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Detroit Urban Radio Dial Reshaped by Radio One

S

Scholarm1111

Big changes in Detroit Urban Radio and I am not a happy camper.

Probably the oldest and most distinctive urban station in Detroit Urban AC WGPR 107.5 (with local radio legend Mason in the morning drive) gets taken over by Radio One's "Hot" Hip Hop format, Radio One's syndicated gospel lineup (Yolanda Adams, Co Co Brother, etc.) moves to 102.7 and urban AC stays on 105.9 (recently beating WMXD in the ratings). Now, Detroit's urban dial is almost exactly like Philly and Houston and Cleveland and Indianapolis and Washington D.C. and Baltimore, etc.

So what is left on Detroit radio that stands out? Perhaps WMXD to some extent with some good weekend programming, longtime Detroit DJs Gerald McBride and Foodie playing Old School on Saturday and Sunday nights respectively.

Truly a Sad day for a longtime fan of Detroit urban radio. Check out my 90s airchecks of WGPR and other stations on my page at:
http://www.mostlyuppermidwestairchecks.com/michigan-airchecks.html
 
It's a LMA Radio One is not buying 107.5. Maybe Radio One made them an offer 107.5 cant refuse but very shocking since WGPR ratings have improved over the past few years. Detroit can support a Urban Gospel on FM but do they need 3 Urban AC stations? But im sure the only one who is like WTF is Mason. Didnt he sue Radio One right after leaving KISS?
 
I hope Mason can find a place somewhere, but where? He belongs on Detroit radio.
 
WMXD would be a good choice but their staff has been trimmed down due to CC massive cuts. His show is syndicated on another station I cant think of it but hopefully he will land somewhere
 
There can be one reason why Radio One and The IF&AMM's (aka The Masonics) did this: WGPR's 107.5 signal coverage blankets Detroit, which made it ripe for Radio One to move WHTD's R&B/Hip-Hop format to that frequency, since the 102.7 signal dosen't cover parts of the metro because of WWWW/Ann Arbor, which is next door at 102.9. So in a nutshell, they want to put a major dent in WJLB like they did with WMXD.
 
Good move for Radio One... bad move for urban AC listeners in Detroit. WGPR was/is a unique station that defies the cookie-cutter urban AC sound that is so pervasive in the urban world today.
 
Yeah one of the benefits of being locally own WGPR. I never listen to WDMK that much but I have listen to WMXD saved on my iheartradio app. Compared to WMXD and the other Clear Channel Urban AC's they follow the same playlist and music logs mostly overnight when they are VT. I wonder if some of the WGPR staff will join WDMK or the new Gospel station?
 
only1moore said:
There can be one reason why Radio One and The IF&AMM's (aka The Masonics) did this: WGPR's 107.5 signal coverage blankets Detroit, which made it ripe for Radio One to move WHTD's R&B/Hip-Hop format to that frequency, since the 102.7 signal dosen't cover parts of the metro because of WWWW/Ann Arbor, which is next door at 102.9. So in a nutshell, they want to put a major dent in WJLB like they did with WMXD.
Click to expand...

The R1 PRAISE format is great as well. As of lately Radio One is retooling just about all of its markets.
 
Your right Cathy Hughes did mention that in a Allaccess interview about some changes coming to the company eariler this year. Houston is the only market where they havent made any changes or tweaks yet. As agree the Praise FM will be perfect for Detroit.
 
As of 3:44am California time I'm streaming WGRP from LA they are stunting with Boyz II Men and directing listeners to WDMK for R&B
 
One of things I saw on the internet suggested that Mason could be offered a position by Radio One. It would be good if he landed at WDMK or even Praise. By the way, WGPR had apparently been in the format around 60 years! 1961 it signed on.
 
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