Category: CKLW

From the MCRFB news archives:

Veteran DJ Exits Sparks ‘Formula Radio’ Furor; WXYZ Ace Fred Wolf Responds To Backlash

 

 

 

 

From the MCRFB Aircheck Library, featuring:

WXYZ-AM – Fred Wolf – 1961.mp3

WXYZ-AM – Fred Wolf – Part 2 – 1961 – With Dick Osgood.mp3

 

DETROIT — The No. 1 topic among record and radio executives continues to be “formula radio,” with the local press, jocks, distributors and broadcasting brass taking aggressive stands — both pro and con — on the subject.

The furor, of course, was sparked by the recent resignations of veteran deejays Ed McKenzie from WXYZ radio here, and Eddie Chase from CKLW radio in Windsor, across from the Detroit river. Both jocks blamed “formula radio” for their departure.

The local newspapers had a field day after the Chase resignation, with CKLW radio making public charges of prevarication on Chase’s part for reasons of his leaving. CKLW president J. E. Campeau issued statements to the Detroit Times that Chase designed his statements “to cash in on the subject of (the) so-called formula broadcasting.”

Campeau added in the Hearst publication story that, “the truth is, we insisted that Chase, whose ratings were sagging badly, return to live broadcasting from the studios…. instead of doing taped shows from the lobby of a local theater…. services such as time signals. weather reports, traffic conditions and other public services he could not provide on a taped show. In six months, his ratings became the highest in Detroit for most of the afternoon time segments.”

The station president claimed that Chase continued to view giving the public added station services as unnecessary. Chase refused to comment on Campeau’s statement and charges until he officially leaves the station.

Fred Wolf, disk-jockey star of WXYZ radio and television, however did not hesitate in an end-of-the-week climax denouncement of opposition to “formula radio” to label it as “”live, live, live!” Castigating “old-timers” for not wanting to move, Wolf explained “formula” as “fast-paced production, station identification, less talk, more music.” Admitting he couldn’t sincerely endorse straight formula, Wolf said identification is the big thing…. “It takes a good man with personality, get-up-and-go and a live program to get away with formula.”

Wolf and station officials’ opinion on “formula” were clearly not shared by some others in the industry here. Decca branch manager John Schlee, Columbia’s Russ Yerge, Mercury and Dot distributors John Kaplan expressed themselves vigorously in the local press against “formula.” They frowned because their sales staff must spend more time with record dealers in order to get their records on the listings which the dealers give the disk jockeys as weekly hit tunes. They also dislike the “wearing-out” of a disk on radio DJ shows because they fear the public may lose some interest in buying their disk product, therefore possibly affecting any potential high volume return in sales. END.

 (Information and news source: Billboard; March 30, 1959).

From the MCRFB news archives:

CHANGE OF THEME FOR WXYZ AM IN DETROIT

 

 

 

 

DETROIT — 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 to 12 midnight time slot. Joel Sabastian, previously the night man, is taking over the 3 to 7 P.M. spot, effective for this week, and Paul Winter, formerly the afternoon man at WXYZ, is moving up into the 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. hours this week as well. END (Billboard; March 31, 1962).

 

From the MCRFB news archives:

DETROIT CKLW-AM DJ FIRES COUNTRY BOOM

 

 

 

 

DETROIT –The pop record business was only so-so last week, but dealers and distributors noticed an upsurge in country and western record disks sales, which was mainly attributed to the impact of deejay Bob Staton‘s 7 P.M. to 12 Midnight C&W show on CKLW.

At the same time, dealers and distributors lost an exposure outlet for singles when station WKMH started a new programming policy last Monday, featuring only “up-beat music,” with the bulk of its wax culled from long-play albums. The move leaves Detroit with only two strong influential and exposure outlets for singles — WJBK and WXYZ.

WXYZ-AM in Detroit started swinging on new releases only a few months ago. Deejays Lee Alan and Joel Sabastian recently returned to WXYZ, and the jocks, who do their own programming from 3 to 11 P.M. daily, are putting strong emphasis on “breaking” new singles here.

The impact of Staton’s C&W show on CKLW is also felt in the pop market categories, according to Tommy Schlesinger of Jay Kay Distributors here. For example, he cited James O’ Gwynn’s “My Name Is Mud,” which was played heavily by Staton and was then picked up by WJBK for its pop music records rotation.

In the album field, Capitol’s original-cast album of Richard Rodgers’s “No Strings” musical hit is chalking up strong sales and heavy radio play. The show was premiered here at Detroit’s new Fisher Theater.

Among the newer singles mentioned as showing local action was “Let’s Stick Together” by Wilbur Harrison on Fury Records and “You’re To Blame” by the Fascinators on the Trans-Atlas label. END (Billboard; April 21, 1962).

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(Information and news source: Billboard; March 31, 1962 and April 21, 1962)

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