Best:

+Northern Michigan finally getting a REAL rock station that blankets the entire region! Kudos to WJZJ / WGFM and Del Reynolds

+The merciful killing of Soft Rock 94.1 in Lansing and the return of The Edge, albeit in a stripped down form

+The debut of ESPN 96-1 in Grand Rapids, finally giving local sports listeners an alternative to you-know-who in PM Drive.

+The fact all four major league teams from Detroit can be heard now on the FM dial in the state's two largest cities

+96-3 WDVD for being one of the best Adult CHR / Hot AC stations in the country and doing so by being "live & local" in nearly all dayparts

+The fact community-oriented stations such as WLEN, WION, and WKJC to name a few still exist

+WLHT in Grand Rapids for breaking format to do "Awesome 80s" weekends, which include rock and rhythmic tracks other AC stations are too squeamish to play

+93-9 The River, Doug FM, and the defunct V98.7 for providing music in the morning drive amid a market loaded with morning shows catering to ham & eggers and old farts

+WGRD in Grand Rapids for *finally* tossing most of the chick rock to the curb and incorporating some metal artists into their playlist

+The folks behind the resurrection of the "Big 1080" in Owosso

+WCSG in Grand Rapids, a non-profit Christian station with a polished presentation that exceeds not just its commercial counterparts in Grand Rapids, but stations in much larger markets as well!

Worst:

-The massive flooding at the B93 birthday bash and the poor response to it by county officials and station representatives

-Clear Channel's decision to scrap nearly all local programming on WDFN on Inauguration Day last January, only to bring back mostly subpar local programming later in the year. Baligian's show is the only one worth checking out.

-Abandonment of the Smooth Jazz format nationally, including Detroit. What's interesting to note is that in many of these markets, the successor formats have struggled mightily, with Washington, D.C. probably being the most glaring example.

-The lack of options for music on the dial for 18-34 year old males in most markets across the state

-Deminski & Doyle's performance on WCSX. The idea looked good on paper (given their strong ratings of the past and opportunities for advertiser tie-ins) but trying to make this show something it's not was a bad idea. Liners proclaiming D & D as "The Voice of the Motor City's Workforce" are idiotic and laughable. There is nothing blue collar about them!

-The unceremonious departure of Arthur P. from WRIF, who did not have the opportunity to say good-bye after nearly four decades on the air at 101.1 FM.

-The audio chains of WHTS, WBBL-FM and WLAV-FM in Grand Rapids, which are among the poorest sounding in the state.

-The bankruptcy of WJNZ in Grand Rapids, which has resulted in a bank liquidation of the station

-The fact Metro Detroit continues to lack a local aggressive news/talk station where caller interaction and scrutiny of corrupt local officials is a cornerstone of the format

I am pleased with WGFM. On the way to work this morning they played Holy Diver by Dio. Good way to start the day off. Definately have 105.1 on my preset in the car. A lot better that KLT in my opinion...