January 18, 2012. A quick rewind. Back some forty-days ago, we were nothing. Forty-days ago we were nowhere to be found on the Internet.
But all this actually began with an email question back on January 19. A friend of mine (Frank Hartge) from Columbus, Ohio, wrote me with this question —
Jim, what ever happened to the Detroit radio flashback site? One of your friends helped to run it, if I recall correctly?
George Griggs was that friend.
Formerly of the now-defunct (since last November) Detroit Radio Flashback website, which was created by Scott McKinnon, George had found himself sitting on a huge cache of great Detroit air-checks and Detroit radio sounds he once provided for the old DRF site. But George no longer had a website he could call home.
Just the same, here I was with close to 40 GB of classic Detroit radio air-checks I had in my collection as well, right behind all what George already had, and he had so much more than I.
But back to my friend’s email. I had forwarded over to Scott W., since he knew Frank Hartge as friend as well. At the same time, I wrote Scott that I could donate anything and all of the Keener air-checks I may have for his keener13.com website. And that was about the extent of that exchange….
Or so I thought.
Unexpectedly, Scott’s response took me by surprise. On Sunday, January 22, he wrote,
“Thanks for your unending support for the Keener project, Jim. You inspire me to keep working on it.
Idea: let me see how I could set up a Detroit Radio Aircheck Archive for you on the site. You could have full control and upload to your heart’s content. It may take a little time, but I’m willing to pursue it if you’re interested.”
What?! I thought, you gotta be kidding me? Yes! Of course!
Returning a prompt reply, I immediately suggested that George Griggs, from the former DRF site, that he be on board for the new project as well. Once the site’s name was determined by George, and without ever saying anything, Scott Westerman quietly decided to put his project in motion. But instead of adding us as a link on the keener13.com website, he in turn had selected a website template from WordPress, along with web-build features just as he had selected for his website keener13.com. And within five days, Motor City Radio Flashbacks was born. And that’s actually how we came to be.
We premiered on the web on January 27, 2012. And so here we are today, thirty-days later. February 27, 2012.
Scott, all this would not have been possible without you. By your recommendation, it was you who desired in making this all happen. And so we want to take this opportunity to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. For making the new Motor City Radio Flashback website the reality it is today.
And we are now officially one-month old . . . . Thank you, friend.
___
Jim Feliciano and George Griggs
February 27, 2012
That was a great post guys…happy 1 month !!!!
Hope you will stay online for as long as possible…you got the best material anyone could listen to.
That sounds exactly like the Scott W. I know. Congratulations to all of you and “way to go” Scott!
Let’s not forget that Scott MacKinnon was the pilgrim of the Detroit Radio Flashbacks website, and solely because of him, a home was made for Detroit’s rich and almost lost and forgotten radio history. I applaud and will never forget all of his very time consuming creative fortitude and efforts in financing, developing, and keeping DRF online for so many years. Mr. Griggs’ later contributions expanded DRF to encompass an even broader spectrum of Detroit’s unforgettable radio history. The Detroit Radio Flashbacks website has always been synonymous to the name Scott MacKinnon, and I was shocked to note that there was not mention of his connection to his own creation. Thank you for continuing in the tradition of Detroit Radio Flashbacks giving the world a way to keep connected to Detroit’s amazing radio history. And thanks to Scott MacKinnon for setting the stage back in 2004, leading the way, way back!
Dave,
Thank you so much for your comments. Yes, you are correct. It was Scott MacKinnon’s website who would inspire us that we should continue more of the same, in what he had left foregone, insofar as the former Detroit Radio Flashbacks website.
Our apologies. Scott MacKinnon’s DRF contribution and efforts are duly recognized with this post.