Detroit - Too Much Country?

[JeremyAndrews]

The website for CISX has iHeart in the URL, so that sounds like it's sitting on the iHeart platform and maybe their server.

And as I said, they run Bobby Bones.

Bell Media is Triton Digital for streaming. Or they were within the last year.

All of their websites are within the iHeartradio.ca domain name. If it's a national brand like Pure Country, they have a general page linking to all of them Pure Country

In The U.S., if you go to iheartradio.ca, you'll see a similar iHeart website to the U.S. one, but if you try to go to listen to one of them, it will not work. They also have a general iHeart link, it will not work in the U.S. Pure Country 89 | iHeart

To listen in the U.S, you have to go to the website. For example, Virgin Radio Windsor or AM 580 Most of Bell Media's stations are Geoblocked outside of Canada.

iHeart licenses the brand and platform. They also allow their U.S. stations to stream on that platform within Canada. Bell Media does not let iHeart stream their stations within the U.S. however on their platform, and in general anywhere outside of Canada.

iHeart also licenses the brand and platform as well as the KIIS brand in Australia. Australian Radio Network operates it there.

 

[ScottBurns]

What makes you think corporate still programs local stations?

There are several Jack stations throughout the country programmed nationally/no local playlists.

 

[TheBigA]

There are several Jack stations throughout the country programmed nationally/no local playlists.

My question was about a specific company, not corporate in general.

BTW those Jack stations are programmed by SparkNet, the company that syndicates Jack. Not by the companies that own those stations.

 

[ScottBurns]

My question was about a specific company, not corporate in general.

BTW those Jack stations are programmed by SparkNet, the company that syndicates Jack. Not by the companies that own those stations.

Those stations are still not locally programmed though

 

[TheBigA]

Those stations are still not locally programmed though

But that wasn't my question. I was asking about WDRQ in Detroit.

 

[MarkW]

What makes you think corporate still programs local stations?

I didn't say corporate programmed those stations.

That said, corporate perhaps should be offering more resources to help improve these stations. Maybe another PD change in Detroit is in order.

 

[TheBigA]

I didn't say corporate programmed those stations.

The reason I ask is because you seemed to imply it was an ownership thing. If you broaden the view beyond Michigan, they do country very well in other places. So perhaps there are other factors.

 

[CassChopper96]

It seems like country is a format that does well everywhere except for NYC

 

[JeremyAndrews]

It seems like country is a format that does well everywhere except for NYC

Country is by far the most popular radio format in the U.S. and much of Canada. NYC is one of the few exceptions

 

[MVB13]

It seems like country is a format that does well everywhere except for NYC

And San Francisco.

 

[CassChopper96]

Country does very well in Buffalo

 

[CLTRadio]

Both of the Detroit country stations have been poorly programmed in my experience.I think that’s the biggest issue.

 

[MarkW]

I certainly would not describe WYCD as "poorly programmed." Have there been stretches that something to be desired? Sure.

WDRQ is a different story. Why is the local morning show barely promoted in the other dayparts? Why did they hire an afternoon jock who sounds like a Radio Disney DJ? Why is the national evening show from Westwood One so sleepy sounding? I dislike the CHR-like manner in which the playlist is constructed, too. I'll also add that RDS has simply read "93.1 WDRQ" for at least the past four weeks at all times. (The station is known as New Country 93-1, so it's anyone's guess as to why the RDS readout is "93.1 WDRQ.")

 

[Barry]

RadioInsight is stating rumor has it that “Cumulus is on the verge of selling WDRQ… to a national Christian broadcaster as part of a multi-market deal.”
The article also references Country Aircheck in stating that the Cumulus Detroit Director of FM programming “Is out.”

From RadioInsight