Dick Purtan retiring

Ravine · February-12-10, 12:54 PM

This thread is now about Fishing, it seems.

Detroitnerd lobbed a flimsy, plastic, glow-in-the-dark worm into the pond and has gotten two bites, so far.

Stay tuned to NewsRavine for updates on this bray-king story.

**jcole** · February-12-10, 01:17 PM

My god, the thread is about a man retiring after 45 years on the air and doing some good stuff for the area, and all they can do is kvetch about the perceived slights to their political leanings.

Everybody's worldview changes as they age in one way or another. I never in a million years would have pictured myself bitching about the way kids dress, but I do. I can't stand the pants halfway down and the girls looking like Cass Corridor hookers when they go to school.
Purtan was never my favorite. I can't ever recall the last time I listened to him, but he did okay and he was an icon in this area for a long time.
I have no idea what his politics were before or are now. I just think he deserves good wishes on leaving the airwaves

**Johnlodge** · February-12-10, 01:34 PM

Whatever happend to Alan Almond? That guy was an institution, I think Clear Channel replaced him with a computer.

**65memories** · February-12-10, 01:36 PM

I agree with 1Kielson...maybe we can get Paul Smith and Frank Beckman to join Dick Purtan [[and to think WJR was once the class of radio stations nationwide). I enjoyed listening to Purtan and followed his moves on Detroit radio since 1964, but like a lot of listeners, I tired of his conservative bent the last five years and so haven't listened as much recently. But in his prime, Purtan was great....creative and funny, with the best supporting cast ever in Detroit radio...and definitely deserves his Radio Hall of Fame status.

**jcole** · February-12-10, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

Whatever happend to Alan Almond? That guy was an institution, I think Clear Channel replaced him with a computer.

Was he 'Pillow Talk'?

**Johnlodge** · February-12-10, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

Was he 'Pillow Talk'?

Yep, Pillow Talk. With his low voice for the ladies.

**Detroitnerd** · February-12-10, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

Was he 'Pillow Talk'?

Yeah, Alan was a class act. They dumped him again? I thought he was back on the air! Some of the best night-music ever was on his show. And, for this listener, "Summer Madness" will always make me think of Alan.

**jcole** · February-12-10, 01:40 PM

from http://radiosyndicationtalk.com/2009...o-go-national/

Long-time Detroit radio personality Alan Almond exited Clear Channel AC WNIC Late in December. A report in the Detroit Free Press says that Almond is in talks with a Los Angeles-based company which would syndicate the show. Almond and “Pillowtalk” have been heard for much of the last 25 years in fact the show was so popular that because of listener feedback WNIC had to bring him back in 2005 after letting him go

**Johnlodge** · February-12-10, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

from http://radiosyndicationtalk.com/2009...o-go-national/

Being that the article is over a year old, I wouldn't hold out much hope for ol' Alan.

Tangent: Just remembered when Gizmo from Gremlins was some kind of mascot for WNIC. "Music Now!"

Edit: Maybe that was WOMC.

**Detroitnerd** · February-12-10, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

from http://radiosyndicationtalk.com/2009...o-go-national/

Thanks, jcole. I wish him well.

**jcole** · February-12-10, 01:54 PM

This was in the comment section of the same post:

I recently spoke to Alan’s mother [[still alive, but getting up in years) who said that Alan’s health has been holding up fair, but he’s not even considering a return to his evening microphone/DJ duties. But he is enjoying retirement, FOLKS!!

Posted by MILES P. LIGHT | December 15, 2009, 11:32 pm

**Johnlodge** · February-12-10, 02:38 PM

http://www.detroitradioflashbacks.ne...ndWNIC1981.mp3

**Detroitnerd** · February-12-10, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

http://www.detroitradioflashbacks.ne...ndWNIC1981.mp3

Awesome!

**jcole** · February-12-10, 02:42 PM

Oooooh, baby.

**jiminnm** · February-12-10, 05:28 PM

Most of you apparently don't remember Dick Purtan on WKNR in the mid-1960s. He was a large contributor to WKNR becoming the huge hit that it was and for introducing that comedic approach to Detroit radio.

**One Shot** · February-12-10, 08:29 PM

Another one of the old personalities from the last generation that was great. Not a fan but appreciate a very successful career.

**Meddle** · February-13-10, 12:10 AM

I don't know if I remember Purtan on Keener13, but I do know that he is one of the reasons I stopped listening to the radio altogether. Him and the whole genre of babbling blowhards that never learned to shut up. I listened to the radio for music and the occasional newscast. These guys took over and talked over every piece of music they played. You couldn't even listen to a single song uninterrupted. I know Purtan was more a blabbermouth than a DJ, but his disease spread across the dial. Early days of FM could have you listening to hours of music without a DJ's voice. And then it was usually to do a station ID or a short ad or to tell you something useful about the artist, album or song.

Once mouthitis infested the airwaves, they'd babble on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about virtually nothing at all.

Other than Arthur Penhallow, Doug Podell, Lynn Woodison and a few others, I never knew or cared who was in the studio. I was there for the music. Once blabber took over, I was done.

**jtf1972** · February-13-10, 01:00 AM

Don't think for a second that this was entirely out of the blue. WOMC has been trying to tell Dick how to run his show for a while now. A friend of mine who worked for him way back in Buffalo told me in regards to how well Dick responded to suggestions "I told him how to do something once." That's when my friend started laughing.

I'm sure Dick was more tired of the politics of radio than of opening up the mic. Good luck to him, and to whoever WOMC thinks can fill his shoes.

**smogboy** · February-13-10, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

I don't know if I remember Purtan on Keener13, but I do know that he is one of the reasons I stopped listening to the radio altogether. Him and the whole genre of babbling blowhards that never learned to shut up. I listened to the radio for music and the occasional newscast. These guys took over and talked over every piece of music they played. You couldn't even listen to a single song uninterrupted. I know Purtan was more a blabbermouth than a DJ, but his disease spread across the dial. Early days of FM could have you listening to hours of music without a DJ's voice. And then it was usually to do a station ID or a short ad or to tell you something useful about the artist, album or song.

Once mouthitis infested the airwaves, they'd babble on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about virtually nothing at all.

Other than Arthur Penhallow, Doug Podell, Lynn Woodison and a few others, I never knew or cared who was in the studio. I was there for the music. Once blabber took over, I was done.

I hear your frustration with this Meddle.

And I'm not one to tell you what to do or who to listen to on the radio dial, but once I "discover" that I don't like a certain radio personality that I don't like, I stay away. No need for second and third chances hoping that it might've been a bad day on the air for them. If it's just that time frame, I'll avoid that station for that block that the offending chatterbox is on. And there are literally some wonderful radio stations across the Detroit dial that I avoid just like you do with Purtan. I hope it doesn't dissuade you from finding stations and personalities that are to your liking though.

Dick Purtan and like thousands of other radio folk have all got their individual schticks and gimmicks. Obviously Purtan's has worked for decades and he's had a loyal following wherever he ends up on the radio dial.

What bothers me about commercial radio now is the lack of any sort of personality. Purtan might be the last of a era here in town. I still remember the days if a radio personality left a radio station to go to another, their fans would migrate with them. Not anymore. The voices are non-descript and interchangeable now. Gone are the days when we listened to the radio for content- whether it be for music, talk, sports or whatever; we listened to be informed. We actually trusted the people on the ends of the microphones to be knowledgeable.

Gone from the airwaves are the likes of Martha Jean, JP McCarthy, the Electrifying Mojo, Arthur Penhallow, and people who were consistent in what they delivered on commercial radio. Commercial radio now is just background music or filler. They don't make or break new artists or have any sort of local causes to stand for. We really don't listen to the radio to be educated any more. The medium has changed with the advent of satellite radio and iTunes. We're now told what to listen to by corporations in far off lands with no local connections.

As Dick Purtan and his brand of radio fades off the airwaves, we might not always like his style but at least he had some.