Happy Anniversary Keener13.com! On June 1st, 2002, Steve Schram and I launched our little labor of love. The ensuing two years have seen tremendous change in both our lives, but our dedication to the preservation of all things Keener remains constant. To our combined surprise, the site's influence has been far-reaching, with visitors logged from around the world, two keener13.com produced Dream Cruise broadcasts on the station's original 1310 frequency, and the addition of hundreds of megabytes of air checks, interviews, memories and news about our favorite 60s radio station. Keener13.com has been referenced in a forth coming book, numerous newspaper articles and is a link on over three dozen websites. We still get about 100 emails a week with questions about the announcers, the music, the popular culture and virtually every aspect of the Keener era. Since we do this in our spare time, it's easy to get behind and we apologize if we're sometimes slow to respond to your welcome feedback. In my closet are several CDs with fresh air checks, including the audio track from the "Lost" Paul Is Dead television program, more stuff from Scott Regen, Mac Owens, Dan Henderson, and a bunch of rare 60s era commercials. We're slowly digitizing them and will get everything on the site as soon as possible. People still ask us for Keener13.com bumper stickers and T-Shirts and perhaps we'll get around to a little merchandising one day. But our primary goal is to collect and share memories from a time when rock radio was being born and WKNR was number one in Detroit. So keep looking through your attics for those WKNR air checks, music guides and memories and send them our way. You'll be keeping our Keener memories fresh and sharing WKNR's particular brand of class with a new generation. Keener Lives!

Remember the Keener Top 100 Count downs? They were an annual event at the start of each new year during the WKNR era. WCSX is counting down the Motor City 500 over the Memorial Day Weekend. Mike Austerman has the details in his Oakland Press Column.

Ted Heusel will be inducted into the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame on August 9th. Ted's career spanned more than 50 years on the air, all of it in Ann Arbor and most of it on three stations, WOIA, WPAG and WAAM. Ted is a talk radio pioneer who has been a mentor and inspiration to several generations of broadcasters. He had the chops to become a national celebrity but chose instead a life of community service in his beloved A2. In addition to his work as a broadcast journalist, he was a talented actor and director who was involved in the Civic Theater. He also was a successful politician, bringing a conservative voice to the Ann Arbor School Board. He's indirectly responsible for keener13.com, having given your curator his first radio gig back in 1970.

Infinity Broadcasting is number one 12+ in Detroit according to the Spring Arbitron trends. Long time ratings leader Clear Channel fell into second place with Greater Media, ABC/Disney, and Radio One behind. WJR is still the top station in Detroit 12+ with WJLB-FM, WWJ-AM, WRIF-FM, WOMC-FM rounding out the top 5.

Art Vuolo, who chronicles broadcasting through his Vuolo Video Airchex and as a columnist for the Oakland Press, is recovering from a bout of Cellulitus at his Novi home. Just about everybody who is anybody in the radio business has been influenced, either directly or indirectly by Art's lifelong passion for the biz. He's received well wishes from around the world and you can add yours via email to artvuolo@aol.com. If you'd like his home address, write to curator@keener13.com. All of us at Keener13.com wish him a speedy recovery.

Happy Anniversary to WOMC's Dick Purtan. On this date in 1965, DP first cracked a microphone in Detroit.. and it happened on WKNR. Purtan became Keener's biggest star and has been a Detroit radio legend ever since. Last fall Michigan State University dedicated a studio to him and this Spring the Adcraft club honored him with a lifetime achievement award. He and wife Gail are two of Detroit's most generous philanthropists, and he's been a role model for a generation of announcers. We can't imagine waking up without hearing his voice. Happy Anniversary Dick, and thanks for the memories!

From the Mailbag: "As a kid growing up in Allen Park in the sixties and seventies Tim Tam & the Turn Ons, as we came to know them, were a kind of urban legend to us back then. One of my best friends was Gary Thill and he told me that the song Cheryl Ann was written for his sister Cheryl Thill who graduated form Allen Park High around 65 or 66. Any how I thought you might like to know that another possible explanation for the song title exists. Also wanted to let you know I realy enjoyed your web site. Although I was a little to young to have vivid memories of Keener, it seemed to be a major part in the lives of my older brother and sister. One thing I do remember as if it was yesterday was listening to the 45 of Snoopy vs. the Red Baron. When my own children were little I found a cd of this classic and played it for my them. And you know what, they enjoyed as much as I did when I was a child...... Keep the memories alive," Kelly Obriot

Even though an encore of the WKNR Dream Cruise is in doubt this year, there are still places where you can hear Top-40 radio as it used to be. WABC will again make a brief return to it's glory days as a rocker on Memorial day. The annual Rewound special will be a 12-hour salute to the "Musicradio 77," produced by WABC Production Director and former Musicradio jock Johnny Donovan. JAM Creative Productions prez, Jonathan Wolfert is providing the classic jingles. Airtime is 6am-6pm on May 31.

Crazy Al, the "last bastion of rare oldies" leaves WPON for the web, blaming Imus.

WXDX as a home for Imus? Mike Austerman thinks it's a good idea.

Read between the lines in this Associated Press story about the ascension of NBC's Brian Williams as Tom Brokaw's impending replacement. In a world where careers are made or broken based on quarterly (or even monthly) results, thinking long term is a forgotten art.

Ed Butterbaugh leaves WJR. Keener's Dick Purtan is honored by Adcraft. Donald Trump flaps his yap. Here's ArtVuolo's latest Oakland Press column.

From the bossradioforever.com website.. "The failure of Bill Drake and Gene Chenault to hold together a successful team while programming the RKO Radio chain of rock-n-roll radio stations was caused by the deterioration of mental efficiency, the lack of proper reality testing, and the suppression of dissenting viewpoints -- symptoms which are critically destructive to successful group behavior and decision-making -- today commonly referred to as groupthink."

Detroiter Fred Jacobs has always been an innovator. Jacobs media was the catalyst in developing the classic rock format that is a ubiquitous performer in almost every radio market. Now, his company, Jacobs Media is launching a web campaign to inform Americans about the free speech implications of the government's anti-indecency efforts. SaveRadioNOw.org is a non-profit compendium of ideas and opinions, resources and research that includes portals to help listeners share their opinions with elected Representatives and FCC Commissioners "There is a large gap between the opinions about indecency that are being expressed by the FCC and Congress and what we're hearing from radio listeners in America," Fred said. "The purpose of this site is to provide education, as well as equal voice for this silent majority to communicate to their elected representatives, and the regulators who are setting the tone." Recently Jacobs Media and Edison Research polled 13,000 Rock Radio and few said that they were offended by what they hear on the radio. Visit the Keener Bulletin Board to join the discussion on shock-jocks and whether or not they should be muzzled.