Osgood, Richard E. – ‘Dick’

WXYZ: The “voice” of Channel 7 when it went on the air in 1948.

WYXIE Wonderland: An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ by Dick Osgood

WYXIE WONDERLAND by Dick Osgood is possibly the first comprehensive exploration into the inner workings of a broadcasting enterprise. Fifty years of national radio and television history, from 1925 to 1975, are reflected in the fundamental and accidental specifics of a single station — WXYZ, Detroit — AM, FM and TV.

WXYZ was more than just the birthplace of The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and Sgt. Preston of the Yukon. It was the starting point of investigative journalist Mike Wallace, comedian Soupy Sales, actors John Hodiak and Danny Thomas. This extraordinary book traces the beginnings of five networks; the rise and decline of radio network programming. It sees the radio actor replaced by the disc jockey. WYXIE Wonderland explains how the scandal of radio payola grew out of the discovery of rigged TV quiz programs. It tells of a sound created in Texas that revolutionized radio, and how the Top 40 format emerged from a bar in Omaha.

WXYZ influenced American culture — and sometimes it was American culture.

“Whether you are a fan of The Lone Ranger or old-time radio in general, this is one of the dozen essentials for your bookshelf.” — Martin Grams, Jr., Pop culture historian, from the introduction.