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.
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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 (October 1955) 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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Tape Player Installer Advertises Heavily in Weekly Ads on Local Radio in SE Michigan
DETROIT — An $1,800 investment about five years ago has grown into the flourishing Michigan Mobile Radio, Inc., which bills itself as the “world’s largest automotive sound specialist.” The present 11,000- square-foot installation handles the complete Muntz line of 4-track stereo tape CARtridge players for car and home.
Jack Frankford, 27-year-old president of the corporation, estimates sales of about 500 units a month from the present 11,000-square-foot outlet, which does retailing and installations.
Michigan Mobile also carries the cartridge catalogs of ITCC and Muntz, and recently completed a deal with Motown Records to distribute Motown tapes in 4-track cartridge. Frankford said the Motown arrangement means the label will sell and promote tapes as a separate item for the first time. The importance of Motown in the Detroit scene was evidenced by Frankford’s initial order of 1,500, followed by an additional 1,500 order.
Frankford, using the image of “Crazy Jack,” has relied heavily on radio advertising to spur business, buying 43 broadcast hours a week on stations in the Detroit area and nearby Canada. The idea is to hit the potential buyer via the car radio. The nickname was born as an ad lib, by a local disk jockey. It was used by Frankford when he began operations in a former car wash of 2,400 square feet because he felt the Michigan Mobile name would sound too imposing for the relatively small operation. The firm’s present advertising agency developed the name further to personalize the corporation.
After going from car lot to car lot since the age of 16 repairing auto radios, Frankford opened his first outlet to sell car radios in 1960. Late that year the business was expanded to include citizen bands. In 1962 Motorola Vibrosonic sound units were added, with record players coming 18 months later, the A. R. C. (Automatic Record Changer) Electronics 45 r.p.m. machine. Late in 1964 and early the next year, cartridge players were added.
Michigan Mobile Radio also is involved in the distribution of cartridges to other dealers, both in and outside of Michigan. Frankford pointed out that the cartridge market was different from the record field, thus making it difficult for record distributors to hit major outlets in the automotive field, including service stations.
Frankford said there were now three distinct markets, records, 8-track cartridges and 4-track cartridges. He conceded he couldn’t supply record dealers, who work through their record distributors, but he said he supplies an inventory of cartridge product to non-record outlet. END
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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard May 14, 1966
The above WKNR 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 WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
Station Lightly Modify Current Format Geared to Attract Younger 18 plus Audience
DETROIT — WJBK, 50,000-watt outlet here, has launched a soft-rock format, giving the market four Hot 100 stations. Program director John M. Grubbs said the format is more “amended,” than changed. The new programming operation is being changed slowly, but should be complete by May 9.
Dick Boyer has been added to the air personality roster to handle all-night chores. Jerry Blocker, a Negro, formerly of WCAR, will handle the 7-midnight slot, accenting light commercial jazz.
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WJBK had tried a Hot 100 format before, but in August 1964, switched back to good music. The station is now injecting current Hot 100 Chart singles of non-raucous nature.
“What we’re looking for is the uptempo, but not specific, teen tunes,” Grubbs said. As an example, the station was playing last week, “Monday Monday” by the Mamas and the Papas. “Sloop John B” by the Beach Boys, “Secret Agent Man” by Johnny Rivers, “Daydream” by the Lovin’ Spoonful, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” by B. J. Thomas and the Triumphs, “Rainy Day Women,” by Bob Dylan and “How Does That Grab You, Darlin’, ” by Nancy Sinatra. Album cuts with bright appeal are also being played.
“We’re trying to create a hip sound for the 18 and-up age bracket,” Grubbs said, “and we’re getting a good reaction.” Last July the station placed fourth in Billboard’s Radio Response Rating survey for influencing sales of albums in the market. There are presently three Hot 100 stations in the market besides WJBK. WKNR, CKLW, and WXYZ. WJBK just recently upped its daytime power to 50,000 watts from 10,000; the station hopes to soon add to its nighttime directional pattern with the increased wattage power. END
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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard May 14, 1966
NEW!A special THANK YOU to Randall Carlisle and Charlie O’Brien for recently contributing this featured CKLW 20 20 News audio memory, from May 1972, for inclusion into our airchecks repository.
Audio digitally EQ enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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 05/03/1965 chart survey was digitally restored completely in its entirety 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, one-stop jobbers, and distributors only.
These Radio 1270 top 40 charts were 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 on 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 a dozen or so — as chart dated — of these extremely rare WXYZ 1965 surveys throughout the year.
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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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This article/advertisement courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2024. Newspapers.com
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 (October 1955) 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.
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.
