Category: WHNE

WHNE FM 95! A 1973 ‘HONEY RADIO DRAKE/CHENAULT JINGLE PACKAGE

Audio digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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When WHNE AM-FM intially signed on in 1973, the jingle package for the station’s automated format was first created by Drake/Chenault. It was Bill Drake who did the voice over  — “This is WHNE Birmingham, WHND Monroe“–  one of three Greater Media stations advancing their new “all oldies” format, likewise, heard in Pasadena (KRLA 1110) and in Philadelphia (WPEN 950).

In the early 70s with AM and FM stations in all market sizes coming under the FCC rule and following the large market model, Drake-Chenault entered the radio syndication business in earnest, making taped formats available to non-RKO stations. Drake-Chenault syndication established a studio at 8399 Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Canoga Park, CA. Among the early format offerings were Classic Gold, created for KHJ-FM (which became KRTH), Solid Gold, Hit Parade and Great American Country. The original 48-hour History of Rock and Roll, which had been created for KHJ, was made available nationwide, and was followed by other syndicated “special” programs.

James Kefford, who became the company’s President, joined the firm in 1973 and teamed up with the automation suppliers to visit radio station owners and detail the benefits of using the automation system and the Drake Chenault programmers. Bill Drake and Gene Chenault tapped Kefford to spearhead the next growth phase for the company in 1977.

By the late 70’s, with a staff of regional managers, programming consultants, production engineers and administrative personnel the Drake Chenault format client list grew to over 300, with many of the consulted stations number one in their markets.

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Source information (portions): Drake-Chenault [Wikipedia]

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FM 95 HONEYRADIO! JAM PRODUCTION SERIES: WHNE

 

WHNE ‘JAM’ Jingle Pak on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

 WHNE-FM * 1979-1980 * BACK SEAT MUSIC

 

 

ABOUT THESE CLASSIC WHNE HONEYRADIO JINGLES

 

A Fred Vobbe sketched profile (courtesy his Facebook page).

The JAM Productions jingle package featured is the “Back Seat Music” package which was the 1st Jam package.  It was purchased when the WHNE/WHND automated format was ditched around 1980 and Honeyradio in turn went DJ live. 

The other Greater Media stations, WPEN 950 Philadelphia PA, and KRLA 1110 Pasadena CA, also had the same package.  Those were the three oldies stations which they owned.

Initially when WHNE AM-FM signed on in 1973, the jingle package for their then automated format was first created by Drake/Chenault. It was Bill Drake who did the voice over  — “This is WHNE Birmingham, WHND Monroe“–  one of three Greater Media stations advancing their new “all oldies” format, likewise, heard in Pasadena (KRLA 1110) and in Philadelphia (WPEN 950).

Least known, the Ron Hicklin Singers was the other group Drake used. They normally had the Johnny Mann Singers recording Drake’s jingles, (such as CKLW), but Hicklin was tasked with doing the music beds and sings for the package. Not certain if they ever recorded the call letters. Most were generic beds with Bill Drake doing ‘voice overs’ for each stations’ appropriated jingles.

In 1982, WHND introduced the new “All Oldies” jingle package by Jam Creative.

The evolution of ‘Honey’ jingles represented here in short order. Drake/Chenault, Jam, and Jam again.

— Frederick Vobbe

 

 

ABOUT FREDERICK VOBBE

 

Frederick Vobbe was the former engineer at Greater Media WHNE/WHND/WMJC in Birmingham, MI., late-70s through the 1980s.

He currently resides in Lima, Ohio, where he is chief engineer for radio and television station in that market.

A special THANK YOU to Fred Vobbe for providing further, otherwise unknown, information about this WHNE/WHND JAM jingle package — ’79-’80 — featured today on this website. 🙂

 

 

A MCRFB NOTE ABOUT THESE JINGLES

 

Motor City Radio Flashbacks has completely reprocessed, digitally enhanced and restored the above WHNE file using the Sound Forge 12 Audio Studio software. In the site’s collection for a number of dozen years, the initial audio file was lacking in audio fidelity (mp3), found to be”flat” in sound, thereby was never featured on this site for this one very reason — until now. The transformation for advanced, remarkable sound quality has now been attained. This site now has the ability to repair and newly restore most deficient audio files for the very first time.

Pleased to say, these classic Honeyradio jingles recalled today has been brought “back to life” once again.

 

 

 

Conceived, created and produced by Jonathan Wolfert of JAM Productions, 1980. All rights reserved. For more on JAM Creative, Dallas, visit www.jingles.com/

 

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ALL OLDIES HONEYRADIO! WHNE’S ’73 TOP 95 PLAYLIST

WHNE-FM 95 ‘TOP 95’ August 31, 1973 — September 9, 1973
WHNE-FM ‘Honeyradio’ 1973
WHNE-FM 95 ‘TOP 95’  August 31, 1973 — September 9, 1973

HONEYRADIO. 45 YEARS AGO

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This WHNE Top 95 Oldies Ranking is the result of a computation of listener telephone voting for their “favorite oldie” conducted over a 10 day period, 8/31-9/9/73.

WHNE FM 95 1973

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TWENTY-YEARS AGO. IN REMEMBRANCE. TOM KNIGHT.

Saturday, October 18, 1997

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: ‘Slain Brighton Deejay’s Music Collection Is Huge – And Valuable’ 

IN MEMORY of TOM KNIGHT

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I still recall when having received stunning word Tom Knight passed away. It was June 5, 1997.

For those of us familiar with Detroit oldies radio from 30-35 years ago, Tom (Knight Train Productions) was an invaluable asset in having produced and provided some of the finest programming on Detroit radio when it came to 50s and ’60s oldies music. His resume comprised largely having worked on Detroit radio stations WHNE-FM, WHND-AM, WMJC-FM and WKSG-FM during the 1980s and early-1990s.

Personally, I knew Tom for some 14-years, having first met Tom at a records meet at the Southgate Civic Center, Southgate, Mi., in 1983. And after several meets of such, a friendship developed and grew from there. On several occasions, he invited me over to his modest brick home in Dearborn, on Raymond St., near Outer Drive. I can still remember the first time when Tom and I went down to the basement. I was in complete awe – having seen firsthand for the first time his massive collection of pristine records, albums, all shelved in protective sleeves. It was amazing. He once told me his interest in record collecting began early on in his teens while having worked for some years at a record store shop located on Ford Rd., near Middlebelt, in Garden City, Mi.

The last several times I saw Tom, prior his passing, he was still at WMJC and WHND (Greater Media). Tom was working on his ‘oldies’ production shows there, and I saw his production skills at work. (I still have my “Honey Radio All Oldies 560” blue wind-breaker Tom gave me during a Honey Radio Car Club Cruise-cast in Wyandotte back in 1985, lettered in gold with their famous ‘milk shake fountain glass’ logo blazoned across the back). One Saturday, April 1994, I stopped by to see him in his new home in Holly, Michigan. He just purchased a large home there, with much larger quarters that would accommodate his massive collection of records, CDs, music artifacts, jukeboxes, Detroit radio paraphernalia, and a vast library of books about the music he, loved so much. Now all housed in a climate-controlled environment as he always wanted for his life’s entire collection. While there I met his estranged wife, Linda, for the first time. Tom introduced me to her, she simply nodded and walked up the stairs saying nothing. Never saw her again while I was there. Now having moved some distance away, I saw less of him. But we kept in touch.

Tom Knight was one of the most kindest, generous person I was blessed having met. He was a music and radio production genius. He was my friend.

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Twenty years ago today. Tom Knight, we miss you still.

Tom Margellar (1980s; J. Feliciano)
Tom Margellar (card; b-side)

(Above TOM KNIGHT related article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2017. Newspapers.com).

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A 1973 DETROIT WHNE 95-FM NEWSPAPER FLASHBACK!

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Monday, October 01, 1973

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WHNE-FM ‘WHNE: Cybernetic Nostalgia’ 

(Above WHND related article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2016. Newspapers.com).

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Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB.COM home page.

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