- WDET-FM
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WDET-FM 
City of license Detroit, Michigan Broadcast area [1] Branding 101.9 WDET Slogan "Detroit Public Radio" Frequency 101.9 MHz (also on HD Radio)
101.9 HD-2: WDET2
Diverse Music & NewsFirst air date December 18, 1948 Format NPR/News/Talk Power 48,000 watts HAAT 169 meters Class B Facility ID 71189 Transmitter coordinates 42°21′6″N 83°03′48″W / 42.35167°N 83.06333°W Callsign meaning Detroit Affiliations NPR Owner Wayne State University Webcast Listen live Website www.wdetfm.org WDET-FM is a public radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Licensed to Wayne State University in the city's Cass Corridor neighborhood, about a mile south of the New Center neighborhood, WDET broadcasts original programming as well as shows from National Public Radio, Public Radio International and American Public Media. It broadcasts on the FM dial at 101.9 MHz. The station serves Metro Detroit and is the primary provider of news involving the American automotive industry and Michigan politics within the NPR distribution network.
Contents
History
Wayne State University holds the broadcasting license for the station through a grant from the United Auto Workers, which originally ran the station from its sign-on (December 18, 1948) until 1952. The UAW originally broadcast public service programming on the station which was then named WUAW. The university bought the station for one dollar in 1952 and converted it to non-commercial status. It is one of the few public radio stations in the nation that operates on a commercial frequency.
In 2004, WDET implemented extensive programming changes. They dropped many NPR-produced programs such as Fresh Air and Car Talk, as well as some popular local music shows such as Folks Like Us and Arkansas Traveler. This was done to promote more locally-produced music programming. However, it was followed by a decline in listener pledges. In the fall of 2005, new general manager Michael Coleman (replacing Caryn Mathes, who departed for WAMU in Washington, DC) changed WDET's format again, dropping many of the new music programs in favor of a more news-oriented format, bringing back all of the previously dropped programming and adding new NPR-produced programs. Particularly controversial was the dismissal of long-time mid-day host Martin Bandyke. Local media outlets reported he may have violated conflict of interest rules by accepting gifts from record companies. Bandyke has since resurfaced in morning drive time at Adult Alternative-formatted WQKL-FM (107.1) in Ann Arbor.
As a result of the 2005 format change, some listeners filed a class action lawsuit against the station for fraudulently taking donations for programming that was planned on being discontinued. Disgruntled former listeners also held two protests. The first occurred in front of WDET's offices a few days after Christmas. The second occurred near Cobo Hall during the North American International Auto Show. Organizers promised that the rally would draw 5,000 people, though less than one hundred showed up, and a plan to protest WDET's changes during the Super Bowl XL festivities also failed to occur.
Only one weekday music show remains on WDET: Ed Love's nighttime jazz program, "Destination Jazz," which features old and modern jazz music. The station has archived recent editions of these shows as well as their weekend music programming and made them available for listening at any time via its website.
On Thursday May 11, 2006, Michael Coleman announced another major shake-up at WDET. Six employees were laid off including long-time music host John Moshier. Several others were forced to accept paycuts, demotions, or reductions in hours.
On Monday April 2, 2007, WDET implemented several programming changes. The following programs were eliminated: "Day to Day -- which was eliminated by NPR, not WDET," "Front Row Center," "Live From Studio A," "The Best of the DSO," Liz Copeland's "Alternate Take," Chuck Horn's "Seventh Journey," "The Ralph Valdez program," Mick Collin's "Night Train," and "The W. Kim Heron Program." New additions included the locally produced "Detroit Today" as well as NPR programs "Talk of the Nation," "Marketplace," "Marketplace Money," "BBC World Service," "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!," and "The Changing World." "Destination Jazz: The Ed Love Program" was reduced from five to three hours, and Michael Julien's "Global Mix" was reduced from five to two hours. Combined with previous changes, the station moved to a more news oriented format. WDET now has less local and indie music coverage, although they continue to offer a niche for jazz, gospel, folk, rhythm and blues, and bluegrass.
On September 15, 2007 WDET added the show "Tell Me More" with Michel Martin from NPR News on weekdays at 1pm, which replaced "World Have Your Say" from BBC. "Deep River" with Robert Jones moved to Sunday afternoons, and The Tavis Smiley Show is now heard twice during the weekend, on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings.
Current Programming
The station produces news stories for local break-ins of NPR drive time news programs Morning Edition and All Things Considered. It also produces a weekday local news program, The Craig Fahle Show, and seven local music programs: Ann Delisi's Essential Music, Rob Reinhart's Essential Music, Modern Music w/ Jon Moshier, Destination Jazz: The Ed Love Program, Nick Austin's New Soul Sunday, Jay's Place w/ Jay Butler, and This Island Earth w/ Ismael Ahmed.
Current NPR programming includes Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air, Tell Me More, and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. American Public Media programming includes Marketplace, Speaking of Faith, and This American Life. The station also broadcasts The Takeaway and Public Radio International's This American Life.
WDET currently ranks at #28 (0.7) in the Detroit market according to the November 2010 PPM ratings release. The station provides HD Radio; its secondary channel, branded as WDET2, features very diverse music along with news.
The Detroit Radio Information Service (DRIS) broadcasts on a subcarrier of WDET. DRIS serves the visually impaired community with live and pre-recorded readings of daily and weekly print publications.
Broadcast Transmitter
WDET transmits its signal from an antenna 550 feet in height near the intersection of Cass Avenue and Canfield Street in Detroit's Midtown area. WDET broadcasts with an ERP of 48,000 watts, and covers all of southeast Michigan and much of southwestern Ontario, reaching a potential audience of four million people.
References
External links
Radio stations in the Detroit, Michigan market (excluding Canadian stations) By FM frequency 88.1 • 88.1 • 88.1 • 88.1 • 88.3 • 88.3 • 89.1 • 89.3 • 89.3 • 89.5 • 89.5 • 90.9 • 91.5 • 92.3 • 93.1 • 93.5 • 94.3 • 94.7 • 95.3 • 95.5 • 96.3 • 97.1 • 97.5 • 97.9 • 98.3 • 98.3/102.3/105.5/106.3 • 98.7 • 99.5 • 99.9 • 100.3 • 101.1 • 101.9 • 102.7 • 103.5 • 103.9 • 104.3 • 105.1 • 105.9 • 106.7 • 107.5 • 107.9
By AM frequency NOAA Weather Radio
frequencies162.425 • 162.450 • 162.550By callsign KEC63 • W206BI • WBFH • WBLD • WCAR • WCHB • WCSX • WDET-FM • WDFN • WDMK • WDRJ • WDRQ • WDTE • WDTK • WDTP-FM • WDTW • WDTW-FM • WDVD • WDZH • WEXL • WFDF • WGPR • WHFR • WHMI-FM • WHPR-FM • WJLB • WJR • WKQI • WLEN • WLQV • WMGC-FM • WMIM • WMUZ • WMXD • WNIC • WNZK • WOMC • WOVI • WPHS • WPON • WPZR • WQTE • WRCJ-FM • WRDT • WRIF • WSMF • WSDP • WSHJ • WUFL • WVAC-FM • WVMV • WWJ • WXYT • WXYT-FM • WYCD • WYDM
plus Radio stations in Southwestern Ontario and Radio stations in Toledo, OhioMichigan Radio Markets: Ann Arbor • Battle Creek • Detroit • Flint • Grand Rapids • Kalamazoo • Lansing-East Lansing • Muskegon • Saginaw-Bay City-Midland • Traverse City-Petoskey
Other Michigan Radio Regions: Alpena • Houghton • Iron Mountain • Jackson • Marquette • Sault Ste. Marie • The Thumb Area
NPR member stations in the state of Michigan Michigan Radio Ann Arbor WUOM · Flint WFUM · Grand Rapids WVGRCMU Public Radio Alpena WCML-FM · Bay City WUCX-FM · Harbor Springs WCMW-FM · Mt. Pleasant WCMU-FM · Oscoda WCMB-FM · Sault Ste. Marie WCMZ-FM · Standish WWCM-FMInterlochen Public Radio East Jordan WICV · Interlochen WIAA · Mackinaw City WIAB · Traverse City WICAWGVU Radio Other stations Detroit WDET-FM · East Lansing WKAR · East Lansing WKAR-FM · Grand Rapids WBLU-FM · Houghton WGGL-FM · Lansing WLNZ · Marquette WNMU-FM · Twin Lake WBLV · Ypsilanti WEMUSee also: adult contemporary, classic hits, college, country, news/talk, NPR, oldies, religious, rock, sports, top 40, urban, and other radio stations in MichiganCategories:- HD Radio stations
- Radio stations in Detroit, Michigan
- Culture of Detroit, Michigan
- Wayne State University
- United Auto Workers
- 1948 establishments
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