical computation, considering each record’s and album’s position and duration on each of the WKNR Music Guides during the past 52 weeks and does not necessarily reflect the comparative sales of these records and albums.
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ON YOUR PC?To fully appreciate this special WKNR Souvenir Edition chart feature, published in December 1969, click on image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
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ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE?Tap on chart image. Open to second window. “Stretch” chart across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
The featured WKNR music chart was entirely 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 WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
The above featured Detroit Free Press WJR advertisement/ article was digitally re-imaged 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 WXYZ 1270 ad (January 1967) 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 provided for this site, since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic Detroit radio features possible. 🙂
_______________
The above featured Detroit radio guide was clipped, saved, and digitally re-imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
ON YOUR PC? To fully appreciate this Thursday Radio guide from March 14, 1963 click on image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
