Michiguide.com: Michigan's Guide to Radio and Television Broadcasting

CKWW adds John Records Landecker to Sunday lineup

Get out your bell bottom pants, your platform shoes and turn on the Hi-Fi because Sunday nights on AM 580 are about to get groovier. Starting this Sunday night, AM 580 will air "Into The 70's" hosted by legendary radio personality John Records Landecker. He will bring his style and knowledge of the 70's to this music intensive show which will air Sunday nights from 7 PM to 12 AM on AM 580.

Landecker is a native of Ann Arbor and was inducted into the Radio Wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work on WLS in the 1970s.

Sounds of Sinatra will now start an hour earlier and air from 5 until 7 PM on Sundays.

Michigan Radio and Olympia Entertainment welcome A Prairie Home Companion to Detroit

Public radio station Michigan Radio (91.7 FM Ann Arbor/Detroit) and Olympia Entertainment are scheduled to present a live performance of A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, the celebrated variety show produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented and distributed by American Public Media. On Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 6:00 p.m., host Garrison Keillor and special guests will take the stage at the historic Fox Theatre in Detroit for a live, national broadcast.

Although the show has performed live in Michigan on several occasions, this marks the first performance of the program from Detroit. The February 27 A Prairie Home Companion show will feature live performances and comical skits by Keillor and the Prairie Home cast. Keillor will weave local humor into the show and share his signature monologue, "The News From Lake Wobegon," with Detroit audiences.

Tickets go on sale on through the Fox Theatre box office, through Ticketmaster (Ph: 800-745-3000), and online at olympiaentertainment.com on Saturday, November 21 at 10:00 a.m.

A native Minnesotan, Garrison Keillor began working at Minnesota Public Radio in 1969. In the summer of 1974, he hosted the first live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, a program now heard weekly on over 580 public radio stations by over 4 million listeners. The program regularly airs Saturdays on Michigan Radio at 6 pm and is repeated Sundays at 12 pm. Keillor also hosts a daily five-minute radio program, The Writer's Almanac, and is a frequent contributor to Time. He is the author of 13 books and winner of numerous awards for his broadcasting and literary work.

With Philip Brunelle, Keillor has performed with many orchestras, including the Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and National symphonies. He has received numerous awards for his broadcast and literary work, including: membership in the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (2001); The National Humanities Medal (1999); and a Grammy Award for the recording of Lake Wobegon Days (1985).

AllAccess.com:

The state of MICHIGAN has one of the highest unemployment rates in the U.S. The staff at CITADEL Top 40 WHTS/GRAND RAPIDS knows how difficult it is for many area families to put food on the table. On NOVEMBER 22nd, the station will present PASS THE GRAVY, a canned food drive/concert to benefit local charitable organization GOD'S KITCHEN (which served over 195,000 meals to the hungry in 2008)... WHTS Grand Rapids Is Helping The Hungry (Thu, 11/19)

Saginaw News:

While it doesn't look a lot like Christmas in the Great Lakes Bay Region yet, Program Director Scott Stine says listeners are getting into the spirit with the help of "all Christmas music, all the time" at WHNN-FM, 96.1. "It was 60 degrees outside when I was stringing up my Christmas lights and decorating the place for the holidays," Stine said. "But I had the Christmas music on, and I was loving every minute of it." Morning cohosts Johnny Burke and Blondie recently launched the new format, and it will continue through Christmas Day, said Stine, who also hosts the Saginaw Township radio station's late afternoon broadcast... Christmas comes early to WHNN (Thu, 11/19)

Detroit News:

Jim "JJ" Johnson reacted Wednesday to the news that his former WCSX-FM (94.7) co-host Lynne Woodison Lyman made allegations against him in a lawsuit filed against their former employer, Greater Media Inc. Lyman filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the classic rock station's owners alleging sexual harassment (by Johnson, and other employees), retaliation and gender and age discrimination. Lyman charged that Johnson "showed her nude photographs on his computer screen on a daily basis and would harass her with derogatory terms and sexual references while they were broadcasting on the air." Lyman co-hosted the "JJ and Lynne Morning Show" from 2000 until 2008, when Greater Media let the duo go. Although Johnson is not being sued, he issued his own statement... DJ denies allegations of former co-host (Thu, 11/19)

Bummed about not being able to attend the Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony at Campus Martius Park this year? Don't worry. WJBK-TV (Channel 2) is streaming live video of the sixth annual event on its Web site, www.MyFoxDetroit.com, beginning at 6:43 p.m. Friday... WJBK-TV will stream tree lighting (Thu, 11/19)

Bloomfield Hills School District radio students win seven awards in nationwide High School Radio competition; WBFH wins 2nd place in Best High School Radio Station in the Nation competition

Bloomfield Hills School District radio broadcasting students won a total of seven awards in five categories at the Seventh Annual John Drury High School Radio Awards ceremony held November 7, 2009 on the campus of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Based on the number of award winners, WBFH won 2nd Place, Best High School Station in this national competition.

The John Drury High School Radio Awards were created to recognize excellence in high school radio broadcasting. These awards were named in honor of award-winning ABC-Chicago news anchor, John Drury. The entries were submitted last May. The awards were presented by North Central College and their student radio station WONC-FM (www.wonc.org).

Five WBFH students were nominated for eight awards. WBFH students won two 1st Place awards, four 2nd Place awards and one 3rd Place award:

• Best Promo, 1st Place: Patrick Garretson, Lahser senior
• Best News Feature Story, 1st Place: Ridwan Alam, 2009 Andover graduate
• Best Sportscast, 2nd Place: Ryan Bloom, Andover senior
• Best Newscast, 2nd Place: Ridwan Alam, 2009 Andover graduate
• Best News Feature Story, 2nd Place: Josh Loney, Andover senior
• Best Sports Play-By-Play, 2nd Place: Josh Loney, Andover senior
• Best Promo, 3rd Place: Patrick Garretson, Lahser senior

Also nominated for a Drury Award in the PSA category was Chad Shepard, Lahser senior.

The Best High School Radio Station 2nd Place Award was presented to the WBFH management team consisting of Station Manager Pete Bowers and Assistant Manager/Technical Director Randy Carr. WLTL of LaGrange, Illinois won 1st Place and WGBK of Glenview, Illinois took 3rd Place in the station competition.

"I congratulate all the winners and nominees," said Bowers. "I'm very proud of our students who won and for WBFH winning second place in this national competition".

First place award winners were also given a $1,000 scholarship to attend North Central College.

WBFH, also known as The Biff, is a non-commercial, educational radio station broadcasting at 88.1 on the FM dial and online at www.wbfh.fm.

WJR to again air coverage of Thanksgiving parade

Tune to WJR AM 760 next Thursday, November 26, 2009 as the Voice of America's Thanksgiving Day Parade plans to provide the most complete coverage of this holiday tradition. Join WJR parade coverage co-hosts Lloyd Jackson and Katherine Leslie along with the rest of the WJR staff as they bring all of the sights and sounds of America's Thanksgiving Parade to WJR listeners starting at 10am.

Co-Grand Marshals of this year's parade are Art Van Elslander of Art Van Furniture fame and WJR's Paul W. Smith.

Traverse City Record-Eagle:

David Poinsett produces local television programming and doesn't want area residents to miss shows he or anyone else creates here. But he's concerned that could happen if Charter Communications follows through on plans to rearrange where certain public, educational and government access channels -- or PEG channels -- are located. "I think it weakens our access to this great community resource," Poinsett said. Traverse City officials also oppose Charter's plans to shake up the access channels and expect to file suit against the cable provider within the next week. They've hired two law firms experienced in such cases to take on the chore... City plans to sue Charter over channels (Wed, 11/18)

Detroit News:

The former co-host of the "JJ and Lynne" morning show on WCSX-FM (94.7) filed a federal lawsuit against the classic rock station's owners Tuesday, alleging she was sexually harassed by her co-host James Johnson and retaliated against when she complained about that and the fact he was paid more. According to the complaint, Lynne Woodison Lyman joined WCSX in 1997 and co-hosted with JJ from 2000 until November 2008, when the station cited low ratings in terminating the show. "Plaintiff was surrounded by a discriminatory and unlawful work environment where women were described as sex objects and derided on a daily basis," Lyman alleges in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit by her attorney, Deborah Gordon of Bloomfield Hills... Ex-WCSX DJ sues, says she was harassed (Wed, 11/18)

Keener13.com

He had the job we all wanted, the foot in the door at the greatest radio station in town. In the world that was radio back in the 1960s, the overnight shift was the proving ground, the place where the program director tested new talent, and the assignment from whence stars were often born. Some loved the lifestyle and made overnights their brand. WJR's Jay Roberts was one of the most famous, helping us drift off to sleep for over two decades as the captain of "Nightflight 760″. Jim Jeffries had a different idea. When he came to Detroit from Keener's Battle Creek sister station, Jim knew that even with WKNR's highly directional nighttime signal, there were thousands of people out there who depended on the overnight guy to keep them awake... Jim Jeffries obituary (Wed, 11/18)

Cornerstone University expands West Michigan radio reach

WCFG FM 90.9 Springfield/Battle Creek signed on last week (Friday, Nov 6th) as a full-time rebroadcaster of WCSG FM 91.3 Grand Rapids. WSCG/WCFG features an adult-focused Contemporary Christian format that usually finds itself among the most popular stations in a very busy radio landscape across West Michigan.

Grand Rapids Press:

Terri DeBoer and Rachael Ruiz soon will be adding a co-worker to their lifestyle show "Eight West" thanks to WOTV4's "The Face of 4" contest. The winner gets a one-year contract, the opportunity to represent the station on air and in the community and also act as a correspondent on "Eight West." Oh, and did I mention they also get $20,000? was announced this week on "Eight West." People can vote on wotv.com now through Nov. 29. The person with the most votes will be given an automatic pass to the finale. Five others will be chosen by WOTV 4 to move on to the final round of competition. The winner will be announced the week of Dec. 7... Top 20 chosen for WOTV's 'The Face of 4' contest (Tue, 11/17)

WZZM-TV:

At the beginning of October, Ellen Tailor of HOT-FM's "Todd Chance Radio Show" embarked on an ambitious fundraiser to help local survivors of breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with the disease just over a year ago. After undergoing treatment, she is now a survivor. Tailor decided to challenge listeners, if they could raise $10,000 to help other survivors, she would "bare it all" and pose in the buff for an art class at Kendall College. "She and other breast cancer patients are poked and prodded and feel so vulnerable when they are being put out there, that me doing this art class is nothing compared to what they go through," said Tailor. Just one month later, listeners had held up their end of the bargain, and $11,700 was donated to the Compassionate Cancer Care Center at Metro Health Village... HOT-FM's Ellen Tailor 'Bares It All' to help breast cancer survivors (Mon, 11/16)

There is only two days left to place your bid on the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation's FINAL Online Auction of 2009. Proceeds from this event go to support broadcast scholarships, internships and education...please helps the mission to secure a future broadcast workforce by bidding today!

Some of the items up for bids include MSU Men's Basketball tickets, MSU Men's Hockey tickets, registration to Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts Media Course, and a suite a the Palace of Auburn Hills for a Detroit Pistons game.

To view all the items, register, and bid, click here or go to michmab.com and click on the Online Auction button.

Crain's Detroit Business:

To remain relevant amid a cacophony of cable and digital television, radio and Internet choices, Detroit Educational Television Foundation is emphasizing local programming that can be broadcast on multimedia platforms. Soon it plans to take its show on the road with new mobile productions -- which will lower production costs. Amid its move to a multimedia platform, the foundation, which operates as Detroit Public Television/WTVS-Channel 56, has managed to close out a $22 million capital campaign and shift its programming to five areas critical to the region while reducing its operational costs by $2.4 million. It also has brought in more than $1 million in new funding to support its new local and national programs in core areas. DPTV has done it all while ramping up production at its new, state-of-the-art studio and offices in Wixom. Plus it has successfully managed the transition from analog to digital broadcasting... Dialed in: Detroit Public Television redoubles commitment to local programming while cutting costs (Sun, 11/15)

The Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun

The Federal Communications Commission has stripped the radio licenses from the former operator of a chain of low-power stations based in Mt. Pleasant. A recent decision by the FCC revokes the licenses for several non-commercial educational stations from groups controlled by former Mt. Pleasant resident James McCluskey. McCluskey is still apparently licensed to operate a low-power community FM station from an Elizabeth Street home. The station, with the call sign W214BH, was not part of the recent action. But according to Mt. Pleasant tax records, that home has been sold and he no longer lives there... FCC revokes licenses of former broadcaster (Sun, 11/15)

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Tri-Cities radio listeners can get their fill of all-Christmas programming on WHNN FM 96.1 which made the move over the weekend joining numerous other stations across the country featuring nothing but holiday hits through Christmas. WHNN's regular format is classic hits, which will likely return in late December.

Detroit Free Press:

"Oh the weather outside is frightful," we sang, windows down last weekend while driving along Fort Street. With the sun shining as the temperature rose into the mid-60s, it certainly felt more like delightful. We stumbled upon Christmas music as we surfed the stations on my car radio, and I'm afraid that, at least when the kids are with me, the dial now vacillates between the two that play 24-hour holiday songs. After an excruciating "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" -- made lovable only because of the mixed-up lyrics sung by my 4-year-old and squeals from my 21-month-old in the back seat -- I tried to switch stations. But that drew nothing but howls... We may be rushing things, but we need a little Christmas now (Sun, 11/15)

Grand Rapids Press:

Tracy Forner will leave his morning anchor duties at WXMI-TV (Channel 17) to head back to Indianapolis. His last day will be Nov. 25. Forner joined Fox 17 in August 2008 after a six-year stint at the Fox affiliate in Indianapolis. Before that, he worked at WZZM-TV (Channel 13), WLHT-FM (95.7) and WLAV-FM (96.9). "It's a simple matter of not wanting to be away from my family anymore," said Forner, whose wife, Elizabeth, and three young children still live in the Indianapolis area. "As hard as we tried to sell our home and find comparable work for my wife here, it wasn't happening. "We were fully committed to coming back and being a part of West Michigan again. Now my only focus is for my family to no longer be apart. There will always be opportunities for me to work, but my children only grow up once, and I refuse to miss any more of that." WXMI news director Tim Dye is looking for a replacement for Forner, he said... WXMI-TV morning anchor Tracy Forner returns home to Indianapolis (Sun, 11/15)