I read today on Dick Purtan's blog of the passing of Jac LeGoff, former Detroit newscaster. I have very fond memories of Detroit broadcasting having grown up in the western 'burbs of Detroit. The news became a real focus for me at the age of 15 during the 1967 Detroit riots (do the math). It's funny, but people didn't flip through stations like they do now - probably due to the lack of remote controls. Mostly my folks watched channels 2 and 7 though, so I do remember Jac LeGoff.
And thanks to Mr. Purtan, I hear also that Jerry Hodak is retiring. Wow, I can't believe he's been on air for 45 years. Weather people come and go but Jerry Hodak has been a constant on Detroit television. Best wishes, Mr. Hodak.
Our yearly birthday visit to our younger daughter up in Michigan was great. It's always great to spend time with our youngest, some of my siblings and DH's cousins. What was really weird though was not being able to tune to WOMC and hear Dick Purtan and Purtan's People. I grew up with favorite radio stations, starting with WKNR, CKLW (ok, so this was in Windsor), WXYZ, and WOMC among others. I doubt that teens nowadays even listen to as much radio as I did throughout my life. They don't know what they are missing.
Copyright 2010, ACK, for Generational
Showing posts with label Dick Purtan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dick Purtan. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The End of an Era.
Call me crazy, but I wanted to be a part of the last broadcast of Dick Purtan at WOMC 104.3 FM in Detroit, so I dragged my tired body out of bed at 5:15 AM CDT and tuned in via the internet.
Dick Purtan first came to Detroit in 1965, settling in at WKNR. When I was in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades, the big thing was to get the weekly Keener guides and see what was in the top ten. These Keener guides always featured photos of the DJ's on the opposite side. I had been a huge Bob Greene fan, but soon turned my allegiance to Dick Purtan.
I listened to his show for years and was glad his stint in Baltimore was short and he returned to the Motor city. I'm not sure which was my favorite aspect of his show - the gag calls or all his "character" friends. Or maybe it was the music with lyrics by Tom Sharp. I don't know for sure, but it was enough to keep me coming back day after day for most of those 45 years.
One of my favorite memories is getting rides to my Plymouth Road and Greenfield DSR bus stop from Redford, Michigan by my brother and we'd have Dick Purtan tuned in and be laughing uproariously by the time we got there.
Our move to Tennessee pretty much ended my listening to the show, but on those rare Central Time Zone mornings that I did drag myself out of bed, I often tuned into the show via the internet.
So, an era ends, and I have a feeling Detroit radio will never be the same.
Copyright 2010, ACK, for Generational
Dick Purtan first came to Detroit in 1965, settling in at WKNR. When I was in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades, the big thing was to get the weekly Keener guides and see what was in the top ten. These Keener guides always featured photos of the DJ's on the opposite side. I had been a huge Bob Greene fan, but soon turned my allegiance to Dick Purtan.
I listened to his show for years and was glad his stint in Baltimore was short and he returned to the Motor city. I'm not sure which was my favorite aspect of his show - the gag calls or all his "character" friends. Or maybe it was the music with lyrics by Tom Sharp. I don't know for sure, but it was enough to keep me coming back day after day for most of those 45 years.
One of my favorite memories is getting rides to my Plymouth Road and Greenfield DSR bus stop from Redford, Michigan by my brother and we'd have Dick Purtan tuned in and be laughing uproariously by the time we got there.
Our move to Tennessee pretty much ended my listening to the show, but on those rare Central Time Zone mornings that I did drag myself out of bed, I often tuned into the show via the internet.
So, an era ends, and I have a feeling Detroit radio will never be the same.
Copyright 2010, ACK, for Generational
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)