The station signed on the air on December29, 1946;77 years ago(1946-12-29).[4] The original call sign was WKMH. The owner was Fred A. Knorr, who served as president and General Manager. It was originally a daytime-only station broadcasting on 1540 kHz. It added an FM station, WKMH-FM 100.3 (now WNIC) in the same month. WKMH AM moved to its current frequency and began round-the-clock operations in 1948.
WKMH-AM-FM specialized in local news, information, sports, and mainly middle of the road (MOR) music. WKMH's most popular personality was Robin Seymour, a pioneering rock and rolldisk jockey. Seymour's "Bobbin' with Robin" show featured a music mix that foreshadowed the birth of the Top 40 radio format in playing R&B and early rock and roll artists like The Crows alongside mainstream pop stars like Patti Page. Seymour remained with the station as it became WKNR and later became the host of Swingin' Time, a popular local teenage dance show on CKLW-TV.
WKMH garnered some notice through early 1960s Top 40 shows hosted by personalities such as Lee Alan "On the Horn" and Dave "Sangoo" Prince, but the station was generally considered an also-ran in the Detroit market and a weak competitor to WJBK and WXYZ, which were Detroit's dominant Top 40 stations. At night, the station featured a jazz show hosted by Jim Rockwell (later of WABX). In addition, WKMH was briefly Detroit's CBS Radionetwork affiliate in 1960, after WJR dropped its ties to CBS to add more local programming. Despite, or some might say because of, this unusual move, WKMH continued to flounder.
In 1962 the station shed its CBS affiliation (which WJR regained) and became "Flagship Radio," an early adult contemporary format featuring a mix of softer current pop hits and MOR album cuts, but this format, too, was not popular.
"Keener 13"
Despite the power of WJBK and WXYZ and the 50,000-watt signal of CKLW, consultant Mike Joseph (best known for developing the Hot Hits format in the late 1970s) was convinced there was room for a fourth Top 40 station in Detroit and that 1310 AM could easily climb ahead of the competition. With WKMH owner Nellie Knorr, he developed the formula that ultimately became a success.
Joseph instituted a shorter playlist of only 31 records plus one "key song" of the week and a liberal sprinkling of oldies. Most Top 40 stations of that era played many more current records. WJBK, WXYZ and CKLW all had very long playlists at the time, stretching to 80 to 100 songs at times. WKNR's shorter playlist ensured the station played more hits and fewer "stiffs" and that listeners would hear one of the top hits whenever they tuned in. WKNR also played the hits 24 hours a day, as opposed to the other hit stations in Detroit which were loaded with non-music full-service features (especially on weekends).
WKNR officially launched on October 31, 1963, with the "Battle of the Giants," an attention-grabbing promotion that invited listeners to call in to vote for their favorite oldies. The station quickly gained momentum, and in an unprecedented "worst-to-first" move, three months later "Keener" was a solid across-the-board number one in the ratings. This happened despite a weak signal which missed most of the east side of the Detroit metro area, especially at night, although the station could be heard market-wide on its more powerful FM simulcast on 100.3 MHz. WKNR became the preeminent Top 40 radio station in the Motor City. Competitors WJBK and WXYZ were hurt in the ratings by their new competitor, and both stations eventually were driven out of Top 40 and into MOR formats. It has been reported that the legendary Henry Ford II himself was an avid Keener fan.
Keener featured popular personalities like Dick Purtan, Bob Green, Gary Stevens (later of New York's legendary WMCA), J. Michael Wilson, Scott Regen, Ted Clark and Jim Jeffries. It played a mix of music that included a number of local acts featuring many of Detroit's Motown superstars. Scott Regen's "Motown Monday" features included live concerts from the Roostertail supper club, featuring Motown legends such as the Supremes and The Four TopsDick Purtan honed the wry, sardonic sense of humor that made him a fixture on the Motor City airwaves for four decades, first on WKNR. The station's promotions, imaging, and jingles were noted for their wacky, offbeat sound and were imitated frequently by other stations across the country, including sister station WKFR in Battle Creek, Michigan, which was known as "Keener 14." Bob Green would later describe the Keener sound as being like "a 24-hour cartoon."
Keener 13's appeal to adult listeners as well as teens was cemented with the station's news commitment. "Contact News" aired at :15 and :45 past the hour every hour. WKNR's newscasts were straightforward and lacked the flash or sensationalism of CKLW's "blood-and-guts" 20/20 News but were highly regarded. The station released a "Year in Review" album each year which was made available to area schools.
WKNR's dominance was challenged when CKLW 800 AM got a makeover courtesy of consultants Bill Drake and Paul Drew in April 1967. With 50,000 watts behind it and a lightning-fast pace based on Drake's "Boss Radio" model, The Big 8 became the number one Top 40 station in the region. Some of Keener's top DJs, including Dick Purtan and Scott Regen, eventually moved over to CKLW. However, WKNR did not go down without a fight, continuing to battle the Big 8 for five more years despite dropping ratings. During this time, the station attempted to distinguish itself from CKLW by playing less bubblegum pop and more album rock cuts. It promoted itself as "Rock and Roll The American Way," a jab at CKLW's location in Windsor, Ontario, and Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission-mandated "Canadian content" regulations imposed at the start of 1971. Sister station WKNR-FM 100.3, which had previously simulcast the AM programming, switched to a more adventurous progressive rock format starting in 1969. But by 1971, WKNR-FM flipped to an easy listening "Stereo Island" format, switching its call sign to WNIC.
The Keener 13 era is celebrated at Keener13.com, with an extensive history, an archive of air checks and a database of every WKNR Music Guide in addition to an online tribute webcast called WKNR Keener 13 dot com.
Easy Listening and Oldies
On April 25, 1972, "Keener 13" ended its Top 40 format. The final song was "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds. WKNR began playing the same easy listening format that was successful on 100.3 WNIC, simulcasting its FM sister station. WNIC-FM changed to a soft adult contemporary format in 1976. AM 1310 simulcast for a short time until the decision was made in 1977 to revive the "Keener 13" brand name on its original frequency with an adult-oriented Top 40 and Oldies mix and a new call sign, WWKR. (The WKNR call sign was unavailable after having been installed on the former WKFR, now WBFN). The legendary "Keener 13" record survey, the "Keener Music Guide," was also brought back, but was published on a monthly rather than weekly basis. The second version of "Keener 13" did not have the success of the original, and by 1980, AM 1310 was back to simulcasting WNIC-FM.
Since late 1986, AM 1310 has tried several other different formats, none of which have attained lasting success, and has been in and out of simulcasting WNIC 100.3 between formats. Other formats heard on 1310 since 1986 include:
WDOZ: children's programming, 1994-1996 (affiliated with the Radio AAHS network and then with KidStar after AAHS went under)
WYUR: "Your Radio Station"/Personality News-Talk/Adult Standards/Classical, 1997–2000. This permutation of AM 1310 was started by veteran WJR broadcaster Bob Hynes in an attempt to revive the sound of the 50,000-watt giant at AM 760 before it changed to the standard news/talk outlet it is now. After longtime classical-music station WQRS changed format in November 1997, the station added classical music to its schedule. However, WYUR had only a minimal impact in the ratings.
WXDX: "The X"/Sports Talk (Fox Sports Radio), 2000–2002
On January 21, 2010, WDTW's network, Air America Media, filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and ceased live programming the same night. Reruns of Air America's programming continued to air until January 25 at 9 PM Eastern Time. After that, WDTW had to find other programs.
Donation to Minority Media
On December 11, 2012, Clear Channel announced it would donate WDTW to the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC), as part of the Ownership Diversity Initiative between Clear Channel and the MMTC. The MMTC did not announce any specific plans for the station.[5]
On December 14, 2012, it was revealed that the MMTC donation applied only to the license of the station, as Clear Channel announced that WDTW would cease broadcasting at midnight on December 31, 2012. The station's antennas and transmitter facilities near the intersection of I-94 and Telegraph Road in Taylor were dismantled shortly afterward.
Spanish-language programming
First logo after WDTW's rebirth as a Spanish station
In 2014, the MMTC chose to resell WDTW to Pedro Zamora, who owns several Spanish-language radio stations and a promoter specializing in Spanish-language musicians, for $100,000. After the sale, WDTW reconstructed its broadcast facilities, a process that had an estimated cost of around $1 million. In April 2016, the station officially re-launched as La Mega Detroit 1310. Zamora entered into arrangements with TSJ Media (which operates La Mega stations in other markets) to assist in WDTW's operations. The station was operated out of TSJ's facilities in Columbus, Ohio, while WDTW completed the build-out of its studio in Taylor, Michigan, and hired full-time staff members. TSJ's owner Josh Guttman stated that he also planned for WDTW to pursue Spanish-language broadcast rights to local professional sports teams, as TSJ had successfully done in Ohio.[6]
On July 21, 2017, WDTW activated a low-powered FM translator on 107.9 MHz in Detroit, W300DI. That year, the station also dropped the La Mega brand in favor of La Z 1310.
CKLW is a commercial radio station in Windsor, Ontario, serving Southwestern Ontario and Metro Detroit. CKLW is owned by Bell Media and has a news/talk radio format. It features local hosts in morning and afternoon drive times, with syndicated Canadian hosts in middays and evenings, plus Coast to Coast AM with George Noory overnight. Evening newscasts are simulcast from CHWI-DT Channel 16 CTV Windsor.
WUFL is an FM radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. Owned by Family Life Broadcasting, it broadcasts a contemporary Christian radio format, with some Christian talk and teaching programs. Its studios are located in the Fisher Building in New Center, while its transmitter is located at the intersection of 10 Mile and Greenfield Road in suburban Oak Park.
WCSX is a commercial radio station licensed to Birmingham, Michigan, and serving Metro Detroit. It broadcasts a classic rock radio format and is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group. The studios and transmitter are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale. Despite its call sign, WCSX is not affiliated with the CSX Corporation.
WNIC is a commercial radio station licensed to Dearborn, Michigan, and serving the Metro Detroit media market. Owned by iHeartMedia, WNIC broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format. Each year, usually on the first Friday of November, WNIC switches its format to all-Christmas music.
WDVD is a hot adult contemporary radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned and operated by Cumulus Media, WDVD's studios and offices are located in the Fisher Building in Detroit's New Center district near downtown, while its transmitter is located in Royal Oak Township at 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue.
CIDR-FM is a commercial radio station in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, targeting the Detroit–Windsor metropolitan area, with fringe reception into Toledo and Cedar Point/Sandusky in Ohio. It is owned and operated by Bell Media and airs a Top 40/CHR format. The studios and offices are located on Ouellette Avenue in Windsor.
CKWW is a Canadian radio station in Windsor, Ontario. It is owned by Neeti Prakash Ray and is part of the CINA Media Group. The station airs a classic hits format targeted to the Windsor/Detroit market. Most of the playlist is made up of hits from the 1970s and 1980s. The studios and offices are on Ouellette Avenue in Windsor.
WKQI is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, featuring a top 40 (CHR) format known as "Channel 955", pronounced "nine-five-five". Owned by iHeartMedia, the station serves Metro Detroit and much of Southeast Michigan and southwestern portions of Ontario, including Windsor. The station's studios are located in Farmington Hills, while the transmitter is located in Oak Park, Michigan, on 10 Mile Road near Greenfield Road. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WKQI broadcasts over HD Radio using the in-band on-channel standard, and is available online via iHeartRadio.
WOMC is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It airs a classic hits radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. The studios are located on American Drive off 11 Mile Road in Southfield, Michigan. The transmitter is located on Woodward Heights Blvd. in Ferndale.
WLLZ is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It is owned by iHeartMedia and it broadcasts a classic rock radio format, focusing mostly on active rock titles from the 1980s and 1990s. Its studios are in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills on Halsted Road.
WXYT-FM is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan, serving Metro Detroit and much of Southeast Michigan. It airs a sports radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. Its studios and offices are located in the nearby suburb of Southfield.
WXYT is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It airs a betting-oriented sports radio format known as "The Bet Detroit". Most programming comes from the BetQL Network and Infinity Sports Network. During College football season, WXYT airs live play-by-play from the Central Michigan University Chippewas football team. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Metro Detroit and much of Southeast Michigan. The studios and offices are on American Drive off 11 Mile Road in Southfield.
Paul Richard Purtan is an American radio personality. His last radio job was as the morning radio show host on WOMC serving the Detroit, Michigan, radio market. Purtan was also a disc jockey at WKNR, WXYZ, CKLW, WCZY-FM which became WKQI in 1989 and WOMC from 1996 until his retirement in 2010. Previous to coming to Detroit at WKNR "Keener 13" in 1965, Purtan worked at WOLF in Syracuse, New York and WSAI in Cincinnati; he began his radio career in his hometown of Buffalo, New York at WWOL under the station-mandated name "Guy King" and also worked for a very short time at WBAL in Baltimore.
WRDT is a commercial radio station licensed to Monroe, Michigan, and serving Metro Detroit. It is owned by Crawford Broadcasting and it broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. The studios and offices are on Capitol Avenue near Burt Road in the Weatherby section of Detroit.
WMGC-FM is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan. It is owned and operated by the Beasley Broadcast Group and airs a classic hip hop radio format. WMGC-FM broadcasts with 50,000 watts of effective radiated power (ERP) from a transmitter tower co-located with its studios and offices off Radio Plaza in the Ferndale section of Royal Oak Charter Township in Oakland County.
WLQV is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. It uses paid brokered programming where hosts buy time on the station and may seek donations to their ministries during their programs. Religious leaders heard on WLQV include David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Alistair Begg, Jim Daly, Tony Evans and Charles Stanley. The studios are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale, Michigan.
WIOE is a commercial oldies radio station licensed to serve Fort Wayne, Indiana. Owned by Brian Walsh, the station services the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Area and much of surrounding Northeastern Indiana as a full-power simulcast of WIOE, licensed to nearby South Whitley. WIOE also simulcasts over Fort Wayne translator W282CH. The WIOE studios are located in both Warsaw, and Fort Wayne, while WIOE's transmitter resides in Fort Wayne's East Central neighborhood along with W282CH's transmitter of Fort Wayne. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WIOE broadcasts under the C-QUAM AM stereo standard, and is available online.
As the world's traditional automotive center, Detroit, Michigan, is an important source for business news. The Detroit media are active in the community through such efforts as the Detroit Free Press high school journalism program and the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit. Wayne State University offers a widely respected journalism program.
WBFN is a radio station licensed to Battle Creek, Michigan, that broadcasts an adult contemporary Christian music and religious teaching format as an affiliate of Family Life Radio. The station operates full time with a power of 1,000 watts.
The year 1972 in radio involved some significant events.
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