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About this report
There's no denying the Detroit sound -- that deep Motown groove, the relentless rock beat, and the spacey thrum of techno. At one time Detroit radio was known for taking that sound and spreading it to the masses. Today, that sound is being diluted by media conglomerates airing predictable music controlled by focus groups and studies. Who wins and who loses?
Radio personalities
and audio clips
 From reelradio.com
 John Benson WXYZ, Halloween 1964
Scott Regen, WKNR, Motown Monday
Paul Cannon, WKNR, 1965
Lee Alan, WXYZ, 1965
K.O. Bailey, WJBK, 1969
Dave "Sangoo" Prince, WKMH, 1962
Chuck "Hot Ticket" McKay, CKLW, 1975
PAMS Series 33 for WKNR, 1967
WJBK, Jingles, Late '50s
The Bellboy Dave Shafer, WJBK, 1962
J. Michael Wilson, WKNR, 1966
Chuck Bennett, WKNR, 1971
Bob Green, WKNR, 1964
Detroit Radio Reunion Promos, 1998
Gary Stevens, WKNR, 1964
Scott Regen on WKNR, 1967
Bob Green, WKNR, 1966
From keener13.com
Pictures, clips and information about WKNR personalities
From The Classic CKLW page
The sounds of 'The Big 8'
Metro Detroit radio links
Special Reports Archive
Read more special reports by
The Detroit News
© Copyright 2002 The Detroit News.
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Detroit News file photos
Mickey Shorr was a famed Detroit disc jockey who championed rock 'n' roll and R&B, and played an edgy mix of music.
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Part 2
'50s, '60s personalities had power over playlist
A strange little record called "Louie, Louie" might not have made such a big splash if it hadn't been for a Detroit disc jockey. The single landed on the desk of Detroit radio promo man Arman Boladian in the early '60s. 11/11/02
In the '60s, Scott Regen and teens ruled at WKNR
If WKNR-AM was "the teen-age station" from 1965-67, Scott Regen was the disc jockey who connected with Detroit teen-agers. 11/11/02
Memories on the dial
Here are some key shows and events in Detroit radio history 11/11/02
Part 1
Once distinctive sound fades into predictability
There's no denying the Detroit sound -- that deep Motown groove, the relentless rock beat, and the spacey thrum of techno. At one time Detroit radio was known for taking that sound and spreading it to the masses. 11/10/02
Hometown talent trumps syndicated morning DJs
Detroiters have always loved hometown talent in the morning, seen in the longevity of voices like WOMC's Dick Purtan with his 40-year span on Detroit radio and WMGC's Jim Harper, a breakfast time mainstay. 11/10/02
Detroit listeners pine for old days
Since radio broadcasts began in the 1920s, the medium has been an intimate and vital form of communication, a national treasure that was considered a public trust. 11/10/02
Satellite radio invades market
Just as criticism of the blandness of radio reaches an all-time high, satellite radio offers a potent threat, with hundreds of channels of musical variety and a high-quality, digital signal listeners can pull in from coast to coast. 11/10/02
Local deejays detest 'tracking'
Randi West is everywhere. The radio personality is based in Cincinnati at WKFS-FM, but she can be heard in Detroit on WDRV-FM, in Chicago on WKSC-FM and on stations in 10 other markets. 11/10/02
Q&A: Scott Regen
Former deejay sees big changes in Detroit radio over last 30 years
Scott Regen was one of Detroit's top disc jockeys during the 1960s at WKNR-AM, where he arrived in 1965 via skateboard from Kansas City. 11/10/02
Q&A: Bob Green
Stations battle for smaller pieces of listenership pie
Bob Green was on the air at Dearborn's WKNR-AM ("Keener")just after it switched on Halloween 1963 to a high-energy Top 40 format. That switch allowed the station to rule the Detroit airwaves until CKLW-AM reinvented itself in the late '60s. 11/10/02
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