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Classic Radio Dials: Detroit, MI/Windsor, ON 1985

CPLANAS1985

CPLANAS1985

These were the radio stations within the Detroit, Michigan market as well as stations in neighboring Windsor, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada and their formats in 1985...

Sources: WorldRadioHistory (1, 2), Broadcasting & Cable and Wikipedia

DISCLAIMER: There are conflicting facts about certain stations, but this is my best attempt at sorting out facts... IF there's anything I missed PLEASE let ME know about it with your comments and replies...

NOTE: The listings are in separate messages due to limits on the number of characters within...

LEGEND:
  • BLUE: American Stations
  • RED: Canadian Stations
  • NC: College, High School, Public and other NON-Commerical Stations in 1985 -- status nowadays may vary by individual station
 
AM STATIONS:
  • 540 CBEF Windsor [NC] (French News and Talk) -- now at 1550 AM with three rebroadcasters: 103.1 CBEF-1-FM in Leamington, 105.5 CBEF-2-FM in Windsor and 101.5 CBEF-3-FM in Sarnia
  • 560 WHND Monroe (Oldies) -- now Christian Talk and Teaching as WRDT
  • 580 CKWW Windsor (Middle-of-the-Road) -- now Classic Hits
  • 630 CFCO Chatham-Kent (Adult Contemporary) -- now Country with a rebroadcaster, 92.9 CFCO-1-FM
  • 690 WNZK Westland (Multilingual Ethnic) -- relocated to Dearborn Heights, broadcasts at 680 AM during daylight hours before switching over to 690 AM during nighttime hours
  • 710 CHYR Leamington (Top 40) -- switched to 730 AM nightly, now Hot Adult Contemporary as CHYR-FM, now at 96.7 FM
  • 760 WJR Detroit (News, Talk, Sports and Music) -- Same format MINUS the music
  • 800 CKLW Windsor (Big Band and Jazz Standards) -- now News and Talk
  • 950 WWJ Detroit (News)
  • 1070 CHOK Sarnia (Adult Contemporary) -- now Country with a rebroadcaster, 103.9 CHOK-1-FM
  • 1090 WCAR Livonia (Brokered Talk) -- now Spanish Contemporary as a simulcast of WSDS 1480 in Salem Township, serving Ann Arbor
  • 1110 CKJD Sarnia (Middle-of-the-Road) -- now Classic Hits as 106.3 CHKS-FM
  • 1130 WCXI Detroit (Country) -- now Black-oriented News as WDFN
  • 1150 CFOT Sarnia (Travellers' Information) -- DEFUNCT, ceased operations sometime in the 1990s
  • 1270 WXYT Detroit (News and Talk) -- now Sports Gambling
  • 1310 WNIC Dearborn (Adult Contemporary) -- now Regional Mexican, Spanish Contemporary and Mexican Pop music as WDTW
  • 1340 WEXL Royal Oak (Christian Radio) -- now Urban Gospel as WCHB
  • 1350 WHMI Howell (Adult Contemporary, Middle-of-the-Road and News) -- DEFUNCT, ceased operations in 1995
  • 1380 WPHM Port Huron (Middle-of-the-Road) -- now News, Talk and Sports
  • 1400 WQBH Detroit (Full-Service R&B, Black-oriented Talk and Urban Gospel) -- now Conservative Talk as WDTK
  • 1430 WBRB Mount Clemens (Big Band) -- DEFUNCT, ceased operations in 1990
  • 1440 WCHB Inkster (Black-oriented) -- now Urban Gospel as WMKM
  • 1450 WHLS Port Huron (Adult Contemporary) -- now Alternative Rock with a translator, W288BT 105.5 FM in St. Clair
  • 1460 WPON Pontiac (Multilingual Ethnic) -- now English Oldies, relocated to Walled Lake
  • 1500 WCZY Detroit (Top 40) -- now Christian Talk and Teaching as WLQV
  • 1530 WDEY Lapeer (Adult Contemporary) -- now Contemporary Christian as WLCO
  • 1550 CBE Windsor [NC] (News and Talk) -- now at 97.5 FM as CBEW-FM
  • 1590 WSMA Marine City (Country) -- Now Americana and Adult Album Alternative as WHLX with a translator, W224DT 92.7 FM in Port Huron
 
FM STATIONS:
  • 88.1 WBFH Bloomfield Hills [NC] (Community Radio)
  • 88.1 WHPR-FM Highland Park [NC] (Black-oriented Educational) -- now Urban Talk and Oldies
  • 88.1 WSDP Plymouth [NC] (Adult Contemporary)
  • 88.3 WSHJ Southfield [NC] (Top 40) -- now Urban Adult Contemporary
  • 88.7 CJOM-FM Windsor (Middle-of-the-Road) -- now Country as CIMX-FM
  • 89.1 WPHS Warren [NC] (Beautiful Music and Top 40) -- now Variety and College Rock
  • 89.3 WHFR Dearborn (College Radio and Variety)
  • 89.5 WOVI Novi [NC] (Variety)
  • 89.9 CBE-FM Windsor [NC] (Classical Music) -- still Classical Music, but now with Adult Contemporary and Jazz added as well
  • 90.3 WOPR Oak Park [NC] (Progressive Rock and Album-oriented Rock) -- DEFUNCT, ceased operations that year
  • 90.3 WORB Farmington Hills [NC] (Progressive Rock) -- DEFUNCT, ceased operations as an Alternative Rock music station in 1999
  • 90.9 WDTR-FM Detroit [NC] (Educational) -- now Classical Music and Jazz as WRCJ-FM
  • 91.5 CJAM-FM Windsor [NC] (Campus Radio) -- now at 99.1 FM
  • 91.9 WORW Port Huron [NC] (Unknown) -- now Top 40
  • 92.3 WCXI-FM Detroit (Country) -- now Urban Adult Contemporary as WMXD
  • 93.1 WDRQ Detroit (Adult Contemporary) -- now Contemporary Christian as WUFL
  • 93.5 WHMI-FM Howell (Adult Contemporary, Middle-of-the-Road and News) -- now Classic Hits with news updates from ABC News
  • 93.9 CFXX ➡ CKEZ (Top 40 ➡ Easy Listening) -- now CIDR-FM, reverted to Top 40 after many years of Adult Album Alternative
  • 94.7 WMJC Birmingham (Adult Contemporary) -- now Classic Rock as WCSX
  • 95.1 CBEE-FM Chatham-Kent [NC] (News and Talk) -- now at 88.1 FM, rebroadcaster of 97.5 CBEW-FM in Windsor
  • 95.5 WCZY-FM Detroit (Top 40) -- Still Top 40, but now as WKQI
  • 96.3 WHYT Detroit (Top 40) -- now Hot Adult Contemporary as WDVD
  • 97.1 WJOI Detroit (Beautiful Music) -- now Sports and Sports Talk as WXYT-FM
  • 97.5 WEJY Monroe [NC] (Album-oriented Rock) -- now Adult Contemporary and Classic Hits as WERW at 94.3 FM
  • 97.9 WJLB Detroit (Urban-leaning Top 40) -- now Rhythmic and Urban Contemporary
  • 98.3 WTWR Monroe (Adult Contemporary) -- now Classic Country as WMIM, targeting the Toledo, Ohio market
  • 98.7 WLLZ Detroit (Album-oriented Rock) -- now Alternative Rock as WDZH
  • 99.5 WCLS ➡ WDTX Detroit (Adult Contemporary) -- now Country as WYCD
  • 99.9 CJFI Sarnia (Adult Contemporary) -- now CFGX-FM
  • 100.3 WNIC-FM Dearborn (Adult Contemporary) -- Still Adult Contemporary, but now as WNIC
  • 101.1 WRIF Detroit (Album-oriented Rock) -- now Active Rock
  • 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit [NC] (Public Radio)
  • 102.7 WKSG Mount Clemens (Oldies) -- now Contemporary Christian as WDKL
  • 103.5 WMUZ Detroit (Christian Radio) -- now Contemporary Christian as WMUZ-FM
  • 104.3 WOMC Detroit (Soft Adult Contemporary) -- now Classic Hits
  • 105.1 WQRS-FM Detroit (Classical Music) -- now Classic Hip-Hop as WMGC-FM
  • 105.9 WJZZ Detroit (Jazz) -- now Urban Adult Contemporary as WDMK
  • 106.3 CBEG-FM Sarnia (News and Talk) -- now at 90.3 FM, rebroadcaster of 97.5 CBEW-FM in Windsor
  • 106.7 WWWW Detroit (Country) -- now Classic Rock as WLLZ
  • 107.1 WSAQ Port Huron (Country)
  • 107.5 WGPR Detroit (Black Variety) -- now Urban Contemporary
 
I count just 2 AM stations -- WJR and WWJ... And maybe 5 FM stations --- WJLB, WNIC, WRIF, WDET, WGPR if you stretch it... that essentially retain their original brand, call letters, format, identity, spirit, frequency, etc. 40 years later.

Maybe a few more if you include some of the NCEs and the CBC stations with their frequency and band changes. I wouldn't know how most of their programming and identities compare from 1985, though.
 
I know moving onto 1986, 93.9 made it's first run as an oldies version of the Big 8, CKLW-FM, after the government imposed fiasco with CFXX, 94 Fox FM. Then came oldies as More 94 (I think CKMR?) and eventually round 2 of Big-8 branded oldies, CKLW-FM, "93-9 The Legend".
 
gr8oldies said:
I know moving onto 1986, 93.9 made it's first run as an oldies version of the Big 8, CKLW-FM, after the government imposed fiasco with CFXX, 94 Fox FM. Then came oldies as More 94 (I think CKMR?) and eventually round 2 of Big-8 branded oldies, CKLW-FM, "93-9 The Legend".
Click to expand...

I really enjoyed that round 2 of CKLW-FM in the early ‘90s. I heard it first hand while spending vacations up there. I’ve search for airchecks from that era for years and only found a few. I also liked round 3, which was the “Rock & Roll Oldies” format.
 
RMarino said:
I really enjoyed that round 2 of CKLW-FM in the early ‘90s. I heard it first hand while spending vacations up there. I’ve search for airchecks from that era for years and only found a few. I also liked round 3, which was the “Rock & Roll Oldies” format.
Click to expand...
I don't remember a round 3, I thought they went directly to CIDR.
 
gr8oldies said:
I don't remember a round 3, I thought they went directly to CIDR.
Click to expand...

CIDR was an excellent Triple-A station, a format that allowed it to play well in Detroit while being saddled with a Canadian content mandate that forced it to air some unfamiliar music. Triple-A is a format where listeners like music discovery and CIDR was at least able to use the 15 percent Canadian music requirement to its advantage, unlike oldies where listeners typically expect music familiarity.
 
Let me add an addendum for the Ann Arbor market, since I live in that area now.

AM
1050 WPAG Ann Arbor - Sometime that year, flipped from Adult Standards to "Countrypolitan" (Country with some AC crossover). Now Sports as WTKA.
1290 WNRS Saline - Historically it was a Country station back to the early '70s, but I think they were doing satellite AC by '85. Went Oldies in '86. Now Talk as WLBY.
1480 WSDS Ypsilanti - Then Country. Now licensed to Salem Township as WSDS (//1090 WCAR).
1520 WYFC Ypsilanti - Then Contemporary Christian (would shortly move to 990 as WWCM). Now on 990 as WDEO with EWTN Catholic programming.
1600 WAAM Ann Arbor - Then Full Service MOR. Now Conservative Talk.

FM
88.3 WCBN Ann Arbor - Free Form U of M Student/Variety today, just as in '85.
89.1 WEMU Ypsilanti - Jazz/Blues and NPR News today, just as in '85.
91.7 WUOM Ann Arbor - Then Classical. Now NPR News/Talk (Michigan Public).
102.9 WIQB Ann Arbor - Then a Top 40/AOR hybrid. Now Country as WWWW (W4).
107.1 WPAG-FM Ann Arbor - Then Beautiful Music. Now AAA as WQKL (Ann Arbor's 107one).

Also, Wiki is incorrect about the current programming on 1530 WLCO. It's a rather strange instrumental pop/smooth jazz format known as The Bridge (with an FM translator on 96.7). Some smooth jazz, but otherwise mainly instrumental "karaoke versions" of '70s and '80s hits (the original instrumental track with the vocal wiped off). Very odd.
 
Going back a further 10 years to 1975, these were the stations with different formats/calls then than in 1985.

AM
WNZK not on air yet
800 CKLW - Top 40 with strong R&B crossover (The Big 8) - natch!
950 WWJ - All news during the daytime only, as they simulcast Beautiful Music with WWJ-FM nights
1090 WIID - Ethnic/Multilingual
1130 WCAR - NBC News & Information
1270 WXYZ - What would be called Hot AC now as "MusicRadio" (same jingles, I believe, as WABC)
1310 WNIC - Beautiful Music
1400 WJLB - Soul/R&B
1430 WBRB - Full Service MOR serving Macomb County
1460 WPON - Full Service Block Programming serving Oakland County
1500 WDEE - Modern Country (The Big D)
Ann Arbor:
1050 WPAG - Full Service AC/MOR/Farm
1290 WNRS - Country
1600 WAAM - Top 40 with The Electrifyin' Mojo at night, also had American Top 40 at this time

FM
Several high school/campus stations not on air yet: WBFH, WHFR, WOVI, WORB, CJAM (although the latter was a carrier-current station on the U of Windsor campus for years before it signed on its broadcast signal). IIRC, WSDP was on 89.3 at the time and WPHS on 91.5.
88.7 CJOM - AOR/Progressive (sister station to CHOM-FM in Montreal, the "OM" referred to the meditative mantra)
89.9 CBE-FM not on air yet (signed on in late '78)
92.3 WCAR-FM - AC (automated)
93.1 WDRQ - Top 40 with strong R&B crossover, like CKLW but with an even tighter playlist
93.5 WHMI-FM not on the air yet (signed on in '77)
93.9 CKLW-FM - Country
94.7 WHNE - Oldies, shadowcasting on AM 560; would become WMJC in 1976
95.5 WLDM - Beautiful Music
96.3 WJR-FM - Beautiful Music
97.1 WWJ-FM, but same format
97.9 WMZK - Ethnic/Multilingual
98.7 WBFG - Religious (We Broadcast for God)
99.5 WABX - AOR/Progressive
99.9 CJFI not on air yet (signed on in '81)
100.3 WNIC-FM - Beautiful Music, but would adopt its long-running AC format a year later
102.9
104.3 WOMC - Beautiful Music, but a more contemporary/upbeat version
106.7 WWWW - AOR
Ann Arbor:
WEMU then operated at 88.1 and WCBN at 89.5.
102.9 - WNRZ Country days/Progressive nights flipped to full-time Progressive WIQB (QuadRock 103) in March
107.1 WPAG-FM - Simulcast AM by day, Progressive Country after AM signoff
 
CCBInMI said:
Going back a further 10 years to 1975, these were the stations with different formats/calls then than in 1985.

AM
WNZK not on air yet
800 CKLW - Top 40 with strong R&B crossover (The Big 8) - natch!
950 WWJ - All news during the daytime only, as they simulcast Beautiful Music with WWJ-FM nights
1090 WIID - Ethnic/Multilingual
1130 WCAR - NBC News & Information
1270 WXYZ - What would be called Hot AC now as "MusicRadio" (same jingles, I believe, as WABC)
1310 WNIC - Beautiful Music
1400 WJLB - Soul/R&B
1430 WBRB - Full Service MOR serving Macomb County
1460 WPON - Full Service Block Programming serving Oakland County
1500 WDEE - Modern Country (The Big D)
Ann Arbor:
1050 WPAG - Full Service AC/MOR/Farm
1290 WNRS - Country
1600 WAAM - Top 40 with The Electrifyin' Mojo at night, also had American Top 40 at this time

FM
Several high school/campus stations not on air yet: WBFH, WHFR, WOVI, WORB, CJAM (although the latter was a carrier-current station on the U of Windsor campus for years before it signed on its broadcast signal). IIRC, WSDP was on 89.3 at the time and WPHS on 91.5.
88.7 CJOM - AOR/Progressive (sister station to CHOM-FM in Montreal, the "OM" referred to the meditative mantra)
89.9 CBE-FM not on air yet (signed on in late '78)
92.3 WCAR-FM - AC (automated)
93.1 WDRQ - Top 40 with strong R&B crossover, like CKLW but with an even tighter playlist
93.5 WHMI-FM not on the air yet (signed on in '77)
93.9 CKLW-FM - Country
94.7 WHNE - Oldies, shadowcasting on AM 560; would become WMJC in 1976
95.5 WLDM - Beautiful Music
96.3 WJR-FM - Beautiful Music
97.1 WWJ-FM, but same format
97.9 WMZK - Ethnic/Multilingual
98.7 WBFG - Religious (We Broadcast for God)
99.5 WABX - AOR/Progressive
99.9 CJFI not on air yet (signed on in '81)
100.3 WNIC-FM - Beautiful Music, but would adopt its long-running AC format a year later
102.9
104.3 WOMC - Beautiful Music, but a more contemporary/upbeat version
106.7 WWWW - AOR
Ann Arbor:
WEMU then operated at 88.1 and WCBN at 89.5.
102.9 - WNRZ Country days/Progressive nights flipped to full-time Progressive WIQB (QuadRock 103) in March
107.1 WPAG-FM - Simulcast AM by day, Progressive Country after AM signoff
Click to expand...
Wouldn't 106.7 still have been jazz WJZZ in 1975?
Of course, CKLW was burdened with Can-Con requirements, WDRQ was not.
 
Last edited:
CCBInMI said:
Let me add an addendum for the Ann Arbor market, since I live in that area now.

AM
1050 WPAG Ann Arbor - Sometime that year, flipped from Adult Standards to "Countrypolitan" (Country with some AC crossover). Now Sports as WTKA.
1290 WNRS Saline - Historically it was a Country station back to the early '70s, but I think they were doing satellite AC by '85. Went Oldies in '86. Now Talk as WLBY.
1480 WSDS Ypsilanti - Then Country. Now licensed to Salem Township as WSDS (//1090 WCAR).
1520 WYFC Ypsilanti - Then Contemporary Christian (would shortly move to 990 as WWCM). Now on 990 as WDEO with EWTN Catholic programming.
1600 WAAM Ann Arbor - Then Full Service MOR. Now Conservative Talk.

FM
88.3 WCBN Ann Arbor - Free Form U of M Student/Variety today, just as in '85.
89.1 WEMU Ypsilanti - Jazz/Blues and NPR News today, just as in '85.
91.7 WUOM Ann Arbor - Then Classical. Now NPR News/Talk (Michigan Public).
102.9 WIQB Ann Arbor - Then a Top 40/AOR hybrid. Now Country as WWWW (W4).
107.1 WPAG-FM Ann Arbor - Then Beautiful Music. Now AAA as WQKL (Ann Arbor's 107one).

Also, Wiki is incorrect about the current programming on 1530 WLCO. It's a rather strange instrumental pop/smooth jazz format known as The Bridge (with an FM translator on 96.7). Some smooth jazz, but otherwise mainly instrumental "karaoke versions" of '70s and '80s hits (the original instrumental track with the vocal wiped off). Very odd.
Click to expand...
@CCBInMI I probably should have included these since of the stations can be easily received but... I went to market mapping according to Nielsen and Arbitron... And IF you ask ME, I have questions and objections on how they map their radio and television markets...
 
gr8oldies said:
Wouldn't 106.7 still have been jazz WJZZ in 1975?
Of course, CKLW was burdened with Can-Con requirements, WDRQ was not.
Click to expand...

WJZZ was never at 106.7. Although it used the name Jazz 106 for many years, It was always at 105.9, from c. 1974 until 1996 when it became WCHB-FM. Prior to 1974 and back to its original sign-on, 105.9 was WCHD.
106.7 went on the air in 1960 as WDTM with a "good music" format. Gordon McLendon bought it in 1966 or '67 and changed it to WWWW, initially keeping it as a Beautiful Music station but adjusting the presentation to be less "stodgy" and even a bit irreverent. McLendon then did a Top 40/Oldies mix on 106.7 in the early '70s before selling the station to Starr Broadcasting about 1973, who switched it to AOR.
In addition to DRQ, Detroit was a huge AOR market in the late '70s and into the '80s, which likely was as much a reason for CKLW's decline from '73 onward as was CanCon rules. For a time, the Big 8 was able to make the CanCon rules work for them (to an extent) and break quite a few Canadian hits in the States.

Incidentally, moderator - if you receive a duplicate of this reply, please delete it, as it was submitted in error.
 
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