Utica man producing film about the history of radio – The Oakland Press

Decades before Spotify, Pandora, and even satellite radio, terrestrial (land-based) AM and FM radio reigned supreme. Many listeners, including Utica resident Ron Robinson, idolized the disc jockeys just as much as the artists they played.

Robinson, 51, is working on a documentary film entitled Radio Dayz The Movie, which focuses on the history of radio, including the early days of Detroit radio. (The film) tells the story of radio through the people who worked in radio, he said.

Robinson interviewed several well-known radio personalities such as Paul W. Smith, Dick Purtain, Fred Jacobs, Dick Kernen, and more for the film. Robinson, who worked for WJR for 20 years before starting his own production company, has several connections in the industry. He started interviewing for the documentary in 2013.

Most people think of radio, they think of New York, California, and Chicago, and rightfully so. But, Detroit has been an important and ground-breaking city for the medium of radio, Robinson said.

The documentary is a chronological look at the history of radio, starting with the first radio stations. It also takes aim at the first radio celebrity, Fr. Charles Coughlin. The Detroit-area priest took to the airways in the 1920s and eventually garnered an audience of 30 million to his weekly radio show. Coughlin would later become a polarizing figure as World War II approached. Hes on the wrong side of history, if you will, Robinson said.

Other notable glimpses into radios history are also featured in the film, including President Franklin D. Roosevelts Fireside Chats and the healing effect these popular radio segments would have on a nation crippled by The Great Depression and the war.

Then I go and talk about the 1940s and 1950s and what Elvis and the Beatles mean to radio. Theres a part about how radio changed when TV became the mainstay in everybodys house, Robinson said.

Robinsons podcast Radio Dayz! delves into the history of radio as well and has served as a promotional piece for the documentary. What we do is let listeners in on what happened behind the scenes in radio, he said. Most people know their (radio personalities) voices, but not their story.

The documentary has served as a labor of love for Robinson. And although it is not yet complete, he plans to wrap up the project soon. He had hoped to finish in time for WWJs 100th anniversary but was unable to interview key radio personalities due to COVID-19 restrictions.

He said it is important to preserve radios history for future generations, especially today when few people even own a radio. There are so many stories people dont know and I want to share that with people because I think they will be better off and more enriched and appreciate where this country has been, he said.

When the film is complete, possibly later this year, Robinson hopes to have it available to stream.

This is Robinsons fourth documentary film. He also produced It Takes a Village, Networking, Your Business The Movie, and If You Build It, They Will Come. The later film focuses on the development of Jimmy Johns Field in Utica.

In addition to making documentary films, Robinson is a photographer and aerial/drone media pilot. His production company, Ron Robinson Studios, also offers video marketing services for businesses.

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Utica man producing film about the history of radio - The Oakland Press