1901: The first record company, The Victor Talking Machine Company, is incorporated, later merging with the Radio Corporation of America to become RCA-Victor.
1952: The long-running radio hit The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet, now featuring a 12-year-old Ricky Nelson, debuts on CBS-TV, where it will run for another 14 years, bringing the total life of the show to 22 years!
1955:The Mickey Mouse Club, featuring a 12-year-old Annette Funicello, debuts on ABC-TV.
1957: ABC-TV premieres The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom variety show, later featured in Michael Moore’s documentary Roger and Me. The show runs for three years.
1964:John Lennon writes “I Feel Fine.”
BOOKED IN 1965: Johnny Cash for narcotics possession(click image for larger view).
1965:Johnny Cash is stopped by US Customs officials at the Mexican border on suspicion of heroin smuggling and found to be holding over 1,000 prescription narcotics and amphetamines. He receives a suspended sentence.
1977: The TV event Elvis In Concert, filmed just weeks before the King’s death, is shown on CBS, with good friend Ann-Margret hosting. It shocks many with the depiction of a bloated and drug-addled Elvis Presley in his final days.
1978:Aerosmith posts bail for 30 fans convicted of smoking pot during their show at the Fort Wayne Coliseum in Ft. Wayne, IN.
Bruce Springsteen 1980(click image for larger view).
1980: At tonight’s show in Ann Arbor, MI, the first of his new tour, Bruce Springsteen forgets the words to his anthem “Born To Run.”
1987: Lithonia, GA declares today “Brenda Lee Day” in honor of the native singer. A new street is named Brenda Lee Lane in her honor.
1988: Hollywood premiers the acclaimed documentary Imagine: John Lennon.
2000: After being questioned for nearly an hour by his parole board, John Lennon’s killer is denied release on his first eligible parole, with the board stating that letting him free would “deprecate the seriousness of the crime.”
2003: The film of the benefit concert The Concert For George, an all-star tribute to the recently deceased ex-Beatle George Harrison, opens in US theaters.
2007: The Rolling Stones’ “A Bigger Bang” tour, named after their latest album, sets a new world record for grosses when the two-year jaunt rakes in nearly 560 million dollars.
Deaths: 1967:Woody Guthrie
Births: 1938: Eddie Cochran 1940: Alan O’Day 1941: Chubby Checker 1945: Antonio Martinez (Los Bravos) 1949: Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) 1950: Ronnie Laws (Earth Wind and Fire)
Releases: none
Recording:1945:Stan Kenton, “Painted Rhythm”1963:The Beatles, “Little Child,” “I Wanna Be Your Man”1968:The Beatles, “Savoy Truffle”
Charts:
1964: The Supremes’ “Baby Love” enters the Billboard charts 1964: The LP The Animals enters the Billboard LP charts
And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . .
R A D I O R E S P O N S E R A T I N G S F O R D E T R O I T
DETROIT AREA: Fifth largest radio market. Twelve (12) AM, thirteen (13) FM. One pop-contemporary, 1 standard-pop, 2 R&B, 1 C&W, 4 contemporary, 1 standard, 2 conservative.
WKNR: 5,000 watts. Knorr Broadcasting. Music format: Contemporary. Station plays 30 records, plus 1 pick-hit only. Highly identifiable air personalities. Station switched call letters from WKMH to WKNR and launched “Top 30 plus 1” programming which placed the radio station into first place rating-wise in the Detroit market. Two 5-minute newscast aired per hour at 15 and 45. Heavy on and off-air promotion and contests. Executive VP and General Manager Walter Patterson. Program Director, Frank Maruca.
WJBK: 10,000 watts daytime. 1,000 watts nighttime. Storer Broadcasting owned. Station is in preparation to upgrade transmitter-power to 50,000 daytime, 10,000 nighttime (target date yet to be provided). Music format: Contemporary. Highly-identifiable air personalities. Station editorializes. Award-winning five man, news-cruiser equipped department headed by AP award winner, Robert C. King. RPI subscriber, plus Washington news bureau. Special public service program concentration on weekends. Special programs: Shirley Eder, two-minute capsules, “That’s Show Business” (Hollywood gossip). “Assignment Detroit,” 60-minute documentary hosted by Robert King, Sundays at 10. VP and GM, Larry R. Lipson. Program Manager, John Grubb.
WXYZ: 5,000 watts. ABC owned; network affiliate. Music format: Contemporary. Highly identifiable air personalities. Station editorializes. Twelve-man radio news department, mobile news cruiser equipped under direction of Ed Hardy. News, sports, service feature block, 5:50-7:15 p.m., M-F. Special newscasts 7-7:10 a.m., 7:55-8:05 a.m.; 8:55-9:05 p.m. Special programs: Louis Gordon three-minute capsule commentaries. “Show World” capsules by drama critic Dick Osgood aired three times daily.
CKLW: 50,000 watts. RKO General owned. Music format: Pop-Contemporary. Highly identifiable air personalities. Three on-air newsmen. Combo radio-TV news department. Special direct boating, fishing and ski reports. Ten-minute newscast noon, 6 p.m. “Eye Opener” — union news and information 6:15-6:45 a.m. and 2:30-3 p.m. daily, sponsored by UAW. Special programs: Bill Kennedy five-minute Hollywood news 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Mary Morgan five-minute capsules 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. President and General Manager S. C. Ritchie. Program Director John Gordon.
WJR: 50,000 watts. A Goodwill station. CBS affiliate. Sale reported to Capitol Cities Broadcasting Corporation. Music format:Standard. Highly identifiable air personalities. One of few stations regularly airing live music. Special programs: 9:15-9:45 a.m. M-F, hosted by Jack Harris and featuring celebrity guest performers and Jim Clark’s six-piece orchestra. 12:30-12:55 p.m. Bud Guest (son of Edgar A.) host live music show with two featured vocalists. 2:10-3:30 p.m. two different vocalist perform live on show emceed by Jim Woods. Saturday 7:15-9:45 similar live shows emceed by Dale McCarren and Jimmy Launce. Station editorializes. Seven-man mobile equipped news department headed by Frank Tomlinson. Separate sports department, two full-time men. Woman’s Director, Lee Murray. “Adventure In Music” classical music program aired M-F 10:10 – 11:00 a.m. hosted by station’s Fine Arts Director, Karl Hasse. Program received 1964 Peabody Award. Excerpt repeated Saturday 8:10-9. Sports programs: Tiger Baseball, Detroit Lions Football, professional golf. Staff includes three full-time record libraries, eight announcers, four producers, three in fine arts department and six-man orchestra. Special farm programs M-S 5:05-5:55 a.m., 12:15-12:30 p.m. and Sunday “Farm Forum.” Farm Director, Marshall Wells. VP and General Manager James H. Quello. Program Manager Reg Merridew. Music Director Jimmy Clark.
WCAR: 50,000 watts, daytime. 10,000 watts, nighttime. Independent. Music format:Standard-Pop. Highly identifiable air personalities. Special sport shows aired 7:45 a.m., 4:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m., five minutes “Human Side Of Sports” — syndicated five minutes sports show 5:45 nightly. Public service entries locally produced 11:100-11:45 p.m. President and General Manager, Hyman Levinson. Program Director, Jack Sanders (also does daily air show).
WCHB: 1,000 watts day. Independent. Music format: R&B-Contemporary. Negro-oriented programming. Highly identifiable air personalities. Active full-time news department emphasizing coverage of local and national Negro news. Newscasts 12 times daily. Two radio eqqipped news vehicles. General Manager, Frank F. Seymour. Program Director, Bill Williams.
WEXL: 1,000 watts daytime, 250 watts nighttime. Independent. Country Music Network. Music format: Country and Western. Highly identifiable air personalities. General Manager, Gordon L. Sparks. Program Director, Bill Samples.
WJLB: 1,000 watts daytime, 250 watts nighttime. Booth Broadcasting Company. Music format: R&B. Highly identifiable air personalities. Spiritual and foreign language programs aired. Special programs: Jan Foreman’s “Woman’s Hour” — household hints, 10-11:00 a.m., M-F. General Manager and Sales Manager, Thomas J. Warner.
WQTE: 500 watts daytime. Independent. Music format:Conservative. Music programming based entirely on LP’s. Instrumentals featured. Vice president and Treasurer, Bill Brink.
WWJ: 5,000 watts. Owned by Evening News Association. NBC affiliate. Music format: Standard-Conservative. Special programs: “Ask Your Neighbor” — 10-12 noon, listeners telephone Bob Allison for advice and solutions to household problems. “Friendship Club,” with Les Martins 2-4 p.m., listeners telephone comment on domestic problems. News and information block 6-7 p.m., “Phone Opinion” — 7-8:30 p.m., hosted by Don Perrie. Thirteen-man mobile equipped news operation. Fifteen-minute newscast 7, 8, 9 a.m., noon, 4, 5, 6 p.m., M-F. “Newsbriefs” on the half-hour news and information block 6-7 p.m. and “News Final,” with Don Perrie, 11-11:30 p.m. Station carries Detroit Tigers baseball games and University of Michigan football games. Station Manager, Denman F. Jacobson. Program and Production Manager, Rupert Henabery.
THE RADIO RESPONSE RATINGS of stations and individual radio personalities have been determined by survey of local and national record promotion personnel, distributors and record manufacturers. Not a popularity poll, the ratings are based strictly on the comparative ability of the stations and air personalities to influence their listeners to purchase the singles and albums played on the air. The ratings likewise point up the music of all types in building audiences and creating the framework conducive to influencing the listener to purchase other products and services advertised on radio stations.
FORMAT GLOSSARY: “Contemporary” — Stations that play primarily singles and LP’s of a “rock-n-roll” and rhythm and blues nature. “Pop Contemporary” — Stations that feature “rock-n-roll” programming current and stock singles and LP’s, excluding rock-n-roll and rhythm and blues in nature. “Standard-Pop” — Same as “Pop-Standard” with stations emphasizing standards to current pop singles. “Standard” — Stations programming current or stock versions of the old standards culled primarily from LP’s. Rock-n-roll and “teen sound” excluded. “Conservative” — station featuring primarily LP of a subdued nature in tone and performance. Background instrumental music. “Classical,” Country and Western,” Jazz,” “Rhythm and Blues,” “Ethnic” — Stations programming more than 50 per cent of their music in the above mentioned particular categories.
(Information and news source: Billboard; May 16, 1964).
From the Desk of Bill Gavin Billboard Contributing Editor
J O B S E C U R I T Y I S O F just as much concern in radio these days as it is in any other big business. Union staff contracts covering staff air personnel usually provided for seniority rights and severance pay, designed to discourage employers from making staff replacements. Most stations within AFTRA jurisdiction hire their disk jockeys on a contract basis. This means while the money is above scale, there are few, if any, security guarantees.
Outside of the major cities, comparatively few disk jockeys are covered by union contracts. Their job tenure depends on performance, and sometimes a managerial whim or prejudice will move a jock out of a job that he has been filling competently.
H I S T O R I C A L L Y T H E R O U T I N E worker has sought his job security in a union contract, designed to protect him from capricious or discriminatory firing as long as he performed his required functions in a satisfactory manner. The performing artist, on the other hand, holds his position on the basis of that mysterious rapport that he creates with his audience. His continued value to his employer depends on the demonstrated approval of the audience as well.
The disk jockey, while he may not be a performing artist in a true sense, still comes under the general classification as “talent.” He seldom asks, or receive, any contract guarantees as to his job duration. His own ability is his only job security.
Under such circumstances, it is rather amazing to note how few disk jockeys concern themselves with their own “job security” status. Only a small minority of the DJ’s with whom I have talked have faced up to the fact that theirs is a young man’s calling, with vastly diminishing opportunities for those over the age of 50. They make comparatively good money, and it seldom occurs to them that it may be otherwise in another 10 or 15 years.
A P E R S O N N E L E X P E R T O N C E observed that the job of the radio announcer (or disk jockey) is the highest paid “blind alley job” in the world. Most jobs in business and industry offer promotion opportunities to capable employees. In radio, this might also apply to disk jockeys, were it not for the fact that the DJ not infrequently makes as much money as the station manager — what with his hops and concerts. Small wonder, then, that the deejay’s ambitions is usually just to be a bigger and better DJ, rather than to move up toward administrative and managerial levels.
Billboard, July 11, 1964
Radio, as everybody knows, is show business. To the average deejay, however it is mostly show and not much business. All too often, the business with which the deejay concerns himself is the record business rather than the radio business. This is not too surprising. Since he deals with records, the deejay learns a great deal about them. He is sought after and flattered by record people connected with the industry. He derives himself a sense of accomplishment from the knowledge of his own importance in the recording world. For making hits he receives applause. For making ratings, he receives only money. Human nature being what it is, the DJ is apt to take the money for granted and to orient his interests in the direction of the applause.
I H A V E M A N Y D E E J A Y F R I E N D S who are old men in a young man’s world. Their track record for their skills speak well for their skills and for themselves. They have all had 20 or more years of radio experience, but they have learned no skills other than the use of their voices on a live microphone. They have never bothered to learn about sales, personnel direction, advertising, research, taxes, accounting and all of the many other things that form an integral part of radio operation.
Radio offers worthwhile opportunities to everyone who works at it. It seems unfortunate that so few deejays recognize and accepts the opportunities for continued growth in and with their chosen field. It may be that the personality type that does well as a deejay does not readily lend itself to the required discipline of training and learning in the less exciting phases of his craft.
I S U B M I T T H A T P A R T of the failures to utilize DJ skills and experience more widely in a radio operation can be laid at the door of management. One or two large chain operations actually do follow a policy of encouraging and training their program personnel so that their value to the organization increases with the years. Unfortunately, most stations do not.
In the final analysis, however, it is up to each individual DJ. The opportunities for continued growth and value in his mature years are there. If he wants to build for his future, he can. END
___
(Information and news source: Billboard; July 11, 1964)
From the MCRFB music calendar:
1952: The long-running radio hit The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet, now featuring a 12-year-old Ricky Nelson, debuts on CBS-TV, where it will run for another 14 years, bringing the total life of the show to 22 years!
Deaths: 1967: Woody Guthrie
