Radio Revolution: The Rise And Fall Of The Big 8

Long before the internet, in the glory days of AM radio, a powerful signal would creep out across the continent come nightfall. This is part of the reason why CKLW from Windsor, Ontario, boasting 50,000 watts, was able to not only become the top radio station across the river in ultra-competitive Detroit but one of the most influential stations on the continent. This doc captures CKLW's rock'n'roll and R&B glory days from 1967 to 1984, a real-life WKRP without the loserdom. "The Big 8" (800 on the AM dial) was a cross-border success story, serving both cities equally with innovative programming and a brutally honest music director who remained resistant to payola (even when Bob Seger wrote a song about her). The CRTC is painted as the villain in the station's downfall, first for the imposition of CanCon in 1971 (which hurt the station's American ratings), then for denying an FM license in 1984 — for reasons, it's suggested, of spite. With interviews from many of the principles, plenty of archival footage and key celebrity testimonials (Alice Cooper, Martha Reeves, Wayne Kramer), Radio Revolution is a fascinating history lesson for anyone who grew up on rock'n'roll radio. Plus: one hour of extra interview footage, deleted sequences. (www.radiorevolutiondvd.com)