Listening to this I had to do a double take… KEENER FOURTEEN!
An apparent WKNR knockoff (or perhaps it was co-owned), WKFR in Battle Creek sounds suspiciously similar to WKNR Detroit, with similar jingles, even a jock that sounds like Steve Robbins, who was on WKNR in ‘67! Steve Clark does a great job on an aircheck taken right off the original master reel!
Stunning audio quality featured here, and instantly it’s 1968 all over again!
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WKFR was co-owned with WKNR, by Knorr Broadcasting, and was used as WKNR’s “farm club” for up and coming talent. Both Steve Clark (aka Robbins on Keener 13) and Jim Jeffries worked in Battle Creek prior to making the hop to Detroit. WKFR switched from WELL in 1964, about a year after WKNR switched from WKMH.
The Knorr’s also owned WKHM in Jackson, WKMF in Flint and either WSAM in Saginaw or WBCM in Bay City. After Fred Knorr’s death in 1961, his widow, Nellie Knorr sold all but the stations in Dearborn, Jackson & Battle Creek. As a matter of fact, the switch to WKNR was supposed to hype the station in order to sell it off. But after WKNR ended up dominating Detroit radio with 30 shares, Knorr Broadcasting decided to ride it out. Jackson was sold off in the late 60s, WKFR was sold to Kent Kalega’s Engineering Investment Corp.
in 1970, and WKNR was sold to Johns Communications that same year.
I listened to Keener 14 starting in late 1968 or early 1969. During this period, I recorded two tapes of the Bob Nyles Sunday Subway; one in July 1969 and the other in December 1969.
This weekly program running Sunday from 7 (later 8)pm to 1am had a theme made up of a 3 song segue: 1. A Song Is A Room (John Hartford), 2. Sgt. Pepper Opening (Beatles) and 3. Underground (artist unknown). Anyone with information on the third song “Underground” should comment on this board.
Bob Nyles, the show host is still in radio out of Orlando, Florida. He does not recall who performed “Underground”.
Thanks
WOW !! loved Keener 13 – Keen 14 sounded just as great – Michigan had some great stations in the 60’s and 70’s !!
The reverb sure brings back memories. I started at Keener in 1968 with Steve Clark, Bob Nyles, Jim Robinson, and others. Great memories.
Randy Sly aka “Randolph W. Sly”
Great aircheck. Like turning the clock back 40 years. Worked at Keener 14 1972-76. Great station then, and the aircheck tells me it was great in the 60’s as well.
Are we sure this clip is dated correctly?
The clip mentions winter (not July) and 007 Thunderball just coming out (this happened in December 1965).
From the news & sports “clues” scattered through the aircheck:
The first 2/3rds of the aircheck is from Monday afternoon, July 25, 1966.
The last third of the aircheck (starting around the mention of the “warm winter forecast”) is from Tuesday afternoon, January 4, 1966.
Appreciate listener corrections. When posting airchecks, I rely on the date printed on the tape, unless there is a note from the contributor or some other obvious clue that I happen to catch that changes it. That’s how the dates listed sometimes get posted in error. Please, continue to write corrections as you find them. I’ll leave things alone and let our visitors find out via these comments.