Anyone who loved pop radio and lived within several hundred miles of Detroit will remember "The Big 8," CKLW-AM (800) fondly.
While the Windsor-based station still exists today, airing Canadian talk shows, in the '60s it was a Canadian-American pop powerhouse, booming out a snappy format of fast-talking disc jockeys, bloody news coverage and hot hits, with an emphasis on home-grown Detroit music.
Now CKLW fans on the north side of the Detroit River will be able to see Michael McNamara's much-lauded CKLW documentary, "Radio Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Big 8," at 8 p.m. Friday on Detroit Public Television WTVS (Channel 56). In-studio guests will include CK's Jo-Jo Shutty-McGregor and Joe Donovan.
Also, just in time for Christmas giving for the Detroit radio nerd on your list, a DVD of the documentary also will be available Thursday at the Web site www.radiorevolutiondvd.com">www.radiorevolutiondvd.com, where you can order with a credit card or check.
There are also a few Windsor retailers who are carrying the DVD, including Dr. Disc Music at 659 Ouellette Ave. Call (519) 253-9744 or e-mail drdiscrecords@hotmail .com.
The DVD also will be available at the Art Gallery of Windsor Shop, 401 Riverside Drive (just a block from the Big 8's original headquarters). Call (519) 977-0013.
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