Thank You, Flint, For 40 Great Years

A lot has happened and a lot has changed over the last 40 years. As we remember the good times, the celebrations, the setbacks, and even the tears, we're glad to have called this community our home.

Actually, 'glad' isn't a strong enough word. Let's go with proud. Let's go with delighted. Let's just say we wouldn't trade a minute of the time we've been here.

And if you've only spent a little time with us, or you've spent part of your lifetime with us, thank you for being by our side.

Happy 40th Birthday to Us

Cars 108 is celebrating its 40th birthday this week. It was June 15, 1984 when we signed on, launching a new radio format in Flint with the song 'Fame' by Irene Cara.

Some of the lyrics from that song seemed hopeful at the time, and ring prophetic today:

"You ain't seen the best of me yet,
Give me time, I'll make you forget the rest ...

I'm gonna live forever,

Light up the sky like a flame,

Baby, remember my name."

 

How Did Cars 108 Get Its Name?

General Motors was a driving force in Flint, Michigan, employing about 80,000 people at its peak in the late 1970s. Flint's economy thrived as autoworkers and their families kept this town humming.

We could write pages and pages about GM's decline, its missteps, and the exponential impact endured by Flint over the last handful of decades but that's not what this is about.

Through it all, for better and for worse, Flint's history is steeped in the company founded by Billy Durant in the early 1900s and will always be known for its rich history as a General Motors town.

Tasked with designing a new radio station in 1984, a savvy broadcaster named Dan Hayden looked out the window of a hotel room in downtown Flint, saw the city below, and said 'Cars.' The essence of Flint, Michigan is Cars, and that became the moniker for the new radio station.

Cars 108 Through the Years

Change is inevitable. Over the last four decades, many talented radio personalities (too numerous to mention) have contributed to the success of Cars 108. But broadcasting is a fluid industry, giving credibility to the lyric "Town to town, up and down the dial."

SEE ALSO:  Where Are They Now? Some of Flint and Saginaw's Most Popular TV Anchors Through the Years

We've included pictures below of Cars 108's original staff, first car giveaway, and the chunks of steel lying on the ground after a vandal cut down our broadcast tower in 1995.

Music, listening habits, and technology have changed too. In 1984, there was only one way to listen to a radio station. Today you can listen online, on our mobile app, and on your smart speakers. Gone too are the days of waiting by the radio for the DJ to read a list of school closings. (I am so thankful I don't have to do that anymore.) That information - along with local events and stories is at your fingertips on the Cars 108 app.

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But the one thing that remains constant is our commitment to Flint and Genesee County. Cars 108 has always been committed to helping people - especially the children of our community - through our many charitable partnerships.

On behalf of everyone - past and present - I sincerely thank you for helping us help our community.

On a Personal Note ...

I hope you'll indulge me for a moment as I recognize how fortunate I am to be part of this radio station. Cars 108 signed on when I was a sophomore at CMU. As a broadcast major, I was thoroughly impressed with this new powerhouse station and set my sights on working there someday.

In 1991, J. Patrick was the station's Program Director and took a chance on hiring a knucklehead kid who had just been let go due to budget cuts at a radio station 'Up North.' I never dreamed I'd stay for more than 30 years.

A few years later, in 1994, I met a gal at Cars 108's 10th birthday party and we were married 15 months later. My work life and my home life are among my greatest blessings.

Thanks for listening. Below are a few pictures from Cars 108's 40-year history.