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AM 560 before HoneyRadio

Here's your place to reminisce about classic radio and television. Want to share memories of The Big 8? How about J.P. McCarthy? Do it here!
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Deleted User 14803

AM 560 before HoneyRadio

Unread post by Deleted User 14803 »

Does anyone remember 560 in the WQTE “The Fabulous 56”era and the talent that went through the station at that time, the station was big with my parents in those days.I know that Fabulous 56 was short lived then they switched to Cutie Radio Beautiful Music,Dad loved that station both formats it was always on the car radio.
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SolarMax
Posts: 722
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 5:59 pm
Location: 313

Re: AM 560 before HoneyRadio

Unread post by SolarMax »

Before the recent Hack, I had reminisced about the 1960 WQTE stunt that I remembered, which was a weekend or so of continuous play of Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini."
Deleted User 14803

Re: AM 560 before HoneyRadio

Unread post by Deleted User 14803 »

I do remember what you had mentioned ,at the time 560 was a daytime only station it was to bad that Fabulous 56 didn’t stick around longer than it did.
Chris1980
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2018 9:43 pm

Re: AM 560 before HoneyRadio

Unread post by Chris1980 »

Going even farther back, 560 was WMIC and went on the air about 1956 or so. I haven't been able to find much information on what type of programming WMIC aired, but I believe they aired block programming - some country, some rock & roll, etc.

I believe when WMIC became WQTE in 1959 is when they decided to go after the Detroit market in earnest with an MOR format. Ed McKenzie (the original "Jack the Bellboy" on WJBK) was one of their personalities and even wrote a piece for Life magazine about his miserable experiences working within the confines of Top 40 radio (particularly being forced to play music he hated) and singing the praises of the new WQTE, which would allow him to pick his own music. Of course it didn't last and they went Top 40 in the spring of 1960 or so.

Tom Clay was one of the Fabulous 56 jocks, as was Dave Hull, who later went on to KRLA in Pasadena (where former Detroiter Casey Kasem also worked). But the Top 40 field in Detroit was very crowded, with WJBK and WXYZ dominating and CKLW and WKMH (although not full-time Top 40s) boasting their own popular rock jocks. They couldn't all survive, and Cutie was the first to go.
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