From the MCRFB news archives:
WITH HISTORIC TOP 40 SIGNAL, PD HOLIDAY STRIVES WELL WITH CURRENT STATION STATUS PROMOTING NEW TOP 40
DETROIT/WINDSOR — It isn’t easy being an AM station these days, and the job is much tougher if you’re an AM station in Canada with most of your signal beaming into the United States.
But CKLW is a survivor and a prospering one at that. The only reason that the “Big Eight” continues to carry a successful music format against formidable odds is that “the people working here are the strongest radio people I ever met.”
That praise comes from Chuck Camroux, president of the station for the past three years. Camroux is about to retire from the leadership of this 76-member staff and go back to consulting.
One of the key members on Camroux’s team is program director Pat Holiday, who, except for six months at WOR-FM New York in 1972, has been with the station for 12 years, first as a jock and then assistant program director. He became CKLW program director in February, 1980.
In that time Holiday has learned to walk a fine line of a Top 40 that is adult enough to attract 25 to 40 year olds, realistic to know it cannot attract younger demographics, now locked into the FM dial and a clear enough purpose to avoid forays into MOR or AOR.
“We are basically a top 40. We have experimented with MOR and AOR,” Holiday says. “But I think we must be a plain top 40. There are some records we have to pass — Tommy Tutone, Ray Parker, John Cougar, Dazz Band. We certainly wouldn’t play AC/DC. We don’t want to rock everyone’s brain out, but we don’t want to be MOR either.”
Holiday continues, “As for rotation, we’re pure top 40. The power records are played every three hours. But the presentation is softer. It has to do with the length of time the guys have been here.”
CKLW’s day starts off with Dick Purtan, who’s been with the station since October, 1978 when he crossed over from WXYZ when the ABC oulet went to talk. Purtan doesn’t play that many records since he takes a number of calls and works closely with his producer Tom Ryan, who does a number of voices for Purtan’s comedy bits.
Purtan’s music is softer that other dayparts. “The station gets harder as the day goes on,” explains Holiday, “we’ve pushed Dick into top 40 as far as he will go.” Purtan’s show “is definitely an exception” to the station’s format,” Holiday says.
Purtan is followed by Johnny Williams, who’s on from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “A nice friendly voice,” says Holiday. He’s been on the station for 11 years.
Jack London, who arrived two-and-a-half years ago from CFTR Toronto, “has a pretty weird sense of humor,” according to Holiday. “The music gets a bit harder” along with the traffic and service reports. “He’s a jocks jock,” Holiday says.
Ted Richards takes over from 6 to 10 p.m. “He’s been in that slot for ten years,” says Holiday. “He’s one of the best night jocks in AM radio. He’s toned down. He used to be really wild, but he’s older. The station is growing older with its listeners.”
Charlie O’Brien is on from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.and Scott Miller is on overnight. “O’Brien is pretty funny,” says Holiday, “All the guys can do any format you throw at them. They have had to sound (over the years) AOR, top 40. Drake jocks, non-Drake jocks, personality, non-personality. They are all highly skilled. They now have free-reign, but they all understand the reason why we are here.”
One of the biggest problems Holiday faces is Canadian content. A lot of Canadian content is burned off from 10 p.m. to midnight. “In those two hours we really don’t sound like the same station,” says Holiday. “There are some good Canadian acts, but many like April Wine and Chiliwack are just too hard, too AOR.”
Paat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” was helpful when that was up on the charts. The song is Canadian. But the law can hurt some Canadian acts. “When the law went into effect in 1971,” Holiday recalls, “we buried out the Guess Who,” a Canadian act. The law requires that 30% of the music a Canadian station plays must be either recorded in Canada, composed by Canadians or performed by Canadians.
Holiday is promoter minded. With the help of promotion manager Al Cecile the station is currently awarding daily prizes to listeners holding a winning Social Security number. The jackpot ranges from $250 to $400. About 300 entries a day arrive in the mail. Cecile prefers to spend his budget in such promotions rather than extensive advertising. Working closely with Holiday and the sales department, Cecile probably has as many as 10 meetings daily with one or the other. END.
Addendum: From the aircheck library — an early CKLW aircheck with Pat Holiday, December 1970, his first year at the BIG EIGHT — almost 43 years ago! For more on Pat Holiday today, check out Pat Holiday.com. For more airchecks on CKLW Pat Holiday, go to the aircheck library right over here, only on Motor City Radio Flashbacks!
(Information and news source: Billboard; August 7, 1982).
