Category: WMJC

FROM THE ARCHIVE: WMJC RECALLED! JEFF & JERR ON THE RADIO

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Newly restored! This selected audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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MAGIC 95 FM WMJC! BACK ON THE RADIO: ROY STEPHENS, JULY 1985

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NEW! A special THANK YOU to Roy Stephens for his recent contributions for this site’s aircheck collection. The featured WMJC audio aircheck and his WMJC personality profile photo is courtesy of Roy Stephens.

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Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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WMJC FM: BACK ON THE RADIO! JEFF and JER’, SEPTEMBER 1983

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NEW! A special THANK YOU to Robert Zerwekh. From the Robert Zerwekh Collection

Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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TOM SHANNON. A WMJC REMEMBRANCE. MAY 1, 1986

Tom Shannon Remembered on Motor City Radio Flashbacks

WMJC | DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1986

In Memory of Tom Shannon

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WMJC Tom Shannon 1987

He was a Detroit radio and television broadcasting legend. His voice was heard for over four decades on numerous great Detroit radio stations, such as CKLW, WJBK, WXYZ, WCAR, WMJC, WTWR, CKMR, and WCXI. Tom once had said that he did (to paraphrase his exact words), “three ‘tours of duty’ at CKLW. ’60s, ’70s, and in the ’80s.”

He formally began his illustrious radio career as a news person, while in his teens, in Buffalo in 1955. He left Buffalo’s WKBW for CKLW in Windsor in December 1964, replacing Terry Knight.

After 50 years in radio (and television) and having been in multiple radio markets around the country, Tom Shannon retired from broadcasting radio in 2005. Tom’s last DJ stint was on WHTT-FM, Buffalo. He was 67 at the time.

Surrounded by his loving family, Tom Shannon died of pancreatic cancer while in hospice care, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. He was 82.

Tom Shannon is a member of the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame and Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

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— Tom Shannon Remembered —

See: Susan Whitall’s published Detroit News article on Tom Shannon (May 27, 2021) GO HERE

Also: Tommy Shannon, Legendary Buffalo Broadcaster, Dies at 82 (The Buffalo News; May 27, 2021) GO HERE

Also: DJ Tom Shannon’s Cause of Death Relates to Long-Time Illness (US Day News; May 29, 2021) GO HERE

Also: A 1961 WKBW Tom Shannon aircheck (5 min.) from the Buffalo Broadcasters Association website, listen HERE

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— In Remembrance —

In observance of his passing last week, Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Motor City Radio Flashbacks will present three CKLW and one WMJC Tom Shannon audio memory beginning (Wednesday) June 2, (Thursday) June 3, (Friday) June 4, and today, (Saturday) June 5.

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Motor City Radio Flashbacks Remembers

— A Special Acknowledgement —

A special THANK YOU to MCRFB consultant/contributor Greg Innis of Livonia, Michigan, who personally recorded the featured aircheck in 1986.

The Greg Innis Collection

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The featured WMJC Tom Shannon aircheck was audio enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

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WMJC MAGIC 95 BACK ON THE RADIO! TOM INGRAM

 

 

WMJC RECALLED on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

WMJC-FM 95 * 1977 * TOM INGRAM

 

 

— WMJC 94.7 FM —

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In April 1976, WHNE, the “all-oldies” station on the FM dial, became the new WMJC. Billing itself as the new “Magic 95” playing adult-contemporary, soft rock classics. Four years after its launch, according to Arbitron ratings, the station peaked its highest in ranking overall, respectively holding at No. 2 in September 1980. WJR, held the No. 1 spot on the radio dial overall at the time. In late 1984, WMJC began to manifest a three-year decline in the rating books, competing against WNIC, WCZY for a higher share for the ‘soft-rock’ crown. By late-1986, WMJC, already a decade on the dial, was all but formally finished, unable its climb for “respectable” ratings. Greater Media, the station’s owner, dropped the format with a new set of calls, becoming WCSX. The new classic-rock station signed in — going against two formidable, entrenched rockers on the FM dial in the Motor City at the time — WRIF 101.1 and WLLZ 98.7 in March 1987.

 

— TOM INGRAM —

 

NEW! TOM INGRAM WMJC aircheck date THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1977

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In this new WMJC aircheck (September 1977) we showcase the radio talents and production skills of Tom Ingram. Tom primarily made his mark in Detroit radio via production studios — not as a radio personality — as this aircheck would seem to indicate. Tom Ingram’s production voice was heard for many years in the Detroit radio market in general, having produced and plugged hundreds of ads and radio production pieces around the dial, beginning the late-1970s and throughout the 1980s decade.

You can hear Tom’s voice in two of his ads near the end of this September 1, 1977 aircheck. One ad is for Harmony House and the other he voice-tagged for Admiral appliances.

 

 

 

The above featured WMJC aircheck was audio enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

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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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