WRIF FM 101.1 Detroit

Slogan/Positioner: Detroit's Home of Rock and Roll; The Riff; Everything That Rocks

Format: Active Rock

Web site: www.wrif.com

E-mail: visit web site

Power/Height/Class: 27,000 watts / 879 feet / B

Broadcasts in digital/HD

• Secondary stream format (HD2): Local Rock
• Secondary stream web site: www.riff2.com

FCC technical information:

• engineering data
• station details
• coverage area

More about station:

• Radio Locator coverage area
• FCCInfo.com listing
• Recnet Broadcast Query
• WRIF from Wikipedia
• WRIF from RadioTime.com
• WRIF on Facebook
• Tower photos, thanks Tom Bosscher
• WRIF from DetroitRadioFlashbacks.net

Call Sign History:

• WRIF: 2/14/1971
• WXYZ-FM: sign on, 1/1/1948

Call Sign Origin: After a musical term, guitar rif

On Air Date: January 1, 1948

Owner: Greater Media

Telephone: (248) 547-0101

Notes/History:

• 1994: Purchased by Greater Media.
• 12/15/1987: Purchased by Great American Broadcasting.
• 1984: Purchased from ABC by Silver Star Broadcasting.
• 1971: ABC begins chain wide 'Rock-n-stereo' format. Eventually WRIF became a pioneer in the Album Oriented Rock format - though in the 1970's the station often included many songs that would be better considered as 'pop' in its playlists.
• 2/14/1971: Call sign change to WRIF. Legend has it that ABC had meant to put the WRIF calls on FM 94.7 Chicago and that Detroit's 101.1 was to become WDAI (Detroit Auto Industry)- however, if this was a mistake, it was never corrected.
• 1970: Becomes live 'Underground Rock' format.
• 1970: Programming separates completely from AM 1270 and becomes 'Big Boss 101' and 'Love Radio', rock format syndicated from owner ABC. Arthur Penhallow first hired by WXYZ-FM.
• 1/1/1948: On air with 'Background' music and some duplication of WXYZ-AM, owned by ABC.

Transmitter location:

Oakland County: Near 10 Mile Rd and Northwestern Hwy (Southfield)

Old logo gallery:

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