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He Succeeded Where Nancy Skinner Failed

M

mwebster

Guest
Former Dick Purtan broke into the Detroit market on WKNR 1310AM/Keener13 in morning drive and took the station to number one.
Illinois political hack Nancy Skinner took the station to an asterix before returning to Chicago to make yet another attempt to gain political office.
The difference is Dick Purtan is a real radio guy, he's funny and he knows his job is to entertain people.
People will listen to a good show on a bad stick.

All Access:
<blockquote>NAB Hall of Fame Picks Purtan
CBS RADIO Oldies WOMC/DETROIT morning man DICK PURTAN will be inducted into the NAB's Broadcasting Hall of Fame at the NAB2006 Radio Luncheon on APRIL 25 in LAS VEGAS.

"DICK PURTAN has been one of local radio's most influential figures for nearly four decades," said NAB Pres.-CEO DAVID REHR in a statement. "His humorous and colorful commentary is matched only by his commitment to community service. NAB is proud to recognize him for his significant contributions to radio." PURTAN has been waking up DETROIT for nearly 40 years and won the MARCONI Award for "Major Market Air Personality of the Year" in 1993.</blockquote>
 
Conrats to Dick Purtan, a real legend. Used to get him on CKLW. For the time, Keener's stick wasn't that bad, comparatively speaking. Less electrical noise, probably a fresher ground system and fewer stations on the air. <P ID="signature">______________
..from the Ball Park Franks sponsored gr8oldies keyboard...</P>
 
Always was a lousy signal

No, it was that bad - especially on the East side and north of the city. A weird pattern then and now. The COL is Dearborn, not Detroit, so the pattern originally may have made sense.

The pattern was so bad - (how bad was it?) - the Tiger day games were on a second station (WJBK - 1500) and on WJR at night.

Yet Keener ruled. Two well-established Top 40 stations flipped (WXYZ and WJBK) because of Keener. They even beat CKLW until RKO General hired Bill Drake. CK always had a much better signal but they did not win on signal strength.

> For the time, Keener's stick wasn't that bad,
> comparatively speaking. Less electrical noise, probably a
> fresher ground system and fewer stations on the air.
>
 
He was on in the 60s! Good Grief..

> Former Dick Purtan broke into the Detroit market on WKNR
> 1310AM/Keener13 in morning drive and took the station to
> number one.
> Illinois political hack Nancy Skinner took the station to an
> asterix before returning to Chicago to make yet another
> attempt to gain political office.
> The difference is Dick Purtan is a real radio guy, he's
> funny and he knows his job is to entertain people.
> People will listen to a good show on a bad stick.
>

He was on WKNR 1965-70. FM was novel technology and TV was picked up with rabbit ears- most people didn't have color TVs and computers were the size of office buildings. AM radio was a bit different back then. You gotta be joking with this comparison! He did Rock and Roll not political talk. Was it him or the Music that put him on the map? Let him come back to try it again (not with oldies but with todays Rock and Roll like he did then) and watch the nonexistant ratings plummet.

Never heard Skinner so no comment on talent. My guess is that AAR doesn't appeal to African Americans and Blue Collar types in general which is the major Democratic demographic of Detroit. Maybe the new Black Talk network could make a dent.
 
Re: Always was a lousy signal

Thrue that the pattern was the same, but I'd still argue there's no real comparison. Lower noise levels, and with AM essentially being all there was, people would listen through some background interference to hear the hits and personalities..I can remember sitting through static and skywave cancellation to hear WABC, WLS and WCFL. You wouldn't get anyone to do that now.

As for Skinner...I had only heard her a couple of times doing wekends on WLS. My take was her only defense of her positions was "if you disagree, you're a moron." Maybe she had improved since then.<P ID="signature">______________
..from the Ball Park Franks sponsored gr8oldies keyboard...</P>
 
Re: Always was a lousy signal

> Thrue that the pattern was the same, but I'd still argue
> there's no real comparison. Lower noise levels, and with AM
> essentially being all there was, people would listen through
> some background interference to hear the hits and
> personalities..I can remember sitting through static and
> skywave cancellation to hear WABC, WLS and WCFL. You
> wouldn't get anyone to do that now.

Correct. And unlike in Mr. Purtan's day, the FM side of the band has the bulk of radio's listener base, and I'm sure even the Detroit market has grown to some degree outside of the station's pattern.

That having been said, there's something to be said for exceptional talent and stations getting ratings beyond what you'd expect for the stick. And though I've never heard Dick Purtan, I'm sure that was the case here.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
I don't agree. I listened to Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner for years and she was very funny, quick witted and has a pleasant voice. Very listenable in my opinion. I admit I haven't heard her do solo so I can't judge that particular gig.
Haven't heard your Dick buddy though.
<P ID="signature">______________
• K5ZN</P>
 
Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner? When were they on?

> I don't agree. I listened to Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner
> for years and she was very funny, quick witted and has a
> pleasant voice. Very listenable in my opinion. I admit I
> haven't heard her do solo so I can't judge that particular
> gig.


When were Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner on the same show? I hear Doug Stephan on Cash 1700. <P ID="signature">______________
RF90 - listening left and right</P>
 
Re: Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner? When were they on?

> When were Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner on the same show?
> I hear Doug Stephan on Cash 1700.

You can read about Nancy Skinner here. When she announced her 2004 cancicacy she was forced off the radio by FCC rules. She was co-hosting with Doug Stephan since I think 1999. It was l lively show, mixing left and right like that. But Doug pulled it off with panache. I doubt I will ever hear such a civilized yet adversarial show.<P ID="signature">______________
• K5ZN</P>
 
Re: Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner? When were they on?

> > When were Doug Stephan and Nancy Skinner on the same show?
>
> > I hear Doug Stephan on Cash 1700.
>
> You can read about Nancy Skinner here. When she announced
> her 2004 cancicacy she was forced off the radio by FCC
> rules. She was co-hosting with Doug Stephan since I think
> 1999. It was l lively show, mixing left and right like that.
> But Doug pulled it off with panache. I doubt I will ever
> hear such a civilized yet adversarial show.
>
And... not known to the listening audience until later, Nancy and Doug were an "item".

They did well together although Doug later said on the air that it was too political too much of the time for him.

There were ads in Talkers Magazine and others showing Nancy and Doug together on the Doug Stephan's Good Day Program.
 
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