The year 1969 was one of the years, if not the only year, in which CKLW did not present their annual Top 100 or Top 80 year-end countdown. Instead, the Big 8 opted for the Top 100 Hits of the 1960s — closing out the decade — as CKLW prepared to usher in the 1970s.
For the first time ever — host Charlie O’Brien and Big 8 radio will present the hits of 1969 as they were featured on CKLW throughout that memorable year. Beginning with song 100, all the way to the number one song on top. The Top 100 Hits of 1969 playlist was tabulated from the weekly CKLW Top 30 Records charts and by CKLW historian Dave Kelly.
The CKLW Top 100 Hits of 1969 countdown resumes today, July 4 at 12 NOON., EST. Another exclusive presentation by Charlie O’Brien and big8radio.com . . . click the streaming link for the broadcast HERE!
_______________
— BIG8RADIO.COM —
Catch big8radio.com LIVE on the streams HIFI radio app for IOS,HERE
WXYZ SALUTES DETROIT HIGH SCHOOLS | A-B-C | ’63-’64
THE WXYZ ‘PAMS’ HIGH SCHOOLERS!
_______________
In 1963, WXYZ commissionedPAMS of Dallas to create a plethora of outstanding jingles saluting all the high schools in the metropolitan Detroit area. They were aired mostly during the Detroit high school graduation season and were highlighted on WXYZ during the Detroit high school football seasons, 1963 and 1964.
At the time, WXYZ chose to tally every high school in alphabetical order on the Detroit map with their own jingle, from A through Z. The presented WXYZ jingle sampler was created for high schools lettered A, B, and C . . . from All Saints to Cody High.
Throughout the decades having passed since, many of the named schools recalled in this PAMS sampler, those institutions no longer exist today. But you just may find your high school’s ‘jingle’ played here — as they were selectively saluted on WXYZ radio, some 58 years ago.
_______________
NOTE: For all the other WXYZ High School tributes — 1963-1964 — you can find them archivedHERE
NEW! A special THANK YOU to our newest contributor Dave Preston — formerly of WDRQ — for recently donating this FM 93 radio aircheck (he recorded in 1979) to our Motor City Radio Flashbacks’ airchecks archive.
_______________
THE DAVE PRESTON COLLECTION
WDRQ 1979 luminaries: ‘Zippo’, Jim Ryan, Kim Carson, Dave Preston (L-R back) Michael Stevens and Bill Garcia (L-R front). [Photo credit: Dave Preston]
— DAVE PRESTON —
_______________
Dave Preston writes:“Jim, I worked at WDRQ FM 1979-1981 and worked at WTWR, Tower 92 during this time era as well. I worked with some great talent, Jim Zippo was somewhat of a passer by but Don Geranimo really left his mark. This tape dated back to when I was first hired by Eddie Rogers. After a recent switch at the time, the new format of WDRQ was Disco. They had hired a whole new staff at the time and I was part of the new hires over there along with a list of others.
The disco format did not last very long. Eddie Rogers was soon let go and Mark Driscoll then became program director. Mark began adjusting and readjusting both the staff and format on an ongoing basis even from day one from his hotel room, nearly over night, turning the station into a revolving door. Mark was replaced after a year by Bill Garcia. Bill was the program director credited with hiring Don Geranimo for evenings.
At the end of the 1970’s and early 1980’s WDRQ continued to evolve quickly and abruptly. What was once a top 40 station switched to an all disco format. Later shifting to ‘The Motown Sound’ under the direction of Mark Driscoll then changing like a hat, calling itself an ‘Urban format,’ shuffling through a list of air talent and gaining the reputation for being ‘An Endless Revolving Door.’ The only person who seemed to experience any sort of stability was then WDRQ-FM Production Director, Doak Breen.
In hindsight, working for both Steve Schram and Victor Ives was a great experience and a well needed contrast to the ongoing drama at WDRQ during that time.”
_______________
The featured WDRQ aircheck was audio enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON BIG8RADIO.COM | JULY 3-4 2021
_______________
The year 1969 was one of the years, if not the only year, in which CKLW did not present their annual Top 100 or Top 80 year-end countdown. Instead, the Big 8 opted for the Top 100 Hits of the 1960s — closing out the decade — as CKLW prepared to usher in the 1970s.
For the first time ever — host Charlie O’Brien and Big 8 radio will present the hits of 1969 as they were featured on CKLW throughout that memorable year. Beginning with song 100, all the way to the number one song on top. The Top 100 Hits of 1969 playlist was tabulated from the weekly CKLW Top 30 Records charts and CKLW historian Dave Kelly.
Don’t miss it!
The countdown starts Saturday, July 3 at 4 p.m., and encores on Sunday, July 4 at 12 noon. Another exclusive presentation by Charlie O’Brien and big8radio.com!
_______________
— BIG8RADIO.COM —
Catch big8radio.com LIVE on the streams HIFI radio app for IOS, HERE
A special WKNR VOX/AMERICAN AIRLINES contest (promotion) Keener 13 featured in June of 1965. And which of the three WKNR DJs selected would you fly with? 🙂
_______________
The above WKNR chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
— In MemoryofGeorge Griggs —
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
_______________
A sincere, thank you, Mrs. Patti Griggs. This featured presentation would have not been possible without your generosity, dedication, and your continuous support.
Above WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
This list is selected each week by WXYZ Radio from reports of record sales gathered from leading record outlets in the Detroit area and other sources available to WXYZ
_______________
Previewed for the week of June 13-June 19, 1966
_______________
— THE JIM HEDDLE COLLECTION —
This WXYZ chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
** A MCRFB VIEWING TIP **
ON YOUR PC?To fully appreciate this WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey chart from June1966 click on image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap on chart image. Open to second window. “Stretch” chart across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
ERNIE HARWELL | Harwell’s Last Interview | OCTOBER 2009
Ernie Harwell October 2009
Ernie Harwell with Bob Costas
_______________
In October 2009, Ernie Harwell was guest star on MLB Network’s Studio 42 with Bob Costas. This featured interview was taped during the 2009 World Series, New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies.
The broadcast was later televised on the MLB Network in November 2009. The program, ultimately, would be Harwell’s last known appearance on national television before he succumbed to cancer on May 4, 2010.
Sponsors may not select or edit items in news programs.
News concerning political campaigns should be handled with careful impartiality. Although Section 315 of the Federal Communications Act exempts certain appearances of legally qualified candidates on bona fide newscasts, bona fide news interviews, etc., from the equal opportunity requirements of that section, care shall be exercised whenever such exemption is relied upon by the station that the station affords a reasonable opportunity for a discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance.
News programs should not be deceptively used for the promotion of any business interests, securities and investments, comment on pending litigation, etc., in the guise of news.
_______________
— A SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT —
A special THANK YOU to Big Jim Edwards (Jim Davis) for providing the above 1967 CKLW News Manual with Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
Jim Davis inserted this thought as well:
“This is the news manual which Dick Smyth wrote just prior to CKLW becoming a Drake station in early 1967. Notice also that the Xerox logo was embedded in each page. This was the early days of photocopying, quite obviously. 🙂“
Dick Smythpassed away on March 6, 2021. He was 86.
— A MCRFB VIEWING TIP —
ON YOUR PC?You can read this entire CKLW news manual — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE?Tap on newsprint image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
_______________
A FINAL NOTE: On the last page (5E) notice Smyth’s news directive numbered 64. As CKLW legend would have it, this one paragraph was pretty much tossed out the window by the CKLW news department in the early 1970s.
Both AOR and Country Stations Draws Extreme Ratings Share in Motor City
DETROIT — The two big winners in this market in the October /November Arbitron ratings are country-formatted WCXI-AM and AOR outlet WRIF-FM.
The country Golden West station is benefiting from the fact that WDEE-AM abandoned the format early this year, leaving a clear field for WCXI. WDEE is now known as WCZY and plays beautiful music.
Although the Golden West chain is owned by Gene Autry, this is the first station of the chain that has moved into the country format. Program director Bill Ford is making the most of the situation and includes a number of old Autry records in the format. The DJs make frequent remarks about playing records made by the “boss.”
WCXI Deano Day
WCXI switched from a contemporary format in February, but it was not until this latest Arbitron book that the ratings substantially improved. The station climbed from a 2.0 share in the July /August book to a current 5.6.
Morning man Deano Day, who was hired from WDEE climbed in ratings from a 1.8 to a 6.3. R.T. Griffin, who has been in country radio for 20 years climbed from 2.6 to 7.1.
Ford says the station’s success is due to attention to country music’s roots. “Too many programmers cut off their library at 1965.” Ford says. He also has increased visibility of the station by having the DJs make 400 local public appearances in the past 10 months.
The ‘Riff
Over at ABC’s WRIF-FM program director Tom Bender has achieved an overall growth in share from 4.8 to 6.3 by playing “a purer form of AOR (album-oriented rock). We play many more new wave acts and have purged the Top 40 crossover acts such as Cat Stevens, Paul Simon and Al Stewart,” he says.
Bender explains, “Detroit is more hard rock-oriented than either coast. For example Jimi Hendrix is more important here.
Bender has also assembled a lineup of the market’s top rock DJs. He hired WWWW-FM’s morning team Jim Johnson and George Beier just before the rating period. As a result Johnson and Buyer delivered a 6.0 share in morning drive up from 3.9 in July /August while the Burkhart /Abrams Super Star W-4 fell from 4.0 to 3.2.
WRIF Karen Savelly
Bender also hired Karen Savelly away from WABX-FM and installed her in the 6 to 10 p.m. slot. The station’s share in that time period climbed from 6.0 to 10.0. Bender wooed CBS promotion man Ken Calvert back into radio and placed him in the midday period. Calvert registered a 6.8, up from 5.0.
Some of Bender’s success, as seen by the competition, is the result of an Arbitron book that does not favor adult radio. “It’s just not a good book for adult radio,” says CKLW-AM program director Bill Gable.
Gable’s formerly rocking outlet that now is adult contemporary beams a signal into Detroit from nearby Windsor, Ont. Gable points out that the latest Arbitron is the first to use Extended Sample Frame in this market. The audience measurement system has been in use in larger markets for more than a year.
It is a method to include listeners without listed phones in the survey. Some critics claim this. technology skews Arbitron’s figures to a younger and often non-white listenership. Most unlisted numbers are not held by up-scale people who pay to be unlisted, but by lower income people who move so much they just get left out of the phone book.
CKLW fell from a 5.5 share in the summer and a year ago to 4.4. The old-line MOR (middle of road) giant in the market, WJR-AM also had a bad book. The station fell from 14.1 to 10.0 overall and in the 7 p.m. to midnight slot from 22.6 to 5.0, a reflection that Detroit Tigers play-by-play added a substantial summer audience.
WJR program director Jim Long says the new numbers have forced him to take a hard look at what the station is doing. One thing he did was to hire Jim Davis away from WOMC-FM to be afternoon drive man. Davis registered a 6.6, down from a summer rating of 10.2 when Marc Avery was in that slot.
Avery was deemed to have “too old an image” to continue on WJR, so he was snapped up by WOMC program director Dave Shafer, who installed him in morning drive on the Metromedia MOR outlet.
Avery delivered a 4.3 share, up from the 3.1 the station had in the summer. Shafer also hired Tom Dean, who has been at ABC’s WXYZ-AM and WDEE, at the start of the rating period to handle afternoon drive. Dean came through with a 5.0 share, up from a summer’s share of 3.1.
Shafer also hired Steve Peck from WABX to be music director so that Jim Scollin can put down that second hat and concentrate on his mid-day jock duties.
WNIC-FM’s adult contemporary format held its own overall with a 3.5 share in both the summer and fall books, but morning drive climbed from 2.3 and 3.3 reflecting a new morning drive team of program director Jim Harper and Jerry St. James. END
_______________
Information credit and news source: Billboard; February 2, 1980
The year 1969 was one of the years, if not the only year, in which CKLW did not present their annual Top 100 or Top 80 year-end countdown. Instead, the Big 8 opted for the Top 100 Hits of the 1960s — closing out the decade — as CKLW prepared to usher in the 1970s.
