Don Schuster 1970 W4 Detroit Radio Air Check

Film recorded December 26, 1970 of Don Schuster on the air at WWWW-FM (W4) radio 106.7 in Detroit, Michigan. Video includes Don describing the UPI teletype machine (common in many radio stations at the time) and the Schafer Automation System (a precursor to current radio stations use of voice tracking), on top on a live read of a commercial from Bob Haney's Muntz Stereo ("Gratiot south of Eight Mile"). The footage at the start of the video features the classic WWWW sign on Jefferson Avenue. Songs you hear: The Beatles "Can't Buy Me Love", Jerry Butler "Make It Easy On Yourself", The Cadets "Stranded In The Jungle", The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band "Mr Bojangles", The Intruders "Together", Jackie Wilson "Baby Workout", Santana "Black Magic Woman", Lulu "To Sir, With Love", Herman's Hermits "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter", Fifth Dimension "One Less Bell To Answer", The Beatles "Oh! Darling", and Smokey Robinson "More Love". A classic piece of Detroit radio history.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Don
• Schuster
• Donald
• WWWW
• W4
• 106.7
• FM
• Stereo
• Radio
• aircheck
• Jefferson
• Avenue
• classic
• rock
• Schafer
• Beatles
• Jerry
• Butler
• Burt
• Bacharach
• Hal
• David
• Cadets
• Nitty
• Gritty
• Dirt
• Band
• Intruders
• Jackie
• Wilson
• Santana
• Lulu
• Herman's
• Hermits
• Fifth
• Dimension
• Smokey
• Robinson

[hormelinc]

I don't see a "countdown" clock for the DJ to "walk" the opening of the songs. So that means he had to know his music! Yeah, the "Good Old Days" IS right. Especially knowing the band lineups, that was a classy touch. I like the "old music tape" quote -- and that music was only 10 years old at the time! Now it's 50 years old, and plenty of people listen to XM 60's on 6 today. And for once ... a proper use of a Schafer system (as a DJ assist)! Not as full automation DJ-less crap station!

[hassgocubs]

@hormelinc I can tell you that Mr Schuster still knows his stuff.

[Anakin44441]

This is awesome! Love the old technology. Plus I was born in Detroit--but not until 1977! I believe W4 is now a country station.

[hassgocubs]

@Anakin44441 It's kind of an odd process: the station at 106.7 FM in Detroit flipped to country in 1980, but in 1999 they flipped to a 70s-90s hits format and dropped the call sign the next year. Later in 2000, the call sign went to 102.9 FM in Ann Arbor, which picked up the country format (and the "W4" branding) at the same time. So yes, there's still a W4 that plays country music near the Detroit area, but it's not the same one that did it originally.

[hassgocubs]

@Anakin44441 It's kind of an odd process: the station at 106.7 FM in Detroit flipped to country in 1980, but in 1999 they flipped to a 70s-90s hits format and dropped the call sign the next year. Later in 2000, the call sign went to 102.9 FM in Ann Arbor, which picked up the country format (and the "W4" branding) at the same time. So yes, there's still a W4 that plays country music near the Detroit area, but it's not the same one that did it originally.

[MrPolkajohn]

I remember Don Schuster when he worked at WWWW "W 4" in the early 1970s. How many of you Detroiters from that time remember Ira J. Cook who worked with Schuster at "W 4". Those were the glory days of Detroit radio!

[itowedin]

Man those posts were TIGHT!

[mister70s]

thanks for posting this.....awesome vintage aircheck....the jock sounds good too !!

[jaychristy01]

BOY THAT WAS GOOD, YOU CAN TELL YOU REALLY KNOW YOU'R STUFF AND YOU LOVED IT, I BET YOU HAD HIGH RATEINGS BACK THEN. VERRY COOL.

[TheBabyboomkidof53]

@thelazycomic I hate bean counters....I have them in the same class as laywers and used car salesman. they'll be among the first shot when the new order takes over. lol

[thelazycomic]

Being I used to work in radio, I really enjoyed this clip. I worked on a lot of the same type of equipment way back. All the music & spots were played from carts. It may have been a lot more work, but at least that was before radio got all corporate with the bean counters. The first station that I worked at that was completely computerized was WAVH in Mobile in 1998. It was great having all the music & stuff at your fingertips, but at that point, I knew the employment days were over.