WXYZ – Page 33 – Motor City Radio Flashbacks

DETROIT RADIO SIDEBAR: WXYZ-AM BILLBOARD NOTES

From the MCRFB RADIO notebook: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1971

WXYZ-AM

DETROIT (November 7, 1960) — Joel Sebastian, formerly KLIF, Dallas, has returned to his home town and WXYZ, Detroit. END

*****

DETROIT (January 20, 1962) — Joel Sebastian has returned to WXYZ, Detroit, in the 7:15 p.m. to midnight time segment, Monday through Friday, and from 7:00 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays. The jock left WXYZ some time ago to join WIND, Chicago. He replaces Lou Sherman and Fred Weiss at WXYZ. In addition to his daily chores he will conduct “Teen Bulletin Board” on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 to 7:45 p.m. Coca-Cola sponsors the teen show. END

*****

DETROIT (March 31, 1962) — There has been a personnel shuffle at WXYZ, Detroit, but station program director Bob Baker reports that the station’s programming will remain the same. Marty McNeely is leaving the station, and Lee Alan is returning in the 7:00 p.m. to midnight slot. Joel Sebastian, heretofore night man, is taking over the 3-7 p.m. hours, and Paul Winters, formerly afternoon man, is moving into the 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. mid-morning-early afternoon drive. END

*****

DETROIT (March 2, 1963) — Paul Winter of WXYZ radio, Detroit, ran a promotion during National Electric Week that deejays can adapt to any time. Winter offered to pay the next electric bill of any listener who correctly estimated the number of electrical appliances in the average American home, as determined by the electrical industry. Listeners were also asked to name one electric appliance they did not own. END

*****

DETROIT (March 9, 1963) — WXYZ disc jockey Dave Prince, who recently joined the station from WKMH, Dearborn-Detroit, launched his new show by doing remotes from the sports car exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum in the Motor City’s famous Greenfield Village. Dave Prince began his first Saturday morning and afternoon show on 1270 last week (March 2) and will be doing a Sunday afternoon show on weekends as well. END

*****

DETROIT (August 31, 1963) — When it comes to televised teen-dance shows gaining popularity in several major cities across the country, local Detroit TV show “Club 1270,” aired Sunday afternoons on WXYZ-TV (local ABC-owned Channel 7) is one on top. The program is co-hosted by Joel Sebastian, and Lee Alan. Some 100 youngsters, all regular participants, sit around tables on the club-type set. Sodas and potato chips are served while teens whirl around the floor to the latest records. The talents on the show is outstanding of course . . . Trini Lopez, Freddy Scott, Stevie Wonder, etc., whether nationally popular acts or local. END

*****

DETROIT (January 11, 1964) — WXYZ Radio personalities Joel Sebastian, Lee Alan, Paul Winter and Dave Prince conducted a pre-Holiday campaign to get usable toys for hospitalized children at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. More than 300 toys were given to the youngsters at the hospital Christmas party. On a different note, WXYZ radio personality Joel Sebastian, and wife, Frances, proud parents of eight and a half pound baby girl, Laura Elizabeth, born Thanksgiving day. END

*****

DETROIT (May 11, 1964) — Lee Alan, popular night-time deejay on WXYZ 1270 in Detroit, leaves his weeknights 7:15 p.m. – midnight show to set up his own promotional and programming service. END

*****

DETROIT (February 13, 1965) — WXYZ’s deejay Marc Avery show was interrupted recently by a call that came in on the station’s “Hot Line” (a private phone number in the studio designated for pick-up for emergency calls, etc.). The caller said, “This is C. E. Hooper calling. May I ask you what radio station you are listening to?

At first Avery thought it was a joke, but when the caller persisted in the interview, he realized it was on the level and answered back, “The Marc Avery Show on WXYZ-Radio.” Avery than confessed to the caller why he was listening to the show.

On a lighter note, what Avery and the executives of the ABC-owned station are now asking Hooper whether they will still get credit for Avery taking and answering the call. END

*****

DETROIT (October 16, 1965) — Jim McQuary has joined the WXYZ personality roster in Detroit; he was formerly with WJBK in the same city . . . WXYZ also added Danny Taylor . . . David R. Klemm, formerly with WXYZ in Detroit, has been appointed station manager of WLCY, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida. END

*****

DETROIT (January 15, 1966) — Program Director Bruce Still at WXYZ, Detroit, reports that a campaign launched by air personality Marc Avery drew in roughly 20,000 books of trading stamps to buy toys for children at Christmas. END

*****

DETROIT (March 3, 1966) — Bruce Still has been named operations director at WXYZ, Detroit; Lee Alan was promoted to program director and will continue his nightly on-air show. END

*****

DETROIT (February 18, 1967) — The deejay team of Martin & Howard debuted January 30 on WXYZ, Detroit. Teams have worked well on Easy Listening format stations and if these two do well on a Hot 100 format station in a major market like Detroit, it might prove interesting for other stations. Also, Joe Bacarella, formerly program director and afternoon deejay with WCAR, Detroit, has shifted to WXYZ, Detroit, as director of operations. END

*****

DETROIT (June 3, 1967) — Dick Kernan has been promoted to assistant director of operations and Jim Nell to traffic director of WXYZ, Detroit. Perry Krauss has been named producer of the Martin & Howard show. Incidentally, Kernan will assist operations director Joe Bacarella with programming. Krauss joins from WCAR, Detroit; where he headed the Perry Krauss Orchestra. END

*****

DETROIT (November 23, 1968) — Mike Sherman has joined WXYZ in the 2-6 p.m. slot and Dick Purtan, who’d been doing both morning and afternoon drive-time show, will now just be heard mornings 6-10 a.m. Sherman was formerly WIBC in Indianapolis. END

*****

DETROIT (February 27, 1971) — William F. Lochridge has been named general manager of WXYZ-FM; he’d been with Katz in that city; Dick Kernan will continue to direct operations and programming of the station. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard Magazine; All excerpts culled as was first published from the dated editions as noted above)

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * SEPTEMBER 12, 1966

From the MCRFB archive files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 22 issued September 12, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for September 12, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ September 5, 1966 survey click here).

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 23: “Respect,” by the Rationals, this date in September 1966.

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * SEPTEMBER 5, 1966

From the MCRFB archive files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 21 issued September 5, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for September 5, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ August 29, 1966 survey click here).

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 3: “Cherish,” by the Association, this date in September 1966.

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * AUGUST 29, 1966

From the MCRFB archived files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 20 issued August 29, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for August 29, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ August 22, 1966 survey click here).

WXYZ Spotlight Sound Of The Week: “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice,” by Verdelle Smith, this date in August 1966.

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * AUGUST 22, 1966

From the MCRFB archived files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 19 issued August 22, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for August 22, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ August 15, 1966 survey click here).

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 8: “Working In The Coalmine,” by Lee Dorsey, this date in August 1966.

WAY-BACK DETROIT RADIO PAGES: WXYZ . . . JUNE 16, 1945

From the MCRFB radio scrapbook: 1945

WXYZ Reaches for Phone Giveaways

DETROIT, June 9 — WXYZ is going in heavy for telephone shows, reaching a new high of 14 a week, with the addition of I’ve Got Your Number, which opened Monday night (June 4). New show goes on Monday and Wednesday at 6:15, and will be a sustaining (program), tied up with radio set giveaways.

Background of the giveaways of the receivers, which seem nearly like gold at this time, was the purchase of 1,200 Emerson radio sets by the station back in 1941, before sets were frozen. Some 1,100 of these sets have been given away in past promotions, the last over a year ago. Today, with the demands for new sets to replace worn out radios higher than ever before and with the anticipated unfreezing of production in the coming months, it became evident that right now was the best possible time to capitalize on the giveaways of the remaining 100.

At the same time, arrangements are being made to switch Crosstown Quiz, aired Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. from the Telenews Theater, over to a telephone show, with the same sponsor, Crawford’s Clothes. In addition WXYZ had two five-day telephone programs as well, Breakfast Table, staged in the early morning with alternating sponsors, and Tip Top Quiz, sponsored by Ward Baking coming at 12:45, making up the total of 14 shows a week. END.

(Information and news source: Billboard; June 16, 1945).

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * AUGUST 15, 1966

From the MCRFB archived files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 18 issued August 15, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for August 15, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ August 8, 1966 survey click here).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYrIXMxbeuA

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 34: “Ain’t Gonna Lie,” by Keith, this date in August 1966.

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * AUGUST 8, 1966

From the MCRFB archived files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 17 issued August 8, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for August 8, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ August 1, 1966 survey click here).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88N8L7WX7-c

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 15: “That’s Enough,” by Rosco Robinson, this date in August 1966.

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * AUGUST 1, 1966

From the MCRFB archived files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 16 issued August 1, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for August 1, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ July 25, 1966 survey click here).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xolBy6zFxSg

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 09: “Wade In The Water,” by The Ramsey Lewis Trio, this date in July 1966.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Lz7QXf9oA

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 32: “Turn Down Day,” by The Cyrkle, this date in August 1966.

WXYZ-AM 1270 * THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY * JULY 25, 1966

From the MCRFB archive files:

THE TOP 35 HITS ON WXYZ ON THIS DATE IN 1966

WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; Week no. 15 issued July 25, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ

(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for July 25, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ July 18, 1966 survey click here).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My-RU116W5o

WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey No. 34: “Suspicions,” by The Sidekicks, this date in July 1966.