Mixed Feelings About WJR since their Lineup Change

[MichganMan]

Never listened to WJR that much. It has given me a few chuckles, though, when I did tune in over the years. The Appliance Doctor, telling senior citizens how to remove the sheet metal rear panel from the back of a dryer to remove and re-install a heating element. And the midday host who would play a game on a regular basis called "Guess What I'm Holding In My Hand." Not joking -- that was the name of the game, LOL!

[Colonel Flagg]

Baligian is the only show I listen to on any regular basis. Albom is still horrible, so is Guy Gordon. Paul W. has the same show, just at noontime. Still elitist sounding.

Paul W is broadcasting today from a coffee shop in (you're not going to believe it) Center Line. The place is called Gathering Grounds.

Perhaps he's trying to shed the "elitist" label, after broadcasting yesterday from the Capital Grille

[Newsman123]

WWJ more than doubles them in the ratings, and they are considered a non factor now. They really need a whole rebrand or format change.

[Majik]

Baligian is the only show I listen to on any regular basis. Albom is still horrible, so is Guy Gordon. Paul W. has the same show, just at noontime. Still elitist sounding.

Paul W is broadcasting today from a coffee shop in (you're not going to believe it) Center Line. The place is called Gathering Grounds.

Perhaps he's trying to shed the "elitist" label, after broadcasting yesterday from the Capital Grille

Hopefully GG is a legitimate “grezzy spoon”. I can’t recall the last time I was in Center Line. CL has to be the least referred to suburb in all of the metro Detroit area. Al I know of Center Line is it’s name refers to the long gone street car transit system that used to serve the area. And it is the hometown of serial killer John Norman Collins, who terrorized the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area I the late 60’s.

[edj]

My uncle lived in Center Line when I was a kid. One of my HS teachers grew up there. Those are my only real references to it.

Pleasant Ridge had to be in the running for most ignored suburb.

[Mega Hertz]

I had a lot of family in Warren/Center Line (mostly 10 and Roan, and then off of Automobile and Theisen), and even back then, it came off as very "white trash". White trash yet it seemed more older folks lived there. Maybe it was my limited experience as a child, idk.

[Colonel Flagg]

Baligian is the only show I listen to on any regular basis. Albom is still horrible, so is Guy Gordon. Paul W. has the same show, just at noontime. Still elitist sounding.

Paul W is broadcasting today from a coffee shop in (you're not going to believe it) Center Line. The place is called Gathering Grounds.

Perhaps he's trying to shed the "elitist" label, after broadcasting yesterday from the Capital Grille

Hopefully GG is a legitimate “grezzy spoon”. I can’t recall the last time I was in Center Line. CL has to be the least referred to suburb in all of the metro Detroit area. Al I know of Center Line is it’s name refers to the long gone street car transit system that used to serve the area. And it is the hometown of serial killer John Norman Collins, who terrorized the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area I the late 60’s.

It's a coffee shop, not a diner. Locally owned.

[Colonel Flagg]

WWJ more than doubles them in the ratings, and they are considered a non factor now. They really need a whole rebrand or format change.

I don't always agree with you, but I certainly agree with this!

[MWmetalhead]

Zero chance Cumulus dumps news/talk from 760 anytime soon. Would they sell the station for the right price? Sure.

Ratings wise, WJR has been a non-factor for a long time. The station has solid relationships with a number of local advertisers nonetheless. Those business owners like the station, so they continue to support it financially (albeit not during polarizing syndicated shows such as Mark Levin).

A rebrand won't do a damn thing other than confuse or alienate longtime local sponsors. New AM upstarts almost never work, either, unless we're talking low budget stations that follow a brokered programming model that is non-reliant on ratings. Unless someone wants to enter into an LMA with Cumulus to program WJR 24/7 (much like what happened with KGO recently), I don't see any format change occurring. I'd be surprised if WJR is not generating at least breakeven cash flow.

[Colonel Flagg]

Zero chance Cumulus dumps news/talk from 760 anytime soon. Would they sell the station for the right price? Sure.

Ratings wise, WJR has been a non-factor for a long time. The station has solid relationships with a number of local advertisers nonetheless. Those business owners like the station, so they continue to support it financially (albeit not during polarizing syndicated shows such as Mark Levin).

A rebrand won't do a damn thing other than confuse or alienate longtime local sponsors. New AM upstarts almost never work, either, unless we're talking low budget stations that follow a brokered programming model that is non-reliant on ratings. Unless someone wants to enter into an LMA with Cumulus to program WJR 24/7 (much like what happened with KGO recently), I don't see any format change occurring. I'd be surprised if WJR is not generating at least breakeven cash flow.

I think what Newsman123 is trying to say is that WJR needs to clean house. Prune the dead wood and start over... that would require a lot of investment, and the talent pool is fairly shallow. They would also need a newsroom. The "news anal-yst" concept is beyond laughable. Also, infomercials don't belong in prime time.

[radiofann]

I just learned recently centerline is completely surrounded by city of warren. Kind of like highland park and hamtramck surrounded by Detroit.

This seems crazy to me in terms of a public administrative mindset.

Centerline also might have the highest density of cannabis stores per square mile, if you’re into that.

[MWmetalhead]

Warren used to be a township. Center Line incorporated first. Center Line residents are content maintaining their town's separate identity. They feel melding it with Warren would cause their town to look more like Warren's south end, a fate many Center Line residents wish to avoid.

There is a similar phenomenon with regard to Lathrup Village (which, despite its name, is actually a city) and the city of Southfield, although most of Southfield is certainly better looking than southern Warren. I do believe Lathrup Village falls within the Southfield school district (the vastly superior Berkley school district is nearby, though). A sliver of Southfield Township still remains, which is comprised of the villages of Beverly Hills, Franklin and Bingham Farms. Beverly Hills and Bingham Farms are part of Birmingham Public Schools. I am unsure of Franklin.

Confused yet?

[edj]

I think there is also a tiny portion of Southfield Twp which isn't part of the three villages. I want to say near 14 Mile and Inkster.

Lathrup incorporated before Southfield, and I believe they still share a school district (one of the former high schools was Southfield Lathrup).

There's also a tiny portion of Novi Twp remaining, essentially a subdivision near 9 Mile and Novi Road.

[Colonel Flagg]

This thread goes to show you just how interesting WJR is as a topic. It's already shifted to a metro Detroit history/geography lesson.

[radiofann]

I gotta say this history of metro Detroit is very interesting and one I will look up and absorb more.

I will say, keeping this thread on WJR but comparing to WWJ.

Greg bowman is on morning weekends on WWJ, a real class act and longtime Detroit radio presence going back to Honey Radio days. I think he retired previously but is back on.

I’m much more likely to tune to WWJ anytime on weekends for news-weather vs anything that’s withering away on WJR’s weekend lineup. It’s a pleasure to find solid mainstays on WWJ still.