How did you spend your Saturday mornings growing up in the Keener era? For many of us, weekend TV was allowed. Roy Rodgers, Superman and the Lone Ranger mixed with cocoa puffs, sugar jets or sugar pops. (remember when “sugar” was a word that the cereal people put into the names of their products?)
Keener listeners always knew it was Saturday because that’s when the mellifluous voice of Paul Cannon was heard on the radio. Behind the scenes, Paul served as WKNR Music Director during much of Keener’s prime. Record reps remember the egg timer that Paul kept on his desk. When the sand ran out, that was the abrupt end of their appointment.

Here’s a piece of WKNR Music Guide Trivia. There was only one song with “Saturday” in the title that ever charted on Keener: The Drifters’ Saturday Night at the Movies made the survey in 1964.

Here’s an historic shot from one of the famous Detroit Radio Reunions. From left to right: Scott Westerman, Curator of Keener13.com and executive producer of WKNR’s two Woodward Dream Cruise Weekend broadcasts. Steve Schram, on-air talent during Keener’s brief return in the 80s and market general manager of the cluster that included Keener’s successor, WNIC. Steve’s dream came true when the WKNR-FM property again became the number one station in Detroit. New York radio legend, Pat St. John, perhaps the youngest DJ to ever have a full time shift on Keener during it’s final prime. And Bob Berry, who’s most notable Michigan radio credits included WVIC, CKLW, and WDRQ. All four were voices heard on WKNR at one time or another. Where are they now? Bob and Pat are celebrating 40 decades in broadcasting and are still on the air. Steve is the director of Michigan Radio (WUOM, WVGR, WFUM, MichiganRadio.org), one of the nation’s premiere public radio clusters. Scott is Executive Director of the Michigan State University Alumni Association, an institution that spawned some great radio talent, including Chicago institution, John “Records” Landecker.