WKNR – Tom Neal – 11-23-1969.mp3
Category: WKNR
WKNR * VARIOUS JOCK AIRCHECKS * 1964
WKNR – Various Jocks – 1964.mp3
Special Thanks To Our Friend In Tucson, Arizona
Jim Heddle for these airchecks
15001 MICHIGAN AVENUE, YESTERDAY AND TODAY . . . NOVEMBER 7, 2012
From the MCRFB desk of Jim Feliciano —
Does This Landmark Dearborn Building Deserve A Place In the State Historical Registry?
A VIEWPOINT
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DEARBORN, November 7, 2012 — There are no signs. No overhangs. Just five large numbers on the front side, hanging left near the door’s arched entranceway. The address numbers read 15001. The building, near Greenfield, sits on Michigan Avenue. Today it sits empty.
In passing, if you don’t know anything about Detroit radio history (with the passing of many, many years since), it’s just a building. You’ll find no references. There are no markings anywhere that would reflect one time there was a legendary top 30 Detroit radio station, right here. Not even a hint nearly five decades having passed, the greatest success story ever in Detroit radio history — probably the greatest radio success story in all of the 1960s — had taken place within the walls and confines of this building.
But to many of us who can still remember, a glance at this building still evokes an aura and magic this building once held. WKNR. Keener 13. History. Here once there was a radio station, in good standing, who once served Detroit with quality broadcasting for nearly a decade. All from from this little brick and mortar Dearborn location.
Let’s turn a page back to Detroit radio history. It’s 1963. Here is the first Billboard article which made its first reference to WKNR, just seventeen days after it signed on.
What’s New in the World of Programming: See Four-Way Detroit Battle
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DETROIT — A four-way battle is shaping up in this market with the immediate changeover in programming at WKMH.
The Dearborn-based 5,000 watter has introduced a new set of calls, WKNR, several new airmen, and a radical switch from a soft sound in music to a “30 plus 1” format. Detroit will be one of the few markets where severe competition is taking place among three or more pop music stations.
The Knorr-owned outlet has been under the program doctoring of consultant Mike Joseph for many months. Soft standards have been the path for more than a year. WKMH (now WKNR) was once the major pop music outlet in the market. Today, a major new fight is developing with the new WKNR, RKO’s 50,000 watter, CKLW (which recently added Tom Clay in the late p.m. to help accentuate their positive pop sound), WJBK, Storer-owned swinger, and WXYZ, the ABC-owned pop rater in Detroit.
Mort Crowley (KHJ defector) broadcasts 5 to 9 a.m., followed by the Motor City’s famous Robin Seymour in the 9 to noon slot. Jim Sanders is handling the noon to 3 p.m. shift with Gary Stevens hosting the 3 to 7 p.m. segment. Bob Green goes up to midnight and Bill Phillips holds the fort all night long until 5 a.m. END
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(Billboard Magazine, November 16, 1963)
That’s how it began 49 years ago. The birth of a legend in the making back in 1963. The beginning of a phenomenon known as Keener radio. The rest is Detroit radio history. And to many of us Detroiters, this place is historic.
George Griggs, Scott Westerman, Greg Innis, and I for one, we believe this former Detroit radio landmark deserves its place. . . somewhere. Maybe with the Michigan registry for historical places? Would that be fitting? We can’t call that. But people should know something about the history which took place here.
When WKNR was sold the new owners immediately switched calls to WNIC in 1972. The station that would become “Detroit’s Nicest Rock” carried on many years of success on the FM band with it’s adult-oriented soft rock format. WNIC-FM went on to further extend its reign on Michigan Avenue well over three more decades. WNIC moved north to Farmington Hills, Michigan in 2006.
In closing, we don’t know what may, or may not, constitute States’ criteria for marker eligibility at the moment. But this much we do know. There sits an empty building in Dearborn today. The address reads 15001 Michigan Avenue.
Certainly this historic place deserves something better than that.
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MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS
For more on the history on what took place inside this building, and everything there is to know about the legendary WKNR, see Scott Westerman’s premier WKNR retrospective Legend: The Keener Phenomenon at Keener13.com.
For two Keener 13 exhibits inside this website regarding the early-WKNR years in 1964 and 1966, respectively, go here and here. For more on WKNR on MCRFB, go to our extensive, categories archives added here.
Comments? Tell us what you think. You can post your comments clicking on the very last photo (WKNR Building 1965). We’d be delighted you sharing your comments there.
Below pictures of the former WKNR/WNIC AM FM studio building as it stands today. These photographs were taken Saturday, 4:30 – 5:00 p.m., November 3, 2012.
GAVIN REPORT: ‘TOP 40 RECORD PLAYLIST FOR BETTER RATINGS?’ . . . FEBRUARY 29, 1964
From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964
TIGHT PLAYLIST AND RATINGS RIDING WITH WLS CHICAGO, WKNR DETROIT AND WABC NEW YORK EARLY STAGE
From the Desk of Bill Gavin Billboard Contributing Editor
F O R T H E P A S T Y E A R O R S O , Top 40 station managers have been taking second looks at their playlists. More specifically, they’ve been asking themselves if the playlist should be shortened. Most of the answers have been, “Well — maybe — but let’s not change things until the experimenters have made out.” The experimenters, of course, were those few brave souls who chopped their playlist to fewer than 50 records.
The record of the short playlist is good, but it is far from conclusive at this point. Let’s look at several cities in which the tight playlist have been tested.
Cincinnati offers the most successful example of the tight list policy. For several years, WSAI has dominated this market, with a share of audience rating from 40 per cent to 60 per cent. Station policy has been to play nothing but to top 40, plus established national hits. Station WCIN, featuring mostly R&B records, has introduced much of the new material that sells in the area. Recently, station WCPO has adopted a progressive program policy which incorporates some of the strongest new material. Latest listeners surveys show WCPO’s position in that market to be improving, but not as yet a proved winner.
T H E S T O R Y O F W L S I N C H I C A G O is well known. With a tight playlist policy, introduced a couple of years ago, WLS made phenomenal rating gains and soon became the controlling influence in record sales in a wide area around Chicago. Even so, the WLS ratings are not clearly No. 1. Rating leadership is shared with WIND (and several other stations) whose policy is non-rock singles plus a few selected albums. The ABC ownership decided to give the same music policy a try in its New York station, WABC. After a false start or two, it began to produce substatial ratings gains, and is still doing well with a policy of trying to be very sure about every record added to the list. However, the amazing resurgence of WMCA has stolen most of the glory in New York. The station now heads the rating parade with a policy oriented toward being first to break the new hits.
In San Francisco last year, new ownership at KYA switched from a liberal policy (top 60 plus 30 or 40 more) to a conservative policy of top 30 plus from 10 to 20. Ratings nose-dived during the first few months, but the station has made a powerful gain recently and is generally second only to good music leader KSFO. Top 40 competition in the area has come from KEWB, a Crowell-Collier property, whose policy playing new material is considerably more liberal than KYA’s. As between KYA and KEWB, the former considerably spends more money in contests, prizes and promotions, which may have some bearing on ratings. The top advantage enjoyed by KYA is the ability to stimulate the sales of the records it plays, even though KEWB may have, and usually does, start the sales rolling in the market.
T H E M O S T R E C E N T S U C C E S S F U L convert to a tight playlist has been WKNR, in Dearborn, Michigan. Here the music policy is a top 30 plus 1. With the rapid rise and fall of hits in the Detroit market, there are about five or six new items on each week’s playlist, all but one of which had to be broken in the market by CKLW, WJBK, WXYZ or the R&B station, WJLB. Rating gains at WKNR has been phenomenal. Unofficial reports credit the station with the No. 1 position from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. In spite of such a success story, conservative managers elsewhere are asking: Will it last? Is it the music policy? Or is it something else that they’re doing better at WKNR?
While there is as yet no compelling proof that the tight playlist is a winner, there is no denying the fact that it has produced certain rating advantages in most cities where it is being tried. The fact that that it has failed to achieve a No. 1 position like cities in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco indicates that it is not infallible.
Picking and breaking new hits is one of radio’s exciting adventures. It is at present an open question as to how important this activity may be in attracting listeners. Considerable prestige attaches to the station that is first with the hot new releases. One wonders, however, if much of that prestige is not limited to the professional world of radio and records, with very little luster being perceived by listeners.
Programming popular records is, I think, largely a question of finding the proper balance between the familiar and the new. It’s a question of how interested listeners are really in hearing new records, and how many new offerings they will accept.
Concentrated play of the top hits is a proved formula. The greater the variety, the greater the skill needed to bring home a winner. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; February 29, 1964)
EDWARD BEAR * WKNR
Please take note that this date was the release date on the Billboard charts.
KEENER 13 PODCAST
You can now click on the WKNR Podcast on the
left side and hear them all.
Big Thanks To Scott Westerman.
R&B MUSIC HOT ON CHARTS FOR 1966 . . . AUGUST 13, 1966
From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1966
R&B MAKING DENT IN HOT 100 OUTLETS, INCLUDING KHJ LOS ANGELES, WKNR DETROIT, WMCA NEW YORK
NEW YORK — If anything dramatizes the vast popularity of R&B music today, it’s the increasing use of R&B records for programming by the nation’s Hot 100 format stations. The estimates of R&B play on pop rock ‘n’ roll stations range anywhere from between 10-15 percent in Denver to “close to 50 per cent” in Miami.
WSGN, in Birmingham, has a playlist featuring 30-40 per cent R&B oriented records,, said music director Dave Roddy. Dutch Holland, music director of WFUN in Miami, who considers the Supremes as R&B artists, says WFUN’s programming is close to 50 per cent R&B oriented records because “these records seems to be what’s happening at this time.” The Miami market has two R&B stations that influence the popularity of these records.
WKNR in Detroit has six or seven records on its top 31 playlist that are R&B in nature, said deejay Scott Regen. This was considered a fairly representative week’s playlist. However, WKNR and most Hot 100 stations across the nation consider such artists as the Supremes as pop artists; they’re no longer strictly R&B artists, they say because their sales are mostly in the pop field. So stations such as KHJ in Los Angeles, the No. 1 Hot 100 format station there, may be playing more R&B oriented records than the 15 per cent now estimated. Program director Ron Jacobs said he felt that the popularity of R&B music is growing.
KIMN in Denver is playing 10-15 per cent in R&B oriented records and program director Ted Adkins said this represents an unusual display of the popularity of the music as only about 5 per cent of the population in Denver is Negro. Even some of the monster hits in the R&B field in previous years never got off the ground in Denver, he said. But this year thus far, in 1966, has seen more R&B oriented records happening in Denver than ever before.
WMCA, New York, had a playlist last week on which about 20 per cent of the tunes were R&B oriented. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; August 13, 1966)
A SALUTE TO A DETROIT RADIO LEGEND: SCOTT REGEN!
From the MCRFB audio files, featuring:
Scott Regen ON AIR HIGHLIGHTS 1965 — 1970
“Scott Regen was a phenomenon, and I just went along for the ride.” — Scottie Regen, legendary “Keener 13” and “Big 8” Detroit radio personality in the ’60s
“This is John Lennon, you’re probably listening to Scott Regen now and if you’re not, well you can’t hear what we’re sayin,’ tuh duh. . . .”
“Hello this is Paul McCartney, talking to a gentleman called Scott Regen who does his best to keep you happy.”
“Hi, this is Scott Regen of the Miracles and you’re listening to the Smokey Robinson show.” — Smokey Robinson
“Hi. This is Stevie Wonder and I’ll be visiting the Scott Regen Show. I hope that you’re with me when I do… I like to thank all of you for your cards and letters asking for me to be on the Scott Regen Show, you know I was coming. . . . so, until I’m on I’ll see ‘ya later.”
“Hi, this Johnny Rivers reminding you that you’re listening to the Scott Regen Show, that’s where it’s happening.”
“Hello Regen my ole’ friend, I’ve come to talk to you again. . . .” — Simon and Garfunkel
Do you understand the history you’re holding in your hands? –Johnny Randell, former WXYZ radio personality, Detroit, 1965 –1975
(Notes below from CD liner insert, as written by Johnny Randell, 2002).
Scott Regen, a phenomenon of the 60’s, was a legendary DJ on Detroit radio stations WKNR and CKLW. Scottie at one point had a 25 (share) rating on WKNR from 7 – 10 PM compared with the 7 and 8 of his two competitors. And WKNR could only be heard in half of the city! At one point on CKLW, Scott was No. 1 not only in Detroit, but in Toledo and Cleveland as well!
I was a deejay on a competing station. Scott was the most innovative and powerful force on rock radio. He was light years ahead of his time, instinctively marketing himself via what I call “Audience Directed Programming.” A concept no one even thought of back then.
Scott Regen used research, music mix, and the audience itself to create “Scott Regen.” And all from the heart. The history he made, his creative influence, is still copied today by radio programmers and DJ’s. Hearing Scott is hearing the evolution of rock radio.
Scottie says the ’60’s were a phenomenon and he just went along fro the ride. Listening to his CD shows otherwise. Scott didn’t just play ’60’s music. He was the ’60’s. He was a gift. His is the voice we remember. Now, remember it all again with this historic CD. Or hear it all for the first time. Either way you’ll see why Scottie is “radio king of the ’60’s.”
Scottie has lived in New York for the past 23 years (as of 2002 when this CD was released). He has worked for Atlantic Records, New York Newsday, and has appeared on several New York stations including 92KTU, Z100, WXRK, WYNY, and LITE-FM. He currently owns his own Manhattan based marketing-advertising company. His music tastes range from Billie Holiday to Benny Goodman to Chuck Berry, to Sinatra to Bach, and lots in-between. His favorite music however, is of the ’60’s. Particularly Motown and of course, the Beatles.
In 1999, the Temptations requested Scottie write their liner notes for their historic CD re-issue, “Temptations Live.” Scott introduces the Temps on the original album, as well as on this CD.
And he never stopped believing that “… in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”*
— Johnny Randell
* Lyric line from Beatles' Abbey Road
None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for Bob Green.
“When I auditioned for the job at WKNR, Bob Green (now Bob Green Productions, Houston) still the best radio production person on the planet, was on the air from 3 – 7 PM. He was also the station Production Director. And he was the one who created the admired, unique, “on air” sound of WKNR.
None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for Bob. He got me the job at WKNR. Not many people know this but I was turned down twice. Even so, Bob still went to bat for me! He believed I had it in me and put himself on the line with then GM Frank Maruca. He coached me. And I submitted a third audition tape. Then Frank heard what he needed to hear and I was hired.
There’s something as important as believing in yourself. Believing in others. Thank you BG.”
— S. R.
Thank You. Thank You. Thank you. Thank you. . . .
Konstantine and Joanne. WK Studios, New York. Frank Maruca, GM, WKNR, Detroit. Paul Drew, Program Director, CKLW, Windsor-Detroit. The most skilled and “feeling” Producer-engineers of all time, Bob Lusk, Greg Hallup, and Colin Kennedy, CKLW. Jacquie Simo, St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. Johnny Randell. Alan Freed and William B. Williams. Barney Ales. Al Valente. Phil Jones. Ken Sands and Ralph Seltzer. HDH. Lawrence Horn. Norman Whitfield. Pat Coleman. R. Dean Taylor. Larry Kane. Cliff (Remember the night with Bobby Darin at Lafayette Coney Island) Gorov. Tom Geraldi. Kalvin Ventura. Ron Alexanberg. Irv Biegel. Tom DeAngelo and Tim Tam. The Shy Guys. Bob Jamieson. Peter Gideon. Sammy Kaplan. Edwin Starr. The Fantastic Four. The Parliament-Funkadelics. Michael Stevens. Pat St. John. Steve Schram. Jim Harper. Harry Weinger. “Smokey.” Stevie Wonder. The Four Tops. The Supremes. Berry Gordy, Jr. THE ARTISTS AND ALL THE LISTENERS. ALL OF YOU AND EACH OF YOU. I apologize if I have forgotten anyone. And finally, thank you to my closest WKNR helper, warm hearted confidant and Lafayette Coney Island eating partner, Vaughn (Santa Claus to my daughter Laura) Trafaleaine. Vaugh was known and loved by our listeners as the “Big V.”
Liner notes from CD back cover:
Scott Regen, a phenomenon of the ’60’s, was a legendary DJ on Detroit area radio stations WKNR and CKLW. On this CD you’ll hear on-air highlights with: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Marvin Gaye, Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr., Herman’s Hermits, The Righteous Brothers, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Simon and Garfunkel, Martha and the Vandellas, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and more. (Back cover; CD liner notes).
From the MCRFB Aircheck Library, featuring Scott Regen:
Scott Regen – Radio King Of The ’60s – On Air Highlights 1965 – 1970 (38:44 audio)
Addendum:For a comprehensive interview with Scott Regen, his thoughts, comments on his career during his years in Detroit radio and thereafter, read Scott Westerman’s insightful interview with Scottie at Keener13.com.
Thank you, Bob Green. Throughout the years, since I first contacted you in 1999, you’ve provided me with three reels of WKNR production tapes, four Keener 13 CDs including this Scott Regen CD — and for only the asking — through the kindness of your heart. Today, all those materials you provided us is today deposited and archived on this website. Bob Green, you are truly a class act. George Griggs, Scott Westerman and I cannot thank you enough for your contributions, materials, comments, and of your selfless time you’ve provided us with all things that was ever ‘Keener’ for this website.
On behalf of George Griggs, Scott Westerman, our friend Greg Innis, I, and from everyone who grew up in Detroit listening to you on WKNR and CKLW, we thank you, Scottie Regen. For all those wonderful radio memories you shared with us during the time you were sitting high on top at No. 1 in Detroit. Hearing you on the radio, not only were you just on. You were there for us. Your audience. And if only just for that reason, we can say your radio listeners loved Scottie Regen all the more in return.
Today, Scott Regen, MCRFB remembers as we salute you.
(The Scott Regen and Bob Green photographs above courtesy George Griggs).
MOTOR CITY HITS OCTOBER 3, 1966: WXYZ * WKNR
IT’S THE SONG HITS PLAYED THIS DATE IN 1966 ON WXYZ 1270 AND WKNR KEENER 13 IN DETROIT. . . .
. . .Featuring “Respect” by the Rationals: No.9 on WXYZ, No.7 on WKNR; “Coming On Strong” by Brenda Lee, ‘Spotlight Sound Of The Week’ on WXYZ, this day, October 3, 1966
WXYZ *Spotlight Sound Of The Week*: Brenda Lee – Coming On Strong – 1966.mp3
WKNR TURN ON DETROIT WITH “NEW RADIO 13” . . . JANUARY 11, 1964
From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964
TOP 30 Makes Noise In Detroit
DETROIT — The impact of the newly formed WKNR (formerly WKMH) is being felt in the Detroit market with the station less than two months into its new Top 30 fare.
The station–long associated with soft instrumental music–was reformatted and reorganized to a Top 30 plus-one sound by consultant Mike Joseph (newly-appointed vice-president, NBC-owned stations) and is staffed by Sam Holman (formerly of WABC), Mort Crowley (a KHJ, Hollywood alumnus), Robin Seymour, (veteran Detroit radio stalwart) and Gary Stevens, among others.
The station, which was in 9th or 10th place in the market several months ago, is now reporting that its morning ratings have doubled while the afternoon number have tripled. It was also revealed by WKNR that it is now tied for third place in the market during weekdays and has moved into second place on Saturdays.
Detroit is perhaps the only city in the country where there is a four-way battle among pop-music formatted stations in the market. Leading giants of the area are Storer-owned WJBK (Radio 1500); ABC-owned WXYZ (Radio 1270), and RKO’s 50,000-watter CKLW (Radio 800), located just across the border in Windsor, Ontario.
WKNR has launched a major promotional campaign in conjunction with its new programming. One hundred and five thousand two-color school book jackets are being distributed through local drive in restaurant and doughnut shop chains. A (WKNR) pop music list entitled, “Music Guide,” is being handled by 130 retailers of phonograph records (majority record shops) with 50,000 surveys printed each week. Ninety-seven Cunningham Drug Stores are distributing two and a half million serialized match books which are tied in with a WKNR on-the-air contest which has a basic $13 jackpot with $1 being added each hour the prize is not claimed. The station also effected a link with the 77 Kroger food markets in the area for a forthcoming giveaway of Top Value Stamps.
On January 31, the station will co-sponsor with the Ford Motor Company, the 17th annual March of Dimes to take place at the Light Guard Armory, located on 4400 E. Eight Mile in Detroit. Ford will be displaying several of their custom and experimental car products during the two-day benefit event ending Feb., 1st. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 11, 1964)
A MCRFB Note
During the two-day WKNR March Of Dimes event at The Eight Mile Armory, dance and entertainment was also provided by WKNR and Ford Motor Company, attended by some of the top record acts of that time, hit-makers and recognized popular artists both on the national and local level here in 1963 – 1964.
On the billing during the two Keener 13 March Of Dimes dates: Johnny Nash; The Riveras; Santo and Johnny; Jamie Coe and the Gigolos; Eddie Holland; Timmy Shaw; Tony Clarke; Gino Washington; Tommy Frontera; The Coronados; Timmy Shaw; The Adorables; Dee Edwards; Chris Peterson and more . . . to be there, what a memorable event that must have been! — MCRFB.COM
A MCRFB NEWS brief: 1964
Mort Crowley Laments Quitting WKNR In 1964
WKNR-AM * Mort Crowley Quits Keener 13 * FEBRUARY 1964
CHICAGO — Detroit’s “Bad Boy” Mort Crowley who hit the front pages by quitting on the air at WKNR has since become the model of deportment. Mort joined Storz-owned WDGY, Minneapolis, in July 1964 and moved to St. Louis with Storz’s KXOG last January (1965). Mort told Billboard by phone he hopes to regain the ground he lost by his mistake and noted: “Thank God, I have an opportunity to do it.” END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; July 17, 1965)
Addendum: Here’s the WKNR “Key Men of Music” line-up for January, 1964: Mort Crowley, 5 AM – 9 AM; Robin Seymour, 9 AM – 12 Noon; Jerry Goodwin, Noon – 3 PM; Gary Stevens, 3 PM – 7 PM; Bob Green, 7 PM – 12 Midnight; Bill Phillips, 12 Midnight – 5 AM.
Frank (Swingin’) Sweeney, formerly program director and air personality at WKBN, Youngstown, Ohio, replaced Mort Crowley for the morning-drive at WKNR in February, 1964. Besides doing mornings on Keener 13, Sweeney was music director at WKNR from August, 1964 through August, 1965, terminated when he abruptly quit on WKNR — as did Crowley — whom he replaced. When Sweeney left in August of ’65, Dick Purtan immediately became the new morning rise on Keener 13 through December, 1967. Purtan left WKNR in January, 1968 for WBAL-AM in Baltimore. Just two months later he would return back to Detroit radio on WXYZ-AM, March, 1968.
Mort Crowley — According to an obit-article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch dated April 2, 1995, Mort Crowley passed away at his home in Miquon, Wisconsin, Thursday, March 30, 1995. He died after a lengthy bout battling prostate cancer. Mort Crowley was 63.
