Remembering Peter C. Cavanaugh
• Flint, MI radio legend Peter C. Cavanaugh, best known for his influence at WTAC-AM 600 and WWCK-FM, passed away on Friday, August 13, 2021 at the age of 79 due to complications from COPD.
Cavanaugh’s career as disc jockey began at the age of 16 at WNDR in his hometown of Syracuse, NY. He later moved to Flint, where he became a mega-jock, PD and GM at Top 40 WTAC-AM. Years later he also worked his magic on FM at WWCK, where he helped create the hilarious “Buffalo Dick’s Radio Ranch” with Jeff Lamb.
Back when AM Top 40 radio was king, Cavanaugh was not only the driving force behind WTAC-AM, but he was also known for debuting music from such artists as The Who, Bob Seger, Cream, AC/DC and others long before they hit the national stage. Seger’s manager, Punch Andrews, once said that “getting Cavanaugh on board was paramount to having a hit record.” Cavanaugh was later promoted to GM of WWCK-FM during its heyday as a rock station. He quickly rose to the position of EVP & Chief Operating Officer for Reams Broadcasting. Owner Fraiser Reams then moved Cavanaugh south 90 miles to Toledo, where he propelled WIOT-FM to the top AOR in America in ratio to market size!
In addition to his storied radio career, Cavanaugh was the author of Local DJ, which explored the culture of rock ‘n roll, local radio, and highlights the author’s personal spin on facilitating hundreds of rock concerts throughout the Midwest. Local filmmaker Jim Baade paid homage to Cavanagh in the documentary Flint’s Best Rock, which explored the heritage of rock radio in Flint and throughout Michigan. He also adapted Local DJ into a film which has been posted to Vimeo (use passcode 1234).
Legendary Flint/Saginaw personality Johnny Burke said of Cavanaugh, “Long before influencer was a thing, there was Pete, one of the greatest influencers of music, talent, and rock and roll. Heaven, rock on!”
In his later years, Cavanagh and his wife Eileen, retired to Oakhurst, CA before moving to the Cincinnati area. He is survived by Eileen and four daughters, Candace, Susan, Laurie and Colleen. [Special thanks to Art Vuolo]
