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Clouds on the horizon..
By March of 1967, Keener was printing money, and becoming vulnerable. Bloated with 18 minutes of commercials per hour, listeners were almost as likely to tune in to a stop-set as they were to hear the music and personality mix that had been WKNR's secret to success.
Across the Detroit river in Windsor, Paul Drew had joined CKLW. Under the guidance of Bill Drake, Drew copied the Drake formula that had turned around Los Angeles' KHJ. And the Motor City took notice.
The Big 8 had fewer commercials, played quick shotgun jingles and held the air staff to strict formatics that kept the focus on the music. CK's play list featured more of the R&B sounds that were increasingly popular on Detroit stations like WCHB and WJLB. And the station's 50,000 watt signal made it a ratings contender throughout Michigan and Ohio.
WKNR turned again to the programming talents of Mike Joseph, who instituted similar restrictions on the personalities that had been Keener's life blood. By December, billing had decreased dramatically and management decided to cut expenses. Ted Clark, Jerry Goodwin, Bob Green and Scott Regen, the core Keener's popular talent pool, were all jettisoned.
Dick Purtan held his ground in morning drive but could see the handwriting on the wall. He spurned an offer to do afternoons at WXYZ and made a short, but memorable trip to WBAL in Baltimore. Station management had wanted to take advantage of Dick's irreverent approach, but it was soon clear that WBAL didn't have the "guts" to handle the Purtan talent. Dick returned to Detroit and after stops at WXYZ, CKLW, and WCZY, is still doing his thing at WOMC.
J. Michael Wilson filled Purtan's shoes in the morning before taking Rodney with him to Toronto's 1050 CHUM. Today, he's retired from the radio business and lives in Ohio.
For the next two years a parade of able entertainers did their best to maintain some semblance of Keener magic. But WKNR's days of owning 20 shares in the Detroit ratings race were over.