WHTD

Infobox Radio station
name = WHTD


city = Mount Clemens, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WHTD&service=FM&status=L&hours=U]
branding = HOT 102-7 or HOT102-7Detroit.com
slogan = Interactive Hip-Hop & R&B
airdate = November 6, 1960
frequency = 102.7 MHz HD Radio
format =Urban Contemporary
power = 50,000 watts
haat = 152 meters
class = B
facility_id = 54915
coordinates = coord|42|32|39|N|82|54|9|W|type:landmark
callsign_meaning = HoT Detroit
former_callsigns = WDMK (3/31/99-6/28/05)
WWBR (11/18/96-3/31/99)
WDZR (3/12/92-11/18/96)
WXCD (4/26/91-3/12/92)
WKSG (11/9/84-4/26/91)
WLBS (?-11/9/84)
WBRB-FM (11/6/60-?)
owner = Radio One
sister_stations = WCHB, WDMK
webcast = [http://wm-eon.vitalstreamcdn.com/live_eonwmss_vitalstream_com_radioone-whtd-fm-fast Listen live]
website = [http://www.hot1027detroit.com/ www.hot1027detroit.com]
affiliations =

WHTD, known on the air as HOT 102-7 or HOT1027Detroit.com, Interactive Hip-Hop And R&B, is an Urban Contemporary radio station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area. The station broadcasts with 50,000 watts of power from an antenna located near the intersection of Gratiot Avenue and Fourteen Mile Road in Clinton Township, Macomb County, Michigan, and directs its signal mainly toward the north and east to avoid interfering with Country WWWW-FM 102.9 in Ann Arbor. Despite this strongly directional signal which has poor coverage in much of the western and southwestern Detroit metro (though the signal can be head as far north as Owen Sound, Ontario and Tawas City, Michigan) during clear days in the summer), 102.7 FM, which has been through a multitude of failed formats since its sign-on in 1960, is now enjoying its strongest Arbitron ratings in years.

WHTD is owned by Radio One along with WDMK-FM 105.9 and WCHB-AM 1200, and is also licensed for HD Radio service. WHTD has moved from R&R's Rhythmic Airplay panel to its Urban Contemporary Airplay panel. Hot 102.7 is no longer considered Rhythmic, but Mainstream Urban.

History

WBRB-FM

What is now WHTD began life on November 6, 1960, as WBRB-FM, the FM simulcast side of WBRB-AM 1430, also licensed to Mount Clemens. For years, WBRB ("Where Better Records Begin") was a full-service radio station targeting Macomb County with local and ABC news, weather and information and middle-of-the-road music. During non-simulcast dayparts, WBRB-FM aired Beautiful Music programming.

Eventually, ownership of the AM and FM portions of WBRB was separated, and Gilda Radner and her husband Michael took control of the AM station. WBRB-AM is no longer on the air, having degenerated into a brokered Motivational Talk station before going dark around 1990.

WLBS/Solid Gold Kiss 102.7

WBRB-FM changed its calls to WLBS (an homage to New York's legendary WBLS, with even a similar-looking logo for a time) and went to a disco music format, evolving into urban contemporary by 1982. With many competitors for the R&B audience in metro Detroit, WLBS was not successful, and changed to a "Rock of the '80s"-style new wave music format in 1983. This was followed, in November 1984, by what would be the station's most successful format yet: oldies of the 1950s and 1960s as WKSG, "Solid Gold Kiss 102.7." With broadcasters such as Paul Christy, Johnny Molson, and Detroit radio legend Lee Alan (who hosted a syndicated show called "Back in the '60s Again"), and despite competition in the format from WHND-AM (560), WMTG-AM (1310), and CKLW-FM (93.9) in the late 1980s, WKSG did well until WOMC-FM 104.3 changed its format from Adult Contemporary to Oldies in 1989.

CD102.7/Z-Rock

In April 1991, WKSG became WXCD, "CD102.7, Detroit's Smooth Sounds," with a new age/smooth jazz format. Less than a year later, in March 1992, WXCD became WDZR, airing ABC's satellite-fed Z-Rock format of hard rock and heavy metal. With a playlist that rocked harder than more established AOR outlets WRIF and WLLZ, WDZR achieved decent ratings for a time, but in 1996, ABC discontinued the Z-Rock format.

102.7 The Bear

In November 1996, WDZR changed its calls to WWBR, "102.7 The Bear, Detroit's Rock Animal," keeping the hard-rock format but transitioning to a local air staff with Ted Nugent as morning personality. "The Bear" eventually evolved into a "Classic Rock That Really Rocks" outlet to compete with softer-edged classic-rock competitor WCSX.

The end of "The Bear" came on January 16, 1999, following the station's sale from Allur Detroit to Radio One. At 6:33 p.m., after playing The Doors' "When The Music's Over" (the same song that ended the legendary 99.5 WABX rock format in 1984), the station went silent for nearly 20 minutes and then emerged as an Adult Contemporary station.

Kiss 102.7

The first song played was "another day" by Jon Secada, They also revived the "Kiss-FM" brand name as "the new 102.7 Kiss FM, with the best variety of light rock from the 80's, 90's and today". The station also picked up Delilah Rene's syndicated nightly request program. The station requested the new calls WKSK but went with WDMK ("Detroit Michigan's Kiss") after failing to secure its first choice. Then, in August 1999, WDMK shifted to an Urban Adult Contemporary format to compete with powerhouse WMXD-FM "Mix" 92.3, retaining the "Kiss" name. The fact that the mainstream AC format lasted only eight months led some to believe that Radio One had always planned to shift the station's format in an R&B direction and used the AC format as a smokescreen to catch WMXD off guard.

As "Kiss 102.7 Detroit's Adult R&B Station," WDMK remained low in the ratings until October 2002, when the station once again shifted format to Rhythmic Oldies and hired away longtime WJLB personality and Detroit Pistons announcer John Mason to do the morning show. The change brought 102.7 its highest ratings in years, and listeners also welcomed the musical shift to more "old school" R&B as opposed to current hits by neo-soul artists which could already be heard on other stations in the market.

Hot 102-7

On June 25, 2005, Radio One swapped the formats of WDMK and its hip-hop-formatted sister station WDTJ "105.9 Jamz." The WDMK calls and "old school" format were moved to 105.9, with the "old school" format evolving into a very gold-based Urban AC. Also making the switch was John Mason, who was switched to afternoon drive at the new "105.9 Kiss-FM" as the popular syndicated Tom Joyner morning show also moved to 105.9 from WMXD. 102.7 took on the urban mainstream format and the new calls WHTD.

Hot102-7Detroit.com

On April 19, 2007, HOT 102-7 re-branded itself on the air as HOT1027Detroit.com while re-launching its website to focus merging newer interactive technologies with traditional radio. They, along with KBXX, were Radio One's first stations to re-brand themselves with a new corporate initiative. The station was among the first in Detroit to use text messaging for radio contests (text-to-win instead of call-in-to-win). They also added podcasting features, instant messaging to the on-air personality, live chats and other features to the website. Ratings remained roughly the same, but website traffic grew close to those of its competitors.

For a brief period in 2007, the station carried the syndicated afternoon show: "The Wendy Williams Experience," and Wendy hosted her first Dons & Diva's party outside of metro-New York.

In April 2008, metro-Detroit resident hip hop pioneer MC SERCH returned permanently to the station after previously hosting the morning show at competitor WJLB and guest-hosting on HOT 102-7 in early 2008 for afternoons. The show is called Serchlight Saturdays and features old school hip hop from 6PM-8PM and local & new hip hop from 8PM-10PM.

WHTD is currently Detroit's 19th ranked radio station according to the latest ratings release. In October 2008, WHTD replaced "The Russ Parr Morning Show" with "The Rickey Smiley Morning Show".

Summer Jamz

Since 1997, the station hosts Detroit's signature annual hip hop/R&B summer concert called Summer Jamz. At its peak as a free event during the first eight years, Summer Jamz attracted crowds of 20-30,000 people while located at Detroit's Hart Plaza. As a ticketed event in 2006, the event attracted over 15,000 at the Michigan State Fair. The 10th anniversary show in 2007, the station hosted hosted Summer Jamz in Pontiac, MI's, much smaller amphitheatre and played to a seated capacity crowd of nearly 4,000. The event is expected to return to Michigan State Fair's larger capacity venue for future shows.

Airstaff

The current lineup (as of October 2008) is as follows

* Morning Show: The Rickey Smiley Morning Show - Rickey Smiley, Ebony Steele, Headkrack, Gary "The T" Hayes, Rock T, Karl "Special K" Douglas & Juicy
* Mid-Days: Suga's House - Suga Rae
* Afternoon Drive: The Reggie Reg Show - Reggie Reg
* Evenings: Buckie Naked Radio - Big Greg
* Nighttime: Confessions - Ms. Smiley
* Overnights: We Own The Night - Ike Love & Kontact (12am-6am) Monday Only
* Fri Nights: Hot Friday's @ Sips Bar & Grill - Suga Rae & Wax Tax 'n Dre
* Sat Nights: Saturday Night Live @ Plan B Nightclub - Big Greg & DJ Gary Chandler
* Sun Nights: Buckie Naked Sundays - Big Greg & DJ Gary Chandler
* Mixers & Weekends: DJ Gary Chandler, DJ Jinx, DJ Zap, Wax Tax 'n Dre,
A.P., Coco Brother, London "Deelishis" Charles, Ike Love & Kontact, King Keyser & MC Serch

On October 3, 2008, Hot 102-7 let go overnight jock, Latone Heart and dropped the "Insomiac Radio" show. He had been with the station since December 2007. There has not been a replacement yet. Also leaving the station is weekenders Cool-Aide and Mark Da Spark

tation Management

* Regional Vice President: Bruce Demps
* General Manager: Kathy Stinehour
* Operations Manager: Bo Money
* Program Director: Bo Money
* Promotions Director: Ced Lover
* Music Director: Ms. Smiley
* General Sales Manager: George Jones

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-g/whtd.html Michiguide.com - WHTD History]

External links

*fmq|WHTD
*fml|WHTD
* [http://www.hot1027detroit.com/ WHTD Official Website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/hot1027detroit/ WHTD Myspace Page]
* [http://www.rparr.com/ Russ Parr Morning Show WebSite]
*FMQ|WHTD
*FML|WHTD
*FMARB|WHTD