CBSDetroit62

[GREATLAKESVET]

You're correct that WGPR stood for "Where's God's Presence Radiates". But that slogan evolved, or so I've read, from 107.5's original location in Grosse Pointe. WGPR-FM originally stood for "Grosse Pointe Radio".

[GREATLAKESVET]

You're correct that WGPR stood for "Where's God's Presence Radiates". But that slogan evolved, or so I've read, from 107.5's original location in Grosse Pointe. WGPR-FM originally stood for "Grosse Pointe Radio".

[RingtailedFox]

I heard their call-letters had a second meaning: "Where Good Programming Resides"... and it did fit since they had some popular programs during their independently-owned era.

[SolarMax]

WGPR radio's founder, Ross Mulholland, put it on the air in '61, and the callsign was chosen to signify "Grosse Pointe Radio," as its offices and origination studio were indeed in Grosse Pointe. If I'm not mistaken, it may have been the first station in the market to broadcast in stereo.
For those grumping about the TV station's callsign change, when CBS closed the purchase, it already owned WWJ radio, so the ownership/callsign connection made sense. The WWJ-TV call had been dropped by Post-Newsweek when it purchased channel 4 (which became WDIV). On the CBS side, even though there was common corporate ownership for many years, there was very little cross pollination or marketing between the TV and Radio stations besides sharing the heritage callsign (unlike WBZ in Boston, which took pride in its identity and shared staff and promotional activities). There's no longer any corporate link to WWJ radio (Entercom-owned); CBS should rebrand TV with its own distinct callsign.

[fuzzpower]

The call letter change made sense, because the WGPR calls supposedly originally stood for "Where God's Presence Radiates." While I don't think 62 was ever marketed as a "Christian" or religious station, their prime time schedule and much of their daytime schedule was filled with programs from various ministries. If I'm not mistaken, they had religious/gospel programming all day long every Sunday until 11:00 PM.

That programming paid the bills. Remember, WGPR was very low budget and had a weak signal in outlying areas. I remember we had a cheap antenna only TV in the kitchen, and it came in worse than CBET and WADL.

[EdWalker]

CBS closed on the purchase of 62 months later, as correctly pointed out by CircleWXYZ, because Joel Ferguson challenged the sale to keep an important local voice and minority program going and hoped he'd be able to buy it or at least become a partner. But even as the challenge process was playing out the IFAAMM, the founders and owners of 62, retained the license. Day-to-day operations were handed over to CBS, or in other words, 62 was owned by IFAAMM and operated by CBS. When Ferguson's challenge was denied and the FCC approved the sale to CBS, it was then announced that the call letters would change to WWJ-TV.

IMHO, Joel just saw an opportunity to get a piece of the action. The rest, secondary.

[proxima3]

The call letter change made sense, because the WGPR calls supposedly originally stood for "Where God's Presence Radiates." While I don't think 62 was ever marketed as a "Christian" or religious station, their prime time schedule and much of their daytime schedule was filled with programs from various ministries. If I'm not mistaken, they had religious/gospel programming all day long every Sunday until 11:00 PM.

And Doctor Who! I was glad they used to show it.

[szmigiel]

And Doctor Who! I was glad they used to show it.

And Dark Shadows right before it.

[sfpcc]

They also showed:

Second tiered cartoons and children Programing (Hoppity Hooper, Lidsville, HR Puffinstuff, Abbot And Costello, Kimba, The Groovie Ghoulies, The Archies)
Weird foreign movies in the middle of the night, (much discussed, hey I see boobs.)
The Scene (Also much discussed)
Merve Griffin, (around 1985)
The Mod Squad (Also around 1985)
The Last Days of The NBC Soap Santa Barbara
Prempted CBS late night programming
Lou Grant
Remmington Steele
Insight

There's a lot more that I can't think of. (I might have mentioned some things already mentioned.)

[fuzzpower]

They had the CBS Morning show near the very end, right before they officially became CBS. I think they also aired the syndicated Family Feud at around 11PM. They picked up a few NBC game shows in the 90s channel 4 didn’t want.

They also had Hee Haw near the very end of its run.

[80sTalkRadioFan]

I always loved the smooth voice of Michelle DeSouza delivering the station id. "You're watching WGPR TV 62, Detroit." There was also a man who recorded station ids for 62 in the late 80s/early 90s, but I'm not sure who he was.

[GREATLAKESVET]

CBS closed on the purchase of 62 months later, as correctly pointed out by CircleWXYZ, because Joel Ferguson challenged the sale to keep an important local voice and minority program going and hoped he'd be able to buy it or at least become a partner. But even as the challenge process was playing out the IFAAMM, the founders and owners of 62, retained the license. Day-to-day operations were handed over to CBS, or in other words, 62 was owned by IFAAMM and operated by CBS. When Ferguson's challenge was denied and the FCC approved the sale to CBS, it was then announced that the call letters would change to WWJ-TV.

IMHO, Joel just saw an opportunity to get a piece of the action. The rest, secondary.

Joel just wanted a piece of the action? You think? How many stations besides WSYM-TV and WLAJ-TV did he put on the air only to unload them just as quickly as the ink dried on the buyer's check?

[YpsiGuy]

I'd hate to see them give up the 62 virtual channel assignment. Channel 62 was the station from Weird Al's movie "UHF". Keep 62!!!

[GREATLAKESVET]

Sixplusone wrote:

Regarding CBS having to find a different local station it sought out Channel 31 and 20 but they said no as I understand it. This meant the focus shifted in the direction of WGPR-TV which also had some signal issues.

It was actually Channel 20 and Channel 38 that CBS was negotiating with. 20 dropped out since it was affiliating with the new WB Network. That left CBS with two options: 38 and 62. Initially, WGPR was seen as unlikely to land the affiliation deal because of its' meager facilities and signal. Talks with Adell and 38, as I understand, did not go smoothly as Adell didn't want to commit to forming a news department, which CBS definitely wanted, plus some other demands that CBS was not about to agree to. CBS's focus then turned to make a deal with 62 and the IFAAMM that started initially as an affiliation effort and ended with CBS making a $24-million cash offer for outright ownership, which the Mason's agreed to. As a previous poster mention, it was an offer that the Banks' heirs just couldn't refuse. All cash for a facility they had grown and developed as far as they could.

[Myron Falwell]

WGPR radio's founder, Ross Mulholland, put it on the air in '61, and the callsign was chosen to signify "Grosse Pointe Radio," as its offices and origination studio were indeed in Grosse Pointe. If I'm not mistaken, it may have been the first station in the market to broadcast in stereo.
For those grumping about the TV station's callsign change, when CBS closed the purchase, it already owned WWJ radio, so the ownership/callsign connection made sense. The WWJ-TV call had been dropped by Post-Newsweek when it purchased channel 4 (which became WDIV). On the CBS side, even though there was common corporate ownership for many years, there was very little cross pollination or marketing between the TV and Radio stations besides sharing the heritage callsign (unlike WBZ in Boston, which took pride in its identity and shared staff and promotional activities). There's no longer any corporate link to WWJ radio (Entercom-owned); CBS should rebrand TV with its own distinct callsign.

CBS actually still "owns" the WWJ calls as a brand, they license it to Entercom for ol' 950.