NEW! 800 CKLW BACK ON THE RADIO: DICK PURTAN
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Audio recording digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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NEW! A special thank you to our senior contributor Greg Innis, of Livonia, Mi., for donating recently the above featured CKLW audio memory to the Motor City Radio Flashbacks airchecks collection.
THIS WEEK! 1963: THE HOTTEST RECORD SINGLE IN THE U.S.A.
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FIFTEEN WEEKS overall on the singles pop charts, “Hey Paula” by Paul and Paula peaks this week at #1 (3 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100. Peaked beginning February 3, 1963 through week ending, February 23, 1963. (Source: Joel Whitburn’s Pop Annual)
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For our previous Billboard Number One 1963 U.S.A. Hits go HERE
BROADCASTING | WKNR, KTHI-TV ARE SOLD FOR $7.5 MILLION . . . JUNE 24, 1968
Knorr Broadcasting Corp. Sale Of Dearborn WKNR 1310 Ends 22 Year Ownership Era in Motor City
Two station sales were reported last week for an aggregate of almost $7.5 million. Sold were WKNR Dearborn, Mich. (Detroit), by Knorr Broadcasting Corp. to Mission Broadcasting Co. for a price in the neighborhood of $6 million and KTHI-TV Fargo, N.D., by Fuqua Communications to the Morgan Murphy station group for $1.4 million.
Also last week the FCC approved, by a 4 to 1 vote, the transfer of WASH (FM) in Washington from Everett L. Dillard to Metromedia Inc. and the sale of Metromedia’s WCBM-FM Baltimore to the A.S. Abell Co.
Included in the WKNR package is the purchase of WKHM-TV which holds a construction permit for channel 18 in Jackson, Mich., and an option to buy WKNR-FM Dearborn, at a later date.
WKNR, founded in 1946, is principally owned by Mrs. Fred Knorr of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., who also has controlling interest in Jackson Broadcasting Corp. (WKHM-AM-FM) Jackson. Other principals of the selling corporation include Walter Patterson, executive vice president, Charles J. Sitta, vice president, Robert M. Booth Jr., assistant secretary, and (renown veteran Detroit sportscaster) Van Patrick. Mr. Booth owns 33% of WSAL-AM FM in Logansport, Ind., and Mr. Patrick is a 50% owner of WSRF-AM-FM in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
WKHM-TV is owned by Jackson Broadcasting Corp. (51%) and Southern Michigan Broadcasting Corp. and Knorr Broadcasting Corp. (each 17%). Southern Michigan Broadcasting Corp. is the licensee of WKFR-AM-FM (also known as ‘Keener’ 14) Battle Creek, Mich.
Mission Broadcasting Co., controlled by Jack Roth and family, already owns KONG and KRRY-FM, both San Antonio, Tex., WRIZ Coral Gables, Fla., and is an applicant for an FM in Miami. The sale of Mission’s only television station, KSAT-TV (formerly KONO-TV) San Antonio to The Outlet Co. for $10.5 million was approved by the FCC last November (see BROADCASTING, Nov. 27, 1967).
WKNR is a daytimer on 1310 kc with 5kw. WKNR-FM, which Mission has an option to buy, is on 100.3 mc with7.1 kw. WKHM-TV is authorized to telecast with 1,084 kw visual from an antenna that is 1,050 feet above terrain.
KTHI-TV (ch.11), founded in 1959, is principally owned by J.B. Fuqua, president of Fuqua Communications Inc., a subsidiary of Fuqua Industries Inc. Other Fuqua holdings are WROZ and WTVW (TV), both Evansville, Ind., KXOA Sacramento, Calif., and WTAC Flint, Mich. Mr. Fuqua personally own 100% of WJBF (TV) Augusta, Ga.
The Morgan Murphy stations are controlled by Mr. Murphy, who also has interests in the Superior Evening Telegram, Manitowoc Herald Times, Two Rivers Reporter, Ashland Press, all Wisconsin, and the Virginia (Minn.) Mesabi News. The Murphy stations are WISC-TV Madison, Wis., KXYL-AM-FM-TV Spokane and KAPP (TV) Yakima, both Washington.
KTHI-TV has 304 kw visual and operates from an antenna 2,063 feet above ground. Both WKNR and KTHI-TV sales were handled by William T. Stubblefield, mediabroker.
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Note: The original article was edited and condensed by the author.
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Information, credit and news source: Broadcasting; June 24, 1968
THE AIRCHECK LIBRARY: VARIOUS ’60s DETROIT RADIO DJs! 1964-1967
A Motor City Radio Flashbacks selection from the Aircheck Collection
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Audio recording digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
IN MEMORIAM: JOHN O’LEARY BENEFIT CONCERT [FEBRUARY 1 UPDATE]
The memorial for John O’Leary at the Token Lounge drew approximately 400 attendees and raised $3445 for the Oxford Community Memorial and Victims Fund. There are more donations still coming in.
The photos attached (in order; view below):
1. Louie Abraham, Charlie Martin guest vocalist, with Dave Edwards and the Look, Rick Zeldes Photo Credit: Marty Rickard
2. Rock Harley as Johnny Cash (representing when WWWW went country) Photo Credit: Richard Blondy
3. Vinnie Dombrowski (lead singer of Sponge) performing solo/acoustic ) Photo Credit: Richard Blondy
4. Roger Burghdoff, Doug Podell, Brian Major – Producers of the memorial. Photo Credit: Marty Rickard
5. Jim Edwards (Lead Singer – See Dick Run) Photo Credit: Marty Rickard
A big Thank You to the Motor City media and to everyone who came out Sunday night to pay tribute to John O’Leary!
Update #1: A local funeral director has stepped up to offer his services. He will be claiming John’s body and arranging the cremation. We will be scattering John’s ashes at all of his favorite haunts (no pun intended), Cobo Hall, Pine Knob, Bookies, Harpo’s, The Ritz, Wildwood Amphitheater, to name a few. This will be videotaped and posted for all to view.
Update #2: The entire memorial is being assembled for viewing by those who were unable to attend. A link will be posted soon – stay tuned.
Update #3: A preliminary examination for Sean Lamoureux is scheduled for Feb. 8. He was arraigned Nov. 24 in 30th District Court in Highland Park, three days after the discovery of John’s body.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any requests for interviews or Memorial photos.
Making Entertainment Great Again,
BRIAN MAJOR
Executive Producer | 1-800-FILM-911 | 1-248-613-8322
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
A MOTOR CITY RADIO BACK-PAGE: DICK PURTAN EXITS WKQI
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Above article courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2022. Newspapers.com
The above featured Detroit Free Press article was digitally re-imaged by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
A special thank you to senior MCRFB consultant Greg Innis, of Livonia, MI., for contributing the Newspapers.com archives (Detroit radio related) articles, ads, and images we have featured on this site, since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic Detroit radio features possible. 🙂
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Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE
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IN MEMORIAM: JOHN O’ LEARY BENEFIT CONCERT [IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE]
Greetings to all (and friends of Motor City Radio Flashbacks),
We are finalizing our memorial for slain Motor City rock DJ John O’Leary.
We wanted to make certain that you are aware of John’s passing, and of the details for his memorial, scheduled for Sunday, January 30th.
If you are are unable to attend, please feel free to make a donation in John’s name to the Oxford Community Memorial and Victims Fund at https://www.oxfordbank.com/donations.
John was the broadcast voice for the Oxford High School hockey team for many years. We are planning to broadcast the memorial on Zoom and Facebook live, those details will be forwarded to you as soon as they become available.
You will find attached the press release for distribution – feel free to pass it forward. Copies of the photos are also attached.
DETAILS
- John O’Leary Memorial, Sunday January, 30th, at 5 pm
- Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland, MI 48185
- Doors open 5 p.m. Advance tickets only $10 – www.TokenLounge.com
- Proceeds will be donated in John’s Name to the Oxford High School Community Memorial and Victims Fund via www.oxfordbank.com/donations.
RELEVANT LINKS
- Purchase Tickets: www.TokenLounge.com
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/295221559200643/?active_tab=discussion
- Background: https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2021/11/22/detroit-rock-radio-john-oleary-found-dead/8721569002/
- https://www.oxfordbank.com/donations
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns, especially if you have a favorite photo or memory to share. My direct contact is 248-613-8322 or via e-mail at this address and we look forward to hearing from you either way.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter and continued success in the New Year.
Making Entertainment Great Again,
Brian Major
Executive Producer | 1-800-FILM-911 | 1-248-613-8322
January 19, 2022
MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS: MARKING TEN YEARS ON THE WEB!
Thank you.
The reason this site still exists is because of you.
It is you who made Motor City Radio Flashbacks what it has become today. Thank you for your visits here, words of encouragement, your comments and your show of support throughout the past ten years. Your dedication to this site has truly been my inspiration, that I should strive to carry on.
On June 24 last year, a new visitor counter was added to the site. Since then, as of this writing (1/26), the counter (see the numbers below left side of page) has recorded nearly 960,000 visitors within the past seven months alone. I must say, those are some respectable traffic numbers.
UPDATE: Motor City Radio Flashbacks surpassed the 1,000,000 visitor mark on Friday, February 4 2022 at 9:17 p.m. EST. Today, nearly 8 months after we installed a new Visitor’s Counter (June 24 2021) this update reflects 1014360 visitors having visited the site as of 9:48 a.m., Wednesday, February 9 2022.
While the site is going through several changes at the moment, as in years past, the central mission of the page has always remained the same. That is, in honoring the golden era of classic Detroit radio. Those golden voices, radio legends, those exciting DJ names we still recall having heard on the dial, from many years having passed, and, so long ago.
Did you know we have over 1,000 Detroit radio airchecks in the Aircheck Library? Their names and their radio memories live here.
During the ten year span, we’ve amassed 628 PAGES of daily posts and features alone. All told, at 10 posts and exhibits allowed per each page, that amounts to 6,280 posts having been published on this site, since January 27, 2012.
And there is more good things planned for Motor City Radio Flashbacks as we move forward in the new year.
In closing, this site would not have been possible without our friend, Scott Westerman. It was his encouragement early on — which gave life to his idea — our friend George Griggs and I should pursue making a Detroit radio website into the reality it has become on the web. And that was how this story began.
In memory of our late-founder, George Griggs, thank you again. You made this happen. It’s been ten years. And so here we are.
Last, a special thank you to Mrs. Patti Griggs.
The site’s domain legally became hers in wake of her husband’s passing in 2014. Because I had asked her for it, she fully relinquished site’s ownership from her husband’s name over to me in February 2016. To this day, her continued support and her contributions to the site has been more than just invaluable.
And one final thank you to all our Detroit radio friends who generously contributed from their own collection throughout the past decade.
Whether great or small, your gifts and contributions will always be appreciated. While the names and credits are numerous to mention here, you know who you are. Allow me this moment to thank you everyone of you from the bottom of my heart.
Another ten years, perhaps? Why not. Let’s go for it.
Jim Feliciano
January 26, 2022
MOTOR CITY MUSIC! THIS MONTH’S HAPPENINGS: JANUARY 1968
Detroit Awash With Concert Billings and Venue Headliners Highlighting The Motor City Entertainment World, January ’68
DETROIT — Bill Cosby will appeared in concert at Cobo Arena, Friday (26). With him will be the Pair Extraordinaire . . . Clay MacMurray, formerly with Jay Kay Distributors here, has been appointed Midwest promotion manager for Venture Records . . . Solid Hitbound Productions announces the release of four new singles this week on The Parliaments, J. J. Barnes, Steve Mancha and Little Sonny . . . Paul Anka headlined for one week, Jan.8-14, at the Roostertail supper club. Other acts during that week included the Lazy Eggs and the Utopias. Two Motown acts, The Monitors and Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers appeared in a Motown Revue at the 20 Grand Driftwood Lounge Jan.12-18. Nina Simone and Detroit’s Gerald Wilson and his band are booked into the Masonic Auditorium for Saturday (27). The Sam and Dave Revue will come through here Feb.2 at Cobo Hall, presented by LBJ Productions . . . Aretha Franklin is scheduled to appear in concert early next month, also at Cobo Hall. Sharing the bill with her will be the Young-Holt Unlimited and Erma Franklin, backed by an orchestra with strings . . .
The Fantastic Four will make their 20 Grand debut with the Detroit Emeralds Friday (26) . . . The entertainment line-up for the annual Autorama at Cobo Hall, Friday-Sunday (19-21) include the Bob Seger System, The Rationals, The Scott Richard Case, The Camel Drivers, The Amboy Dukes and The Tallasmen . . . Pianist Seymour Bernstein played a series of concerts at the Detroit Institute of Arts during the week of Jan.12, after Kaebi Laretel had to cancel because of illness. Bernstein per formed unnamed selections, then called for children in the audience to suggest titles. Their impressions of the music were surprisingly close to those of the composers’ . . . On Friday Jan.12, Al Hirt and Pee-Wee and The Young Set appeared in concert with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sixten Ehrling. The concert took place at the Ford Auditorium, and was a benefit performance for the Symphony’s pension and maintenance funds . . . CKLW jockey Tom Shannon will do his second TV production with WJBK Channel 2. Shannon will discuss the record business with other disk jockeys. A Sonny and Cher movie feature will be included as part of the program. END
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Information, credit and source source: Billboard January 27, 1968
