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40 years ago in 1979

Discussion pertaining to Flint, Saginaw, Bay City, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, and Michigan's thumb region.
matt1
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by matt1 »

HAD W106 continued, that station might have also played The Alan Parsons Project latest album "Eve" (which has the song "Damned If I Do") in its entirely at 11:00 that Tuesday night because Monday & Tuesday nights were brand new albums featured in their entirely!! The DJ's names Pat, Rich & Tony said their first names only & not their last names when they were DJ's back on W106 FM. On 96 WHNN, they played Jethro Tull 1971 classic album "Aqualung" on Wednesday night "Classic album of the week". I had a yellow sheet of what W106 FM was going to play in August of 1979 & also Friday night, W106 was going to play Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" BUT ROCK 106 WIOG took over the airwaves instead!!! By the way, W106 FM debuted back either the first or second week of November of 1977 replacing WSBN (106.3 FM) in Saginaw, MI!!
DAC
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by DAC »

Witch such a rich history, it's a shame that 106.3 has become such a dumpster fire. I've said this a few times, but the opportunity is so ripe to flip to a classic hits format, something the region is sorely missing, and call it Classic Hits 106.
matt1
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by matt1 »

I also remember back either in April or May of 1979, there was a cartoon commercial on W106 FM Album Rock when they played Supertramp "Child Of Vision" (from 1979 "Breakfast In America") when I saw that on WEYI 25 (when it was CBS back then).
Realist
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by Realist »

DAC wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2019 8:54 pm Witch such a rich history, it's a shame that 106.3 has become such a dumpster fire. I've said this a few times, but the opportunity is so ripe to flip to a classic hits format, something the region is sorely missing, and call it Classic Hits 106.
97.7 WMPX Midland flipped to Classic Hits earlier this year. And Joby from cluster-mate The Moose has said that Mix106.3 is doing very well ratings wise in their targeted demo
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rugratsonline
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by rugratsonline »

matt1 wrote: Wed Aug 28, 2019 7:35 pm The last time that I heard the same announcer since August 28, 1979 was in March of 1984 when he said "That's Quiet Riot "Bang Your Head" (edited version) NOW "Stuck On You" by Lionel Richie" but that was it. That same announcer said "That's Marvin Gaye" (BUT did not say "Sexual Healing" when it was a big hit in late 1982)... That same announcer was also on stations in Steubenville, Ohio & Johnstown, Pennsylvania (NOT sure the call letters)...
In 1983, while our family was on a road trip between Florida and Michigan, I noticed that Macon, Georgia's WMAZ-FM 99.1 (now WDEN) used the same automated format, with an announcer dryly announcing each song, similar to WIOG's at the time. Already used to the DJ styles in Tampa Bay and Mid-Michigan (though I never heard WIOG until 1988, after its switchover to 102.5), I thought the automated format on WMAZ sounded much too dull - they were better off just playing the songs with no announcer.
matt1
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by matt1 »

I forgot to mention that Traverse City, Michigan station "106 KHQ" (actually 105.9 FM) debuted on May 8, 1980. Did not heard that station until December of 1980 with the reel to reel tape & also the same announcer who would tell you the song by the artist or group as he did on "ROCK 106 WIOG"!!! I wonder when the reel to reel tape & the same announcer ended back then?? Around 1985 or 1986???
DAC
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by DAC »

matt1 wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 4:41 am I forgot to mention that Traverse City, Michigan station "106 KHQ" (actually 105.9 FM) debuted on May 8, 1980. Did not heard that station until December of 1980 with the reel to reel tape & also the same announcer who would tell you the song by the artist or group as he did on "ROCK 106 WIOG"!!! I wonder when the reel to reel tape & the same announcer ended back then?? Around 1985 or 1986???
I remember this as well. I think that KHQ (The rhythm of the Northwest!) went live right around the same time that WIOG did. Somehow they managed to wrestle the "Top 40" audience away from WJML, forcing JML to switch to "Light rock, less talk," which eventually led to the demise of their FM station. JML AM, which had been a simulcast of the FM station is still on the air with a talk format. It was pretty amazing because JML had been such a magnificent powerhouse in Northern Michigan. They had the "big city" sound with the JAM jingles package and the "Time Bombs" at the top of the hour, plus top notch on air talent. Plus, JML was the original home of Bob and Tom.
CK-722
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by CK-722 »

WJML was memorable as AC also. Art Morrison, Kurt Kelly, Art Bussure, Bob and Tom, Del Reynolds, George Taylor McIntyre, and many others have gone on to larger roles and fame, For a "small town" station, it was always memorable regardless of format.
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BeerMan
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by BeerMan »

I remember running a reel-to-reel automation system similar to this one in 1979-1981. I worked on an AM station and the FM was automated easy listening. I had to go in every hour or so and swap out the commercial cartridges in the carousel and change the reels around when necessary. There was some sort of peg board with color coded diodes and you had to put the right color pin into the correct hole to program the carousels to play the proper commercials in each break. Fun times.

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matt1
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by matt1 »

Moon Martin with "Rolene" before that "Pop Muzik" by M!! (1979) That's "The Royal Mile" by Gerry Rafferty before that Jackson Browne's "Boulevard"!! (1980)
Mega Hertz
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by Mega Hertz »

Interesting thread! I'm really digging all this history!
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Bryce
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by Bryce »

Mega Hertz wrote: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:58 pm Interesting thread! I'm really digging all this history!
1979? We owned Bay City, Saginaw, and Midland at WHNN. I can still smell the Tuscola studios, dump that they were.
New York and Chicago were all in with respect to their sanctuary status — until they were hit with the challenge of actually providing sanctuary. In other words, typical liberal hypocrisy.
DAC
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by DAC »

CK-722 wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:02 pm WJML was memorable as AC also. Art Morrison, Kurt Kelly, Art Bussure, Bob and Tom, Del Reynolds, George Taylor McIntyre, and many others have gone on to larger roles and fame, For a "small town" station, it was always memorable regardless of format.
I agree that JML was still a decent AC station, but they lost a lot of their personalities by that point. I believe that Art Morrison preceded Bob & Tom in the mornings, and I don't recall him staying after Bob & Tom took over. I did hear from Jeff Peterson (mid days after the morning show) that the jocks were told to speak less, and many started referring to JML as "the Muzac Station" rather than "The Music Station" as it was known in it's heyday. Either way, for a station in Petoskey, MI, they generated a ton of talent and had an amazing sound for their market.

I agree that this topic is fascinating. Some may rather speak of sausages, but this is the rare kind of topic that makes this forum still have a shred of good content! Hoping for more in the future :)
matt1
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by matt1 »

"JML, the music station" (late 1980)!!
matt1
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Re: 40 years ago in 1979

Unread post by matt1 »

"Escape" from Rupert Holmes and Cheap Trick "Dream Police" "Please Don't Go" from KC & The Sunshine Band The Electric Light Orchestra "Confusion"
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