After 45 Years, Dick Purtan is Signing Off

The Detroit Free Press

26 March 2010 -- Just after 9 a.m. today, Dick Purtan signed off into retirement giving his “eternal thanks” while playing his favorite song, “Softly, As I Leave You” by Frank Sinatra.

The final broadcast on WOMC-FM (104.3) ends the hall of fame broadcasting career punctuated by a historic 45-year run on five different AM and FM stations over the Detroit airwaves.

In his Ferndale studio with many of his six daughters, including “Purtan’s People” cohost Jackie Purtan, his wife Gail, and some of his grandchildren, Purtan used the last few minutes to thank the many people who worked with him over his career, the media, and his listeners, who he said became family as they followed him from station to station “whether I was playing music you liked or didn’t.”

Purtan started the morning driving to work with his wife, who came to the studio for the very first time in his long broadcasting reign. They were escorted into the WOMC studio by police.

Old friends, regular guests, classic jingles and parodies, and best-of bits and memories filled Purtan’s final week, and today’s show was no different. The final hour included Bob Seger and debonair Channel 2 anchor Huel Perkins.

Purtan played clips from his first Detroit gig at WKNR (“Keener” 13) where the cranked-up verbal barrage was perhaps the only significant contrast to his signature style of today. After playing the clip, Purtan said he didn’t hear “much of a difference, maybe a little faster talking then, but I’m still as confused now as I was then,” he joked.

Purtan, who is credited for mastering the modern morning radio format through a variety of satire, put-on-calls, parodies, characters, and all sorts of improv fun, even spent some of his last minutes humming — horribly — to one of his new favorite musical acts, Celtic Thunder, and its cover of the classic Foreigner song “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

No official announcement has been made about Purtan’s replacement on WOMC, but earlier in the week he said that he expected an interim host to be on the airwaves on Monday.

Purtan made sure to remind fans that although he won’t be waking metro Detroiters up every morning anymore, he plans to stay connected with them. After some sleep and perhaps a vacation “longer than a week,” he said he’s eager to get busy on his Web site, DickPurtan.com where he will be blogging regularly and communicating with fans.

Purtan will also be writing a book about his radio career. Fans can stay up to date on its progress through the Web site. Information on cohosts (Big) Al Muskavito, Purtan’s daughter Jackie, Rebekah Rhodes and Larry Lawson and all of “Purtan’s People” will be available at the Web site, too.

It’s been an “amazing, wonderful journey” Purtan said right before playing Sinatra’s song.

Citidel Broadcasting, Parent Firm Of WJR-AM, Files For Bankruptcy

Detroit Free Press

The parent firm for three metro Detroit radio stations, WJR-AM (760), WDRQ-FM (93.1) and WDVD-FM (96.3), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today to restructure its debt load.

In documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Citadel Broadcasting Corp., the nation’s third-largest radio broadcasting company, listed total assets of $1.4 billion and total debt of $2.46 billion.

The presidents of WJR, WDRQ and WDVD did not return calls today to explain the impact in Detroit.

Citadel owns and operates 224 radio stations and produces news and talk radio programming for 4,000 station affiliates and 8,500 program affiliates. In Michigan, Citadel also owns 22 stations in the Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw and Muskegon areas, according to its Web site.

Northern Michigan Broadcast Legend Retires

From Morningstar Publishing

TRAVERSE CITY - They say all good things must come to an end. For Merlin (Zeke) Dumbrille, that time comes Friday, Oct. 30 That’s when he will broadcast his last “Farm & Orchard Time,” heard weekdays at 11:45 a.m. on WTCM AM.

A special reception in his honor has been planned for Friday, from noon to 2 p.m. at Crema, downtown Traverse City. The public is invited to share in the festivities.

Dumbrille, 76, has been working at the station since he was 17. And yes, there have been more than a few changes in the 58 years since he started working there.

“When I started, everything was done live: commercials, music, everything. Now it’s all on a computer,” he said. Editing is now just a couple mouse clicks. “It’s a revolution. We used to have to take the tape and splice it with a razor blade,” he said with a laugh.

“We used to communicate with people miles away, as far away as 50 or 75 miles. Now we go from Big Rapids to Sault Ste. Marie.”

Dumbrille has won numerous local and state honors for his coverage of farm related news and information. He has also covered activities for the National Cherry Festival and produced the broadcast of the entire National Cherry Festival Grand Cherry Royale Parade until this past year.

“I loved doing the Cherry Festival, I did it for 48 years,” he said.

Dumbrille said his most thrilling times were when he covered stories with regional or national impact.

“When President Kennedy was shot, it came over the AP newswire that shots had been fired in the plaza in Dallas,” Dumbrille recalled. “We got it on the air right away. We actually scooped the networks.

“It was a momentous occasion. It was a privilege to be a part of that. We were able to go right on the air. Your adrenaline starts flowing.

“It’s instantaneous knowledge.”

Farmers’ friend

Dumbrille is most appreciative of those with whom he’s worked. He said he still gets a thrill from broadcasting, and that shows in his voice.

On his show, Merlin talks with MSU Extension Directors from the five county area about current problems growers face, and offers solutions to keep them operating at a good profit margin. He also talks with Soil Conservation Officers from the area county conservation districts, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council members in Petoskey and area Foresters, all on a regular weekly basis.

“I’ve been so fortunate to deal with so many great people,” he said of the growers, extension agents and others he has worked with over the years as host of the show. “They’re the giants of agriculture,” he said.

Though he’d likely deny it, much the same could be said of him. The unassuming Dumbrille has weathered the technological and sociological changes of the last half-century, and emerged with his interest and enthusiasm intact.

“It’s a better operation than we had before. The microphones are better. We thought we had it all when we got tape cartridges. It’s just a revolution.” Like Traverse City SEO.

Now it’s all coming to an end - but not because he doesn’t still enjoy it.

“It was never work,” Dumbrille said. “I loved to go to work. My avocation became my vocation.”

Dumbrille is a life member of the Kiwanis Club of Grand Traverse Bay, and previously served as president. He is currently president of the Traverse City Masonic Building Association, and is a corporate member of Munson Medical Center. He is a relief motion picture projectionist at the State Theatre, and has - for the past 33 years - served as the audio technician for the Sunday broadcast of Central United Methodist Church services each week.

Dumbrille and his wife of 55 years, June, have lived in Traverse City their entire lives. They've raised three children and have three grandchildren.