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Detroit News:
Michael Jackson's death highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of radio, as broadcasters either scrambled to react to his death or hit the snooze button. Some stations reacted quickly, but considering how important an artist Jackson was to radio in the 1980s, others were on an endless loop of voicetracking. Songs like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" could be heard all over the dial over the weekend. To quantify it, according to Nielsen BDS research cited by Billboard, in the week before his death, the only Jackson song to rack up more than 500 plays was "Rock with You." After his death, 22 Jackson songs got more than 1,000 plays each. Predictably, Detroit urban stations WJLB-FM (97.9) and WMXD-FM (92.3) and Radio One's Detroit stations (WDMK-FM, 105.9, WHTD-FM, 102.7, WCHB-AM, 1200) were in heavy Jackson mode. But some stations that rely heavily on '80s pop (including Jackson), like "Doug-FM" (WDRQ-FM, 93.1), just continued as the automated jukeboxes that they are... Jackson songs get heavy airplay (Tue, 6/30)
Mayor Dave Bing is the newest Detroit politician to star in his own basic cable television show. Bing's new show is titled "From the Mayor's Office" and will debut today on the city's government access station, Channel 10. The first show will tackle "hot button issues," such as the city's budget, Detroit Public Schools and "the overall approach of his administration," according to a written statement released today... Dave Bing TV show debuts today (Tue, 6/30)
WJR's 'Big Story' to focus on Detroit Public Schools tonight
WJR's Lloyd Jackson will host a special edition of 'The Big Story' tonight from 7 - 8 p.m., welcoming Robert Bobb, the Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager. Listeners are invited to call in to WJR and give their thoughts. 1.800.859.0-WJR.
