aspects of UPI's radio net-
works, including news con-
tent, budgets, operations and
marketing. Freedman says
UPI President Paul Steinle
told him, " 'Mike, it's your
company. Treat it like you
own it.' That was music to my
ears."
It was music to the ears of
a true newshound, who began
his career at an early age in
Detroit and spent the bulk of
his professional life covering
the Motor City. Freedman
remembers when he first fell
under the spell of radio. His
father, Hy Freedman, a
butcher, died when Mike was
six years old. To soothe
himself to sleep, Freedman
says he used to keep an old
A.M. transistor radio tucked
under his pillow. "I didn't
realize until many years later

From start to -
finish, I was able
to serve as the
architect for
network coverage
of every major
event of a
quadrennial year.'

Mike Freedman returned to his Detroit hometown only to learn he'd been tapped for a top UPI post.

Glenn Triest

10 Seconds To Air

Broadcaster Michael Freedman
gets a plum job with
United Press International.

ADRIEN CHANDLER

Special to The Jewish News

eople have deep-
seated reasons
for going into
radio," says
broadcasting ex-
ecutive Michael Freedman.
"It's dramatic and intense.
You live for it. I don't think
you have casual radio profes-
sionals."
Broadcasting is a consum-
ing business, one that gets
and stays in your blood.

When Freedman talks
about radio, that intensity is
very real. It's obvious that
this is his professional love,
life and breath. A native
Detroiter, Freedman, 37, has
worked his way up through
the ranks of a tough and
brutal industry to one of its
pinnacles — as the new vice
president of news for UPI
Broadcasting, Inc. "There are
only a half a dozen of these
kinds of jobs at the network
level," says Freedman. "It's
an opportunity of a lifetime.
I'd be nuts to say no to that."

Normally,
Freedman
wouldn't have had to think
twice about accepting the of-
fer from United Press Inter-
national. But these were
unusual circumstances.
Freedman, who had been
UPI's manager for broadcast
operations, had just arrived
back in his hometown to be
news director at the regional
radio giant, WJR. Two
months after his arrival here,
UPI has lured him back with
the vice presidential offer.
As vice president/news,
Freedman will oversee all

that radio became a late
night friend. It made dealing
with the death of my father
easier."
Freedman didn't waste any
time getting involved in
broadcasting. As a young
teen, he wrote to broad-
casting schools and favorite
radio shows. Some of the local
announcers at WXYZ-AM
took him under their wing,
allowing him inside the
studio while they were on the
air. At Oak Park High School,
Freedman and some of his
friends actually produced pro-
grams for the daily public ad-
dress announcements, some
of it, as he recalls, not to the
teachers' liking. "We used to
put together scripts," recalls
Freedman. "The teachers
would go crazy. Some (of
them) would turn off the
P.A.!"
For Freedman, working in
the radio industry "became
almost a mission," one which
he tackled with energy and
drive. He wanted to attend
Northwestern University, but
it was out of his reach finan-
cially. His mother, Belle, was
raising Mike and his two
brothers alone. So he accepted
a scholarship to Wayne State
University.

While there, Freedman took
a part time job at WEXL/
WOMC, running pre-taped
religious programs on Sun-
day. Part time turned full
time at WEXL, and included
producing a nightly sports

I GOING PLACES I

WEEK OF
JULY 7-JULY 13

SPECIAL EVENTS

HENRY FORD
MUSEUM AND
GREENFIELD
VILLAGE
Dearborn, Colonial Life
Festival, Saturday and
Sunday; Fire Engine
Muster, July 22 and 23,
admission, 271-1620.

COMEDY

PROCK'S COMEDY
SHOWROOM
1019 W Maple, Clawson,
Bob Posch, performs
downstairs; Ron Coden,
performs upstairs,
Fridays and Saturdays,
through August,
admission, 280-2626.
MISS KITTY'S
COMEDY CLUB
Long Branch Restaurant,
595 N. Lapeer Rd.,
Oxford, Don Reese, today
and Saturday; Mike
Toomey, Thursday
through July 15,
admission, 628-6500.

THEATER

SHAW FESTIVAL
Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Ontario, Man and
Superman, now through
Oct. 15; Berkeley Square,
now through Oct. 14;
and Once in a Lifetime,
now through July 23,
admission, (416)
468-2172.
HENRY FORD
MUSEUM THEATER
Henry Ford Museum and
Greenfield Village,
Dearborn, The Gazebo,
now through July 22,
admission, 271-1620.

MUSIC

BIRMINGHAM
SUMMER CONCERT
SERIES
Shain Park, Maple near
Woodward, downtown
Birmingham, Tribute to
Elvis, starring Danny
Vann, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, free, 644-1807.
TROY HILTON INN
1455 Stephenson
Highway, Troy, "Jazz to
the Hilt" concert series,
Fattburger, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, admission,
583-9000.
Continued on Page 63

THE nP1TMIT .IFWISH KIRIN

.47

