From the MCRFB news archives:
CHANGE OF THEME FOR WXYZ AM IN DETROIT
DETROIT — There has been a personnel shuffle at WXYZ, Detroit, but station program director Bob Baker reports that the station’s programming will remain the same. Marty McNeely is leaving the station, and Lee Alan is returning in the 7 to 12 midnight time slot. Joel Sabastian, previously the night man, is taking over the 3 to 7 P.M. spot, effective for this week, and Paul Winter, formerly the afternoon man at WXYZ, is moving up into the 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. hours this week as well. END (Billboard; March 31, 1962).
From the MCRFB news archives:
DETROIT CKLW-AM DJ FIRES COUNTRY BOOM
DETROIT –The pop record business was only so-so last week, but dealers and distributors noticed an upsurge in country and western record disks sales, which was mainly attributed to the impact of deejay Bob Staton‘s 7 P.M. to 12 Midnight C&W show on CKLW.
At the same time, dealers and distributors lost an exposure outlet for singles when station WKMH started a new programming policy last Monday, featuring only “up-beat music,” with the bulk of its wax culled from long-play albums. The move leaves Detroit with only two strong influential and exposure outlets for singles — WJBK and WXYZ.
WXYZ-AM in Detroit started swinging on new releases only a few months ago. Deejays Lee Alan and Joel Sabastian recently returned to WXYZ, and the jocks, who do their own programming from 3 to 11 P.M. daily, are putting strong emphasis on “breaking” new singles here.
The impact of Staton’s C&W show on CKLW is also felt in the pop market categories, according to Tommy Schlesinger of Jay Kay Distributors here. For example, he cited James O’ Gwynn’s “My Name Is Mud,” which was played heavily by Staton and was then picked up by WJBK for its pop music records rotation.
In the album field, Capitol’s original-cast album of Richard Rodgers’s “No Strings” musical hit is chalking up strong sales and heavy radio play. The show was premiered here at Detroit’s new Fisher Theater.
Among the newer singles mentioned as showing local action was “Let’s Stick Together” by Wilbur Harrison on Fury Records and “You’re To Blame” by the Fascinators on the Trans-Atlas label. END (Billboard; April 21, 1962).
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(Information and news source: Billboard; March 31, 1962 and April 21, 1962)
