Thanksgiving 1969

Thanksgiving 1969 and all is well.  Since October WWWS (W-3 Soul) is broadcasting live from our studio in downtown Saginaw, Michigan.

We are now receiving calls, visits from the business community as well as the listening audience. Some however still in disbelief.  There was now a Black owned, Black operated FM radio station with Black Jocks programming Black music.

We were all thankful and blessed we had accomplished the goal started over a year earlier (1968) that had been set before us. The owners (Clark family) and entire staff celebrate.

Eddie Donald White aka "Bobby Q. Day"

 

Bobby was born in Bald Knob, Arkansas; he attended White County Training School (WCTS) grades 1-12.  He graduated in 1957 and was valedictorian of his class. Upon graduation he enlisted into the USAF.  After serving two and one half years he was honorably discharged. Bobby returned  to Arkansas and  became an active member of the Arkansas Chapter of the NAACP and participated in the 1960’s Civil Rights movement in the state of Arkansas.

Bobby left Arkansas and after a brief stop in Cleveland, Ohio, he graduated from The Career Academy of Broadcasting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He was asked to stay on as an instructor.  His reply was sorry but no,  “I want to do live broadcasting."   So began his leap into broadcasting and a long and great career.

Bobby's first radio job was WAMM-AM in Flint Michigan.  In 1969 he became the station manager/program director of WWWS (W-3 Soul) 107.1 FM in Saginaw, Michigan.

Bobby Q. Day passed in July 20011 shortly after we completed documenting the history W-3 Soul.

October 1969

It was October 1969 forty-four years ago.  I’m not sure of the exact date, however I am sure it was a Saturday morning in Saginaw, Michigan, the weather that October day  was unusually warm and the day was sunny and bright.

Sometime between 1PM and 1:30 PM, as we prepared to travel home for the weekend, (home being Flint and Detroit),  we discovered the telegram that stated  that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) had granted license (to the Clark Family) with the permission to begin broadcasting at  107.1 FM  as WWWS. We were “W-3 Soul” and we were on the air!

So, on this Saturday afternoon in October 1969 we officially began broadcasting Blues, R&B, Soul, Jazz and Gospel throughout Saginaw, Flint and Bay City, Michigan.   We were bringing to this market new, mostly unheard  Black artists such as Sly and the Family Stone, Donny Hathaway, The O’ Jays, Albert King, O.V. Wright, The Delfonics and many others.

From now on listeners could stay on top of the latest music produced by the Stax label out of Memphis, Gamble & Huff (Philly Sound) Chicago studios (Curtis Mayfield) and studios out of New York, etc.

“W-3 Soul” would now be the avenue for Black business to promote and advertise through live radio twenty-four a day and seven days a week.