From the MCRFB news archive: 1964
Detroit Radio Stations by Formats
MAY, 1964
R A D I O R E S P O N S E R A T I N G S F O R D E T R O I T
DETROIT AREA: Fifth largest radio market. Twelve (12) AM, thirteen (13) FM. One pop-contemporary, 1 standard-pop, 2 R&B, 1 C&W, 4 contemporary, 1 standard, 2 conservative.
WKNR: 5,000 watts. Knorr Broadcasting. Music format: Contemporary. Station plays 30 records, plus 1 pick-hit only. Highly identifiable air personalities. Station switched call letters from WKMH to WKNR and launched “Top 30 plus 1” programming which placed the radio station into first place rating-wise in the Detroit market. Two 5-minute newscast aired per hour at 15 and 45. Heavy on and off-air promotion and contests. Executive VP and General Manager Walter Patterson. Program Director, Frank Maruca.
WJBK: 10,000 watts daytime. 1,000 watts nighttime. Storer Broadcasting owned. Station is in preparation to upgrade transmitter-power to 50,000 daytime, 10,000 nighttime (target date yet to be provided). Music format: Contemporary. Highly-identifiable air personalities. Station editorializes. Award-winning five man, news-cruiser equipped department headed by AP award winner, Robert C. King. RPI subscriber, plus Washington news bureau. Special public service program concentration on weekends. Special programs: Shirley Eder, two-minute capsules, “That’s Show Business” (Hollywood gossip). “Assignment Detroit,” 60-minute documentary hosted by Robert King, Sundays at 10. VP and GM, Larry R. Lipson. Program Manager, John Grubb.
WXYZ: 5,000 watts. ABC owned; network affiliate. Music format: Contemporary. Highly identifiable air personalities. Station editorializes. Twelve-man radio news department, mobile news cruiser equipped under direction of Ed Hardy. News, sports, service feature block, 5:50-7:15 p.m., M-F. Special newscasts 7-7:10 a.m., 7:55-8:05 a.m.; 8:55-9:05 p.m. Special programs: Louis Gordon three-minute capsule commentaries. “Show World” capsules by drama critic Dick Osgood aired three times daily.
CKLW: 50,000 watts. RKO General owned. Music format: Pop-Contemporary. Highly identifiable air personalities. Three on-air newsmen. Combo radio-TV news department. Special direct boating, fishing and ski reports. Ten-minute newscast noon, 6 p.m. “Eye Opener” — union news and information 6:15-6:45 a.m. and 2:30-3 p.m. daily, sponsored by UAW. Special programs: Bill Kennedy five-minute Hollywood news 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Mary Morgan five-minute capsules 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. President and General Manager S. C. Ritchie. Program Director John Gordon.
WJR: 50,000 watts. A Goodwill station. CBS affiliate. Sale reported to Capitol Cities Broadcasting Corporation. Music format: Standard. Highly identifiable air personalities. One of few stations regularly airing live music. Special programs: 9:15-9:45 a.m. M-F, hosted by Jack Harris and featuring celebrity guest performers and Jim Clark’s six-piece orchestra. 12:30-12:55 p.m. Bud Guest (son of Edgar A.) host live music show with two featured vocalists. 2:10-3:30 p.m. two different vocalist perform live on show emceed by Jim Woods. Saturday 7:15-9:45 similar live shows emceed by Dale McCarren and Jimmy Launce. Station editorializes. Seven-man mobile equipped news department headed by Frank Tomlinson. Separate sports department, two full-time men. Woman’s Director, Lee Murray. “Adventure In Music” classical music program aired M-F 10:10 – 11:00 a.m. hosted by station’s Fine Arts Director, Karl Hasse. Program received 1964 Peabody Award. Excerpt repeated Saturday 8:10-9. Sports programs: Tiger Baseball, Detroit Lions Football, professional golf. Staff includes three full-time record libraries, eight announcers, four producers, three in fine arts department and six-man orchestra. Special farm programs M-S 5:05-5:55 a.m., 12:15-12:30 p.m. and Sunday “Farm Forum.” Farm Director, Marshall Wells. VP and General Manager James H. Quello. Program Manager Reg Merridew. Music Director Jimmy Clark.
WCAR: 50,000 watts, daytime. 10,000 watts, nighttime. Independent. Music format: Standard-Pop. Highly identifiable air personalities. Special sport shows aired 7:45 a.m., 4:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m., five minutes “Human Side Of Sports” — syndicated five minutes sports show 5:45 nightly. Public service entries locally produced 11:100-11:45 p.m. President and General Manager, Hyman Levinson. Program Director, Jack Sanders (also does daily air show).
WCHB: 1,000 watts day. Independent. Music format: R&B-Contemporary. Negro-oriented programming. Highly identifiable air personalities. Active full-time news department emphasizing coverage of local and national Negro news. Newscasts 12 times daily. Two radio eqqipped news vehicles. General Manager, Frank F. Seymour. Program Director, Bill Williams.
WEXL: 1,000 watts daytime, 250 watts nighttime. Independent. Country Music Network. Music format: Country and Western. Highly identifiable air personalities. General Manager, Gordon L. Sparks. Program Director, Bill Samples.
WJLB: 1,000 watts daytime, 250 watts nighttime. Booth Broadcasting Company. Music format: R&B. Highly identifiable air personalities. Spiritual and foreign language programs aired. Special programs: Jan Foreman’s “Woman’s Hour” — household hints, 10-11:00 a.m., M-F. General Manager and Sales Manager, Thomas J. Warner.
WQTE: 500 watts daytime. Independent. Music format: Conservative. Music programming based entirely on LP’s. Instrumentals featured. Vice president and Treasurer, Bill Brink.
WWJ: 5,000 watts. Owned by Evening News Association. NBC affiliate. Music format: Standard-Conservative. Special programs: “Ask Your Neighbor” — 10-12 noon, listeners telephone Bob Allison for advice and solutions to household problems. “Friendship Club,” with Les Martins 2-4 p.m., listeners telephone comment on domestic problems. News and information block 6-7 p.m., “Phone Opinion” — 7-8:30 p.m., hosted by Don Perrie. Thirteen-man mobile equipped news operation. Fifteen-minute newscast 7, 8, 9 a.m., noon, 4, 5, 6 p.m., M-F. “Newsbriefs” on the half-hour news and information block 6-7 p.m. and “News Final,” with Don Perrie, 11-11:30 p.m. Station carries Detroit Tigers baseball games and University of Michigan football games. Station Manager, Denman F. Jacobson. Program and Production Manager, Rupert Henabery.
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THE RADIO RESPONSE RATINGS of stations and individual radio personalities have been determined by survey of local and national record promotion personnel, distributors and record manufacturers. Not a popularity poll, the ratings are based strictly on the comparative ability of the stations and air personalities to influence their listeners to purchase the singles and albums played on the air. The ratings likewise point up the music of all types in building audiences and creating the framework conducive to influencing the listener to purchase other products and services advertised on radio stations.
FORMAT GLOSSARY: “Contemporary” — Stations that play primarily singles and LP’s of a “rock-n-roll” and rhythm and blues nature. “Pop Contemporary” — Stations that feature “rock-n-roll” programming current and stock singles and LP’s, excluding rock-n-roll and rhythm and blues in nature. “Standard-Pop” — Same as “Pop-Standard” with stations emphasizing standards to current pop singles. “Standard” — Stations programming current or stock versions of the old standards culled primarily from LP’s. Rock-n-roll and “teen sound” excluded. “Conservative” — station featuring primarily LP of a subdued nature in tone and performance. Background instrumental music. “Classical,” Country and Western,” Jazz,” “Rhythm and Blues,” “Ethnic” — Stations programming more than 50 per cent of their music in the above mentioned particular categories.
(Information and news source: Billboard; May 16, 1964).
