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

The Day the Music Died beautifully explained

Don McLean's "American Pie" is played a lot on February 3rd because that is the when many rock & roll fans feel it truly was "The Day the Music Died".

McLean's tribute was released in 1971 and it that was also about the time that Scott Westerman was a DJ on East Lansing's WVIC while a student at Michigan State University. He was known as Scott "The Hugger" Westerman and today, after a successful career in broadcasting and cable television, he heads up the MSU Alumni Association.

A couple of years ago he produced an incredible explanation of the lyrics to "American Pie" and it will change the way you hear the song from now on. It's been posted under "Airchecks" on the new Motor City Radio Flashbacks site (www.mcrfb.com). Listen directly by clicking here.

Grand Rapids Press:

Kevin Matthews couldn't be happier. The Grand Rapids radio icon, fired in November from WLAV-FM, soon traded broadcasting for podcasting.

Full story: Kevin Matthews, former WLAV radio personality, enjoying new career as a podcaster (Fri, 2/3)

For hunters and fishermen, Fred Trost, host of "Michigan Outdoors," and later, "Practical Sportsman," was must-see TV. Once described as the "first outdoor media star," he had a folksy, non-politically correct style, and a love for the outdoors that endeared him to Michigan outdoorsmen.

Full story: Family of outdoors host Fred Trost in fight over debts, show tapes (Thu, 2/2)

Former radio personality Todd Chance has been named the Grand Rapids Entertainment Concierege for MLive Media Group, it was announced today.

Full story: Todd Chance named Grand Rapids 'Entertainment Concierge' for MLive Media Group (Thu, 2/2)

The Oakland Press:

WJBK-TV Vice President and General Manager Jeff Murri has died. Murri, 50, of Shelby Township, died Thursday, according to a statement posted on WJBK-TV's website, myfoxdetroit.com. The death has been ruled a suicide, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office.

Full story: WJBK-TV general manager's death ruled a suicide (Fri, 2/3)

Detroit Free Press:

WJBK-TV (Channel 2) vice president and general manager Jeff Murri died today at the age of 50, representatives from Fox said.

Full story: Jeff Murri, WJBK-TV general manager, dies at 50 (Thu, 2/2)

Detroit News:

WJBK-Fox 2 is mourning the loss of its vice president and general manager, Jeff Murri, who died Thursday at age 50.

Full story: Fox 2 general manager Jeff Murri dies (Thu, 2/2)

Jeff Murri, FOX 2 General Manager, has died

 FOX-owned WJBK-TV Ch. 2 (Fox 2) is reporting this afternoon that Jeff Murri, the station's General Manager, has died. No other details were revealed when the information was first released.

From the station: "It is with an extremely sad heart that we report the news that WJBK Fox 2 General Manager Jeff Murri has died. We knew him as a wonderful, energetic and giving person. We are deeply saddened and shocked by his loss. Right now our entire staff at the station simply sends our collective thoughts, love and prayers to his family."

Full story: Jeff Murri, General Manager of WJBK Fox-2, Has Died (Thu, 2/2)

WSJM-FM/AM St. Joseph:

The sound of a radio tower hitting the ground could be heard in the city of South Haven on Wednesday. AM 940 went off the air for good early this month, and now its two towers in the marshy Celery Pond have been taken down. Midwest Family Broadcasting engineer Terry Green told us that it takes some preparation to remove a couple of 220 foot towers.

Full story: South Haven Radio Towers Demolished (Wed, 2/1)

Commentary by Art Vuolo, Jr.

There is so much to say and such limited space. No wait...that was the way it was in the Oakland Press, but here on Michiguide.com/on the Internet I do not have that restriction, but I also need to keep you, the reader, interested.

In mid-January I returned from the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and in my next column (coming very soon) I will outline that experience, what I saw and what it was like to mingle among 153,000 people, with nearly 40,000 of them from dozens of countries around the world. It was incredible, and I promise to offer my views during this month of February.

After wearing out a pair of shoes at CES, you can imagine how anxious I was to stroll through Cobo Center at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. The reports I heard from General Motors, Ford and others is that soon the CD player will disappear from the dashboard. The exit of the 8-track player for the cassette deck didn't bother me. The exchange of the cassette for the CD player affected me more, due primarily to the enormous number of cassettes I own....but now I, like many of you, have a ton of CD's and the thought of no longer being able to listen to them in my car is not a concept that I can enthusiastically embrace.

For the last year or two, there has been talk of the Internet coming to the car, but now it is no longer just talk. People are screaming for streaming and this is going to change everything. At the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville about 5 years ago, futurist Seth Godin said "if you think competing with one other station in your market is tough, wait until you're up against every country station in America...and throughout the world!"

Right now, with a smart phone, you can easily be listening to WYCD-FM (99.5) from here in Detroit while driving through Nashville. None of the four country stations in Music City will make it to your ears. A scary thought for broadcasters.

It's no secret that I love radio, but I am concerned about its longevity and, in particular, the future of the AM band. America's two oldest stations, WWJ here in Detroit and KDKA in Pittsburgh are now both owned by CBS Radio. At last September's NAB Radio Convention in Chicago there was a "power breakfast" in a packed room with six of the biggest CEO's of major radio groups and a very tempting open microphone in the middle of the floor. I cautiously approached it and felt I had to ask THE big question. "In 2020 radio will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Will there be anything on the AM dial other than paid religion, foreign language or brokered programming?"

Their answers were as varied as "yes we're very concerned" to "perhaps the FCC will move the whole AM band like they did to over-the-air analog TV and create an entirely new platform for these stations."

Some feel that perhaps all of the AM stations, that haven't already jumped over to an FM frequency, will wind up on an HD channel and perhaps THAT can be the savior of HD radio, which is still seemingly trying to find itself.

Just about every important AM or FM radio station is now available via the Internet and they tout it on the air. Listen to the legal ID on WJR. Here's a booming 50,000 watt monster that extends out some 300 plus miles from a tall tower in Riverview, yet the deep voice on the ID says "...and around the world on WJR.com." Recently I looked at the ratings for a major market that listed stations so deep that even several out of market stations were listed and there, near the bottom, were four streamed stations and that is just the beginning of what the future is bringing.

There is a piece of equipment known as an audio processor and nearly every radio station employs one between their studio and the transmitter. It's called an Optimod, named for allowing optimum modulation, and that's as technical as I care to get. The man who developed this device is Bob Orban and his partner in that invention was Greg Oganowski, a former Detroiter who worked at W4 (106.7) FM back in 1971 as a teen-ager. The one-time owner of Gregg Labs is still at it creating new and exciting technologies that will completely change the way we listen to the radio. A couple of years ago, while visiting him in southern California, he held up his early generation iPhone and said "Art, here is the new transistor radio."

Recently we got into his Chevy SUV and with his iPhone connected to the audio system, we were able to listen to CKWW-AM 580 from Windsor in far-east L.A. crystal clear and in superb stereo! On my high quality car radio in Novi, my scan won't even stop on this 500 watt station in the daytime, and at night....forget about it. Yet, it sounded sensational out in California via this amazing new application known as StreamSHiFiRadio available at www.streamindex.com. It's a single app which allows the user to dial up just about any station anywhere anytime. In my iPad I needed 5 apps to hear all of my favorite stations. Yup, this changes everything.

While writing this column my ears were positioned between two quality computer speakers and I selected www.wixy1260.com, a web site where you can listen to a re-birth of WIXY a popular top 40 station in Cleveland during the late 60's and early 70's. The quality is incredible and the variety of music blows me away. I can actually hear it via my Internet Wi-Fi Radio or my PC. Another very creative on-line station can be accessed at www.backwhenradiowasboss.com and it features the sound made famous by CKLW when it was The Big 8 and When Radio Was Boss! This Internet station originates right here in the Detroit area and is accentuated by custom jingles performed by the same Johnny Mann Singers who did the original CK jingles many years ago. Check these out, along with the extremely popular www.richbroradio.com from San Diego, and you will see, and hear, why over-the-air radio should be very concerned.

One thing to remember, however, is that most cell phone data plans are not free and if you listen on a smart phone, in your car, with the output plugged into your vehicles audio system, you will be billed for the time. Very few cell phone plans are unlimited or "grandfathered" with flat rates.

In other radio news, February 1st was the date that struggling talk station WCAR AM (1090) flipped to ESPN Sports. This was a good move, since the high profile personalities of that network were last heard locally via WXYT-AM (1270) which is now mostly syndicated talk. WCAR's biggest problem is its night signal which, at 500 watts, is only listenable in regions straight north of its ten tower transmitter site in Garden City.

A station rumored to switch to sports or country after Christmas was WMGC-FM (105.1). Instead, now without longtime morning czar Jim Harper, the station dropped its decade-long name of Magic and has re-branded itself as Detroit's Soft Rock 105.1. My problem with this "new" format is that it sounds like an iPod. If I want something that sounds like an iPod, I will go out and buy an iPod. As I've mentioned in previous columns, the new method of ratings, known as PPM (personal people meters) tends to downplay DJ chatter and rewards stations with more music. So, talents like Chris Edmonds and Mitzi Miles pop on after every 4 or 5 tunes and say very little.

Further proving that life is unfair, Kevin O'Neill has been reduced to weekends and fill-in's at WOMC-FM (104.3) so kudos to PD Tim Roberts for that assignment, but he'd be great full-time on 'OMC.

My assessment of the big electronics show and more radio news is coming soon, so stay tuned.

Contact Art Vuolo, Jr. via e-mail at artvuolo@aol.com

WXYZ-TV Detroit names Justin Verlander as its Newsmaker of the Year

  ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV has chosen Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander as the station's 2011 Newsmaker of the Year. Verlander will be featured on Channel 7's weekly public affairs/information program Spotlight on the News, hosted by WXYZ Editorial Director Chuck Stokes, Sunday, February 5 at 9:30 a.m. The program will feature an in-depth interview with Verlander who talks about his family, his role models, his game day superstitions and how his life has changed since his record-breaking season.

"In a year when political and economic stories were so critical in metro Detroit, focusing on a hero in the sporting world was a welcome change," said WXYZ Editorial Director Chuck Stokes. "Verlander captured our attention and really brought the region together like no one else did in 2011. Whenever Verlander pitched, people from all walks of life bought tickets and packed Comerica Park."

Spotlight on the News: Newsmaker of the Year recognizes individuals who have had significant impact on southeastern Michigan and the image of the region. Previous WXYZ newsmakers include Dennis Archer, Denise & Atanas Ilitch, Eleanor Josaitis, Peter Karmanos, Mitch Albom, Roger Penske, Max Fisher and Rick Snyder.

Verlander pitched his second no-hitter in the 2011 season. He was named the American League Cy Young Award winner by unanimous vote, and was voted the American League Most Valuable Player. It's a rare honor for a major league player to receive both awards in one season.

Houghton Daily Mining Gazette:

Well-known local radio voice and businessman Francis Samuel Locatelli has died. He was 96. Locatelli, who started WMPL radio in Hancock with two others, died Jan. 24 in New Port Richey, Fla., where he resided.

Full story: Copper Country radio pioneer dies (Tue, 1/31)

Central Michigan Life:

 Mike Sundt said he had no idea Central Michigan University had a public radio station when he moved to Mount Pleasant. "I could've just went and worked for a Big Boy, but I love the music," the Grand Rapids junior said. "Also, I acted a lot in plays in high school, so this gave me a chance to do the two things I'm best at -- talking and playing music." Sundt, a music education major, along with Matt Sumner, a Portland senior working toward a bachelor of science degree in music, can both be heard when tuning into WCMU Public Radio.

Full story: Student musicians work late nights, early mornings as jazz hosts on WCMU Public Radio (Tue, 1/31)

Detroit News:

Russ Gibb has always been good at discovering talent. After all, as the famed owner of the now defunct Grande Ballroom in Detroit, it was Gibb who gave the MC5, Ted Nugent and Iggy Pop their start. He was also responsible for bringing to Detroit rock giants like Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Cream and The Who.

Full story: Aging rock legend helps mother of four find her voice (Wed, 2/1)

News and notes from Metro Detroit

• Buzz Van Houten is the new GM for the new ESPN 1090 (WCAR AM). Van Houten is a market veteran; his lengthy resume contains three decades of work in the industry and includes stops at WJR AM 760, WRIF FM 101.1 and the former WLLZ FM 98.7.

"We're very excited about the opportunity to have a veteran like Buzz to run our operations at WCAR," said Sima Birach, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Birach Holding Corp. "We believe that he will bring the creative approach that our station needs and our listeners want."

"I am very excited about the opportunity to build this station with an open slate and to bring Detroit listeners something they have long been waiting for," commented Van Houten about his new gig.

• Clear Channel WNIC-FM 100.3 signs on with TMZ Radio for features; the station becomes TMZ Radio's 75th affiliate.

• Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications of Farmington Hills announced that the firm's Co-Founder, Matt Friedman, has been added to the Hall of Fame at legendary radio station WJPZ-FM on the campus of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

Martz Communications has given up on the idea of using low-powered FM translators to make inroads in a tough Detroit radio market. Owner Tim Martz has pulled the plug on the local operations and put the translators up for sale.

Fans of modern rock '94.3 The Bone' in Metro Detroit had the station disappear off the airwaves this afternoon as it's FM translator on 94.3 (W232CA) suddenly went silent, along with it's HD counterpart on WGPR-FM HD3. A brief message on the station's Facebook page read, "All good things must come to an end. We're sorry to say that The Bone has ceased operations today. Thanks for your support Detroit. You're the best."

A similar message was found on the Facebook page of The Oasis - a station that had already lost its FM translator on 104.7 due to interference issues with Toledo's WIOT-FM on the 104.7 frequency.

As of 5 p.m. today. WGPR was no longer broadcasting in HD - meaning both subchannels were no longer available.

The idea of using single FM translators to cover a market the size of Detroit seemed to be dubious at best from the start. On the east side of Metro Detroit, 94.3 suffered from interference from CKSY-FM from Chatham, ON. The interference issues on 104.7 were well documented in the southern portion of the metro area. It appeared that Martz was planning to bring back The Oasis on FM 92.7- the station had repositioned itself using that frequency and the company had purchased a third translator that was going through the process with the FCC to move it into southern Macomb County.

Having subpar over-the-air frequencies in an already tough financial market for radio may have been too much to overcome in terms of trying to make money for Martz.

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Much of the Metro Detroit television market will be receiving a 'new' television on the air soon as Ion Television's WPXD-TV Channel 31 Ann Arbor has starting testing a new transmitter that will give the station essentially full-market over-the-air coverage of the area for the first time.

WPXD started it's tests from near I-696 and M-10 sometime earlier today- however viewers may experience service interceptions as work continues on the new facility.

Once WPXD completes testing and is on the air permanently, viewers that receive TV channels with an antenna should rescan their digital equipment so their receivers can find the new channel. The new WPXD facilities broadcast on physical channel 50 - the same virtual channel that used by CW affiliate WKBD-TV which actually broadcasts on channel 14. Digital TV receivers use mapping to display TV channels on their virtual numbers (often the same channel numbers used when the stations broadcast in analog) instead of the physical channel number, if they happen to be different.

WPXD's new transmitter is carrying all three subchannels: 31.1 is the main Ion Television broadcast in HD, 31.2 carries the children's targeted network qubo, and 31.3 is broadcasting Ion Life.

Since the station first signed on in 1981, it has broadcast from west of Ann Arbor, near Chelsea. The station's transmitter there will be turned off as soon as engineers are comfortable the new facility is operating properly and becomes licensed. Some viewers in the area west of Ann Arbor will lose their coverage of WPXD when this happens - but most will still be able to receive Ion programming on WZPX-TV Ch. 43 Battle Creek.

The eventual permanent sign on of WPXD from Southfield will make it the first full-power TV station to obtain full market reach in Detroit since WADL Channel 38 started operations from Mt. Clemens in 1986.

WCAR AM 1090 Livonia/Detroit will be the new, full time home of programming from sports ESPN Radio starting tomorrow, February 1st. It's expected the station will lean heavily on ESPN Radio's talk show programming but Sima Birach Jr. says that along with the syndicated fare there will be "local programming that features some of Detroit's iconic sports figures."

The switch will displace a number of syndicated programs currently heard on WCAR, including Imus In The Morning, Kilmeade & Friends, John Gibson, Tom Sullivan, Jim Bohannon and First Light.

Birach Broadcasting purchased the station in 2009 for $1.025 million; since then the programming has gone from brokered religious programming to news/talk and now finally to sports starting tomorrow.

ESPN Radio's weekday talk lineup includes:

• Mike and Mike in the Morning: 6 - 10 a.m. (Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic)
• The Herd: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Colin Cowherd)
• The Scott Van Pelt Show: 1 - 4 p.m.
• The Doug Gottlieb Show: 4 - 7 p.m.
• Hill & Schlereth: 7 - 10 p.m. (Mike Hill and Mark Schlereth)
• SportsCenter Tonight, AllNight, and AM: 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.

ESPN Radio has never had a fulltime home in the Detroit market, some of the programming was last heard on WXYT AM 1270 in 2007.

"Detroit is nationally recognized as one of the top-three sports towns in America, and we are ecstatic to bring the full force of the ESPN brand to Detroit's loyal sports fans," commented Birach Jr. "We're confident we'll serve our listeners with the content they've been longing for."

"ESPN Radio is pleased to partner with Birach Broadcasting to serve Detroit sports fans, among the most passionate in the country," said SVP, Affiliate Sales Sean Breen. "WCAR-1090's vision mirrors ESPN's in providing listeners with the most comprehensive coverage of the national and local daily sports scene. We are eager to bring Mike & Mike, Colin Cowherd and Scott Van Pelt to the great sports marketplace of Detroit."

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Motor City radio audio archive returns

Motor City Radio Flashbacks (www.mcrfb.com) launched this earlier this week, bringing back online much of the content that was formerly found on the now defunct site DetroitRadioFlashbacks.net.

Motor City Radio Flashbacks is the brainchild of George Griggs and keener13.com curator Scott Westerman. It features tons of airchecks, jingles and other goodies that span many years of Detroit-area radio history.

MLive.com:

Tim Skubick, longtime Michigan political writer and host of PBS' "Off the Record," has been named MLive.com's political columnist, starting Wednesday. Skubick has covered Michigan politics and government longer than any other political journalist in state history, starting with the swearing-in of former Gov. William Milliken in 1969.

Full story: Tim Skubick named political columnist for MLive.com (Tue, 1/31)

Dave B. Goode exits WLDR Traverse City

RAMP this morning reports that man of many hats Dave B. Goode, whose roles included morning host, Program Director, and sales representative, has left Roy Henderson's country WLDR-FM 101.9 Traverse City to head for WBTU FM 93.3 Fort Wayne, IN. He'll co-host mornings and become that country station's promotions director.

A further update on WMTE AM Manistee

Although sister station WCUZ FM 100.1 appears to have returned to the air with a news-talk format, it seems that WMTE AM 1340 Manistee remains off the air for now despite positioners heard on WCUZ that mention the AM station.

FCC files show the station was granted Special Temporary Authority to return to the air on September 30th, 2011 - however that STA was canceled in early December due to concerns from the FCC over interference and the location of where the station's broadcasts were originating. WMTE was then granted Remain Silent Authority on December 30th that lasts through June 27, 2012. As of January 27th, no further filings had been made with FCC for WMTE.

Owner Roy Henderson reportedly is also carrying the news-talk format of WCUZ on an HD side channel of WLDR (HD-4). (update 1/31: WLDR HD-4 is NOT airing WCUZ/WMTE, but instead continues to broadcast sports from Fox Sports Network).

CBS Detroit:

With your help, WWJ Newsradio 950 has raised over $282,600 in our 9th annual Winter Survival Radiothon for THAW, The Heat and Warmth Fund. With utility partner matching funds, this will translate to more than $1.2 Million in heating assistance! We took your calls for 31 straight hours, broadcasting live from The Henry Ford in Dearborn, collecting donations to keep needy Michigan families in need warm this winter.

Full story: WWJ Newsradio 950 Winter Survival Radiothon A Success! (Sat, 1/28)

Lansing-area coverage for WCSG/Grand Rapids includes second translator

A second FM translator owned by Educational Media Foundation in Lansing (95.9 W240CG, licensed to Webberville) is also reportedly airing the mainstream contemporary Christian programming of Cornerstone College's WCSG-FM 91.3 Grand Rapids, joining W237BY 95.3 Mason. Both had been rebroadcasting EMF's "Air One" contemporary Christian. A third EMF translator in the area, 91.5 W218CJ Grand Ledge, continues to rebroadcast Air One.

AllAccess.com:

GREATER MEDIA Active Rock WRIF/DETROIT got a shout-out of sorts from DETROIT RED WINGS all-star goaltender JIMMY HOWARD at FRIDAY's Media Day at the NHL All-Star Game in OTTAWA, thanking "the local radio station in DETROIT" for helping get him elected to the squad.

Full story: NHL All-Star Thanks WRIF For Help Getting Him Chosen For Squad (Mon, 1/30)

KEN EVANS joins CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WSNX/GRAND RAPIDS as APD/morning maven under PD ERIC O'BRIEN. EVANS has been freelancing within the CLEAR CHANNEL/WEST MICHIGAN cluster for much of 2011, and has been sitting in on the "SNX Morning After" since BILLY MACC's departure to MIAMI on JANUARY 9th.

Full story: Ken Evans Joins WSNX As APD/Morning Host (Mon, 1/30)

Broadcasting & Cable:

Gannett Co. (owner of WZZM-TV Ch. 13 Grand Rapids among other stations across the country) reported fourth quarter broadcasting revenue of $199.8 million, down 14% from the same quarter a year ago. Excluding Gannett's Captivate elevator programming network, television revenue was $192.4 million, down 13% from the same quarter a year ago. Taking out the previous fourth quarter's political spending, TV revenue was up 11.3%, thanks in large part to a "significant" increase in automotive advertising, said Gannett.

Full story: Gannett TV Revenue Down 13% (Mon, 1/30)

The Oakland Press:

The arms of Venus have been found! Or ... maybe not. The whole story unfolds in Terry T. Brown's novella, "The Arms of Venus." The author will appear and sign books from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at The Berkley Book Corner, at 2680 Coolidge Hwy.

Full story: Rochester Hills broadcaster signing copies of crime thriller (Sat, 1/28)

Manistee area gains news/talk radio format

WCUZ FM 100.1 Bear Lake/Manistee and WMTE AM 1340 Manistee have reportedly returned to the air with a news/talk format as 'Talk Radio 1340 WMTE/100.1 FM WCUZ'. WCUZ was heard midday yesterday airing the Rush Limbaugh program.

Both stations are owned by Roy E. Henderson.