From the MCRFB news archives:
TV Disk Hops Hit In Detroit
DETROIT — WJBK-TV has come up with ample evidence of current audience popularity for afternoon “bandstand” formats of programming records on TV for dancing by a live studio audience of teenagers.
The Detroit television station pulled a special ARB survey of its new “Detroit Bandstand,” emceed by Dale Young from 5:00 to 5:30 weekdays, and came up with a whopping 14.8 share in viewer ratings in the Detroit-TV market during the afternoon time period. The ratings were double its nearest competition, “Superman.”
Reacting to the ratings surprise, WJBK-TV added a Saturday segment of the “Detroit Bandstand” show at 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. The station claims that 4,000 pieces of mail came in during the show’s first week.
Hopping On The Hop Wagon
Stations in other markets have added record hops to their TV schedules, a major impetus being the success of Dick Clark’s ABC-TV network strip. As recently as WJBK-TV in Detroit, now KBTV, Denver, has taken the logical step of programming its new “Denver Bandstand” in and around Dick Clark’s show, so the teenagers will be dancing to local disks for 30 minutes, followed by Clark, returning to the local show for one hour. Up until now, stations have been programming directly opposite Clark or as far away from him on the clock as possible. END.
(Information and news source, Billboard Magazine; April 14, 1958).
