WALT ‘ BABY’ LOVE CKLW aircheck date Sunday, July 12, 1970
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NEW! A special THANK YOU to Ted Smucker, of Granger, Indiana, for recently donating this CKLW-AM radio aircheck to Motor City Radio Flashbacks!
* THE TED SMUCKER COLLECTION *
From the MCRFB Archives:
Walt “Baby” Love on 800 AM CKLW 1970
“CKLW on a solid gold weekend answering a hit line request from Detroit” —
When these Walt “Baby” Love airchecks were recorded in 1970, the Bill Drake era had catapulted CKLW to No. 1 in radio ratings in Motown. The Big 8 was the most listened to radio station in Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, and in Windsor, Sarnia, Leamington, Ontario and beyond.
With 50,000 watts of pure-enery emanating from the AM 800 transmitter towers outside it’s studios, the nighttime coverage was even more widespread after sundown. Reportedly at times, the CKLW signal could clearly be heard bouncing across four Provinces in Canada and in 28 states. The ‘CK signal had been picked up going far east well into Connecticut, and on some nights deep down into Florida as well.
But it was the Drake-Chenault format that drove the station to the very top. Tight and innovating, it moved faster than the competition drawing more emphasis on the playlist with less talk. By the early 1970s, CKLW was the most listened to radio station here in the Motor City.
Walt “Baby” Love became the first Black on-air talent at RKO radio, hosting radio shows at CKLW and WOR FM radio in New York City. He has held on-air positions at WNBC, WBLS and 99X, all located in New York City, as well as KHJ, KMPC and KFI Los Angeles. Walt was also Urban Radio and Music Editor at the Radio & Records publication for 21 years.
In 2005, Walt Love earned a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary of Pasadena, California. Today, Rev. Walt Baby Love currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Sonya and son Stephen.
CKLW – WALT “BABY” LOVE – 1970
