Author: Jim Feliciano

DANLEY MAKES DETROIT WHFI-FM SING . . . OCTOBER 3, 1970

Motor City Radio Flashbacks logoFrom the MCRFB news archive: 1970

Station Air Talents Control Shows: Avails Audience Appeal via Telephone

 

 

 

 

DETROIT — Personal contact blended with a consistent music policy directed at adults is paying off for WHFI-FM, a stereo station. Tom Danley, in slightly over a year at the station, has taken it from billings of only $20,000 per year to approximately $250,000 this fiscal year and by next year expects to be far above those figures.

Joey Ryan, WHFI-FM circa 1970
Joey Ryan WHFI-FM circa 1970

The first thing Danley did upon arriving at the station, which is located in the suburbs of Detroit in Birmingham, was raid-local AM stations for top-flight personalities. Then he gave them not only control of their show, but made them available to the listeners not only through radio, but through the telephone.

There are three direct phone lines into the studio “and the phones are constantly ringing . . . sometimes all three at once,” said Danley.

He confessed that once a phone call received by evening Don Alcorn was a wrong number. “Turned out she’d never heard of WHFI-FM or Alcorn and thought she was kidding her when he told her she was on the air. He convinced her into getting an FM radio and then helped her dial it to 94.7, chatting with her all the time. ‘Is that me,’ she yelled, after she got the station. I think she’s now a confirmed WHFI-FM fan.”

Danley said it would be difficult to find at least 60 seconds when those phones are not ringing . . .  even on the all-night show. The air personalities — which includes music director Marc Avery, Lee Alan, Joey Ryan, program director Don Zee, Alcorn, and all-night man Bob Bereten — can talk when they want to . . .  segue when they want to . . .  “they’re in complete control of their show,” said Danley.

The air personalities operate from a playlist of about 100 records, plus a huge volume of albums from which oldies are taken. The oldies are records that were previous Top 40 hits which fit the uptempo easy-listening format of the station. The only restriction is that is that no more than three oldies can be played per show, although the air personality doesn’t have to play any if he doesn’t want to.

Chain Planned

WHFI-FM is on an upgrading drive and the company plans to grow into a chain of stations . . .  all of them strictly FM. The station is building a new station and will move into completely new facilities in October.

“FM radio has arrived,” said Danley, “especially in regards to being a profit vehicle for advertisers. I have never received so many call-ins from potential clients . . .  listeners who operates businesses and want us to come out and talk to them about an advertising schedule on the station. And I’ve worked for some major stations.”

To spur further call-ins, WHFI-FM has a series of brief promotions on the air asking: “Mr. Businessman, are you listening to WHFI right now? So are a lot of other people.” WHFI-FM is also very promotional-minded off the air. “I tell potential clients there’s no such thing as ‘one’ place to advertise. It’s a valid rule for us to follow, too. So, we’re involved in everything, including bumper stickers.”

The music policy that Danley installed when he first came to the station in August, 1969, was consistency.” Previously, the music format was in the right direction (Tom Jones and Pet Clark), he felt, but occasionally  heavier records were thrown in. Danley set a more consistent policy on record. “The sound is hard to describe, but you can more or less tell when you turn on the station now.” END

(Information and news source: Billboard; October 3, 1970).

Loading

FLASHBACK POP MUSIC HISTORY: NOVEMBER 15

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: NOVEMBER 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1926: The first network radio broadcast, four-and-a-half hours of of various performances from New York’s Waldorf-Astoria and other remotes around the country, airs on the new National Broadcasting Company (soon to be known as NBC).

Elvis Presley’s first major motion picture “Love Me Tender” premiers at the Paramount Theater in NYC, this date in 1956. (Click on image for larger view).

1956: Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, premier’s at New York’s Paramount Theater. The King’s popularity has grown so phenomenally large during the filming on the movie that his part — originally almost a cameo — is expanded to fit his stardom. Indeed, when his role character is killed in the end of the movie, test audiences are so distraught that Elvis reappears at the end of the movie to reprise the title song. A 50 ft. cutout poster of the singer is center over the theater marquee to enhance his first starring role in the motion picture.

1959: Three ex-members of the Quarrymen — later to become known as the Beatles‘ John, Paul and George — audition for a British talent program called TV Star Search at the Hippodrome Theater in Lancashire, appearing as “Johnny and the Moondogs” while performing two Buddy Holly songs: “Think It Over” and “It’s So Easy.” Unfortunately, the trio is forced to return to Liverpool the same night, having no money to rent a hotel room, and therefore missing the next round of auditions.

1964: While on tour, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones is admitted to Chicago’s Passavant Hospital for pneumonia, having reached a dangerous level of 105 degrees. He will miss the last four dates of the U. S. tour.

1965: The Rolling Stones make their first appearance on NBC-TV’s rock variety show Hullabaloo, performing their hit, “Get Off My Cloud.”

November 151968: During tonight’s Janis Joplin and the Big Brother and Holding Company concert in Tampa, Florida, a policeman tries to use a bullhorn to control a crowd that has left its seats and begun to move around, prompting Joplin to object: “Don’t **** with those people! Hey, mister, what’re you so uptight about? Did you buy a $5 dollar ticket?” The cop responds in turn by ordering the singer to inform the crowd that they need to be seated, she replies, “I’m not telling ’em s***.” Joplin left the stage after the concert, calling the cop a “son of a b**** and threatening to kick his face in, leading her to be arrested afterwards in her dressing room on a charge of publicly using ” vulgar and indecent language.” After posting a $500 dollar bail, the charges are later dropped.

1969: Hamburg, Germany’s famous rock and roll venue, the Star Club, announces it will permanently close its doors at the end of the month.

Rolling Stone Magazine, November 15, 1969 (Click on image for larger view).

1969: The Beatles’ last photographic session graces today’s cover of the Rolling Stone. On the same day, obsessive fans looking for the “Paul Is Dead” clues on album covers and in songs push two previous Beatles albums, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour, back onto the Billboard LP charts.

1972: Harry Chapin becomes the proud father of his first child, Joshua Burke, in New York City, and event that would eventually inspire him to to put his wife’s poem,”Cat’s In The Cradle,” to music and song.

1979: NBC-TV airs The Bee Gees Special, their first, starring Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell, and little brother Andy Gibb.

1992: The Doors’ Robbie Krieger, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, John Sabastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful, Spencer Davis, Ritchie Havens, all guest stars on tonight’s “Rock Of Ages” episode of FOX’s Married With Children.

2000: Michael Abram, the Liverpool native who broke into George Harrison’s home and stabbed him in an incident earlier in the year, is found not guilty by reason of insanity at Oxford Crown Court. Abram is ordered confined to a mental hospital for an indefinite period of time.

No. He’s not really dead. To alleviate possible Elvis’ fan distress seen in previous test screenings, Presley reappears at the end movie credits singing the title song.

 

Motor City Radio Flashbacks logoBirthdays: Petula Clark; 1932. Clyde McPhatter; 1932. Little Willie John; 1937. Janet Lennon (Lennon Sisters); 1946. Steve Fossen (Heart); 1949. Tony Thompson (Chic); 1954.

Releases: ‘Openings,’ (LP), Carpenters; 1969. ‘E Pluribus Funk,’ (LP), Grand Funk Railroad; 1971.

Recording: 1956: “Rock Around With Ollie Vee,” “Modern Don Juan,” “You Are My One Desire,” Buddy Holly.  1966: “Somebody To Love,” Jefferson Airplane.

Charts: NONE — for this date.

Certifications: 1978: “Le Freak,” Chic; certified gold by the RIAA.

And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history NOVEMBER 15

Loading

CLASSIC ‘PAMS’ RADIO JINGLES AS HEARD ON: WXYZ!

PAMS Dallas

WXYZ ‘PAMS’ CUSTOM SERIES ON MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

From our MCRFB JINGLES archive: WXYZ-AM 1270 * “The Big Z!” * 1967-1968

Loading