Following in the footsteps of her father, JoAnne Purtan is coming to 104.3 WOMC on Monday Morning.
It was probably the worst kept secret in Detroit media. The radio station announced Thursday that Purtan, a longtime on air personality at Channel 7 WXYZ, would be joining another former WXYZ host, Stephen Clark, to be a morning radio duo.
“After 27 years in television news, I’m excited for this new adventure in radio. I listened to my dad on the radio for much of my life, and I’m truly humbled to be at the same station where he spent the last 15 years of his iconic career entertaining people in the morning,” said Purtan. “Stephen and I have always worked so well together, and we’re so excited to team up again. After covering a lot of serious news through the years, we look forward to spending mornings with Detroit’s listeners, sharing good news, great music and some fun.”
“JoAnne and I have worked together for nearly two decades and I’m looking forward to starting this new adventure with her,” said Stephen Clark. “I can’t think of a smarter, more professional, more capable partner.”
When it comes to social media, the reaction has been generally very positive toward Clark and Purtan, and there were thousands of social media comments in dismay when Purtan’s contract wasn’t renewed at WXYZ.
JoAnne Purtan’s father, Dick Purtan, is still a beloved name among many area residents. During his active career Dick Purtan wasn’t just a radio personality with his popular “Purtan’s People” segments, but also very involved in charitable pursuits. One of his signature projects was the creation the idea of the Bed & Bread Club Radiothon in 1988. The event continues to this day and raised more than $1.2 million in 2018 alone for the Salvation Army of Metro Detroit.
Here’s a video of Joanne’s announcement. The show will air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on WOMC FM 104.3.
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