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non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
Greg Buben
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non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by Greg Buben » Wed Jul 07, 2021 1:07 pm

In Grand Rapids it's the non commercial FM stations that offer more choices than the large commercial companies
that own almost all commercial FM stations. If you like blues you can listen to Greg Blueben on the weekends on WGVU-FM.
If you like jazz you can listen to the jazz warrior Harvey Mc Knight and other jazz shows on Sundays on WGVU-FM. Also if you
like jazz you can listen to Scott Vander Werf on WGVU-FM weeknights. If you like npr and news/ talk you can listen to WGVU-fm during the daytime hours monday through saturday. Besides WGVU-FM theres more npr on U-M's WVGR. Also on the
FM dial the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp WBLU offers classical music with late night and Saturday morning jazz. We also have
WYCE that offers "strange" mixes of various music and of course the Christian stations WCSG, WGNB, and WNHG. Although
I'd like to encourage more diversity on non commercial FM s I do believe that G.R. sets a good example for Michigan.
G.R. makes markets such as Flint, Saginaw/ Tri Cities, and closer to home Kalamazoo and Battle Creek look very sick
when it comes to non commercial FM radio. Even our AM non commercial station WGVU-AM offers "Real Oldies" of the
50's, 60,s, and 70's. If there is anything I could do to make other markets diversified with non commercial FM radio stations
I'd love to help out if I could. Again, G.R. sets a good example to the rest of MI for diverse non commercial radio.
Greg Buben



Kennelly Heaviside
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Wed Jul 07, 2021 2:54 pm

Keep in mind that WCSG 91.3 has been #1 or close to the top in the GR Ratings.

In general, noncommercials, and don't forget WGVU (AM), and oddly cobbled together commercials like Franken FM WRME-LP in Chicago, have been responding to long underserved older demographics, whereas Cumulus Storm Cloud, iHeartless, and Audacity haven't. MeTV FM has consistently shown up around #10 in Chicago, and may have found a loophole to continue.


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jesusjenny
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by jesusjenny » Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:58 pm

I think most of us would agree that commercial corporate radio has failed to deliver and all of the non-coms/community stations do a much better job of serving the community for what it wants. Corporate radio in terms of usefulness is all but dead - with a few scraps of local talent and information left. Not the local talents fault - just the way it's going.

Is there any station left in GR with more than one live Daypart anymore on the commercial side? I can't think of any.



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TC Talks
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by TC Talks » Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:20 pm

WYCE is better than most options and if you fold in streaming listeners, they our perform WCSG. They are a highly visible Folk/Pop station nationally. Their Jammies are a well respected award.


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MWmetalhead
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:56 pm

WYCE is a wonderful station, but there's no way in hell it has an audience as large as that of WCSG when including streaming.

On web sites that track or rank streaming radio stations, WYCE isn't even on the radar. KCRW and KEXP seem to be far more popular, among other similarly formatted stations.

WCSG has more than 100,000 unique listeners a week just from OTA listening.



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Reese K Rickards
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by Reese K Rickards » Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:28 pm

WYCE is a novelty station. It wants to be all for everyone, but until it's music library contains just one country recording it has nothing to offer me.


If I Heart GR really wanted to save money, it would sublet two of it's three floors at 77 Monroe Center.

andymuskegon
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Location: muskegon mi

Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by andymuskegon » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:17 pm

and by "country" i am assuming you mean anything charlie daniels and earlier? :)
Reese K Rickards wrote:
Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:28 pm
WYCE is a novelty station. It wants to be all for everyone, but until it's music library contains just one country recording it has nothing to offer me.


http://www.facebook.com/#!/andyoriley

jesusjenny
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by jesusjenny » Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:12 pm

I will say that Jethro (and all of it's frequencies LOL) sounds pretty good from a music mix standpoint most of the time. I really dig some of the 70's and 80's and into the 90's classic country that doesn't seem to have much of a home anymore. Reminds you there really was A LOT of good music from the country world that came out during that time.

The spots on Jethro all sound very "Small town" but not in a bad way. Conrad seems like a good fit.

Thunder/B-93 are pretty hard to listen to these days... Although I heard Chad Brock on Thunder the other day one of the great one-hit wonders of 1990 whatever it was.



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Lester The Nightfly
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by Lester The Nightfly » Thu Jul 15, 2021 12:38 pm

Reese K Rickards wrote:
Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:28 pm
WYCE is a novelty station. It wants to be all for everyone, but until it's music library contains just one country recording it has nothing to offer me.
"Novelty station" connotates that their playlist consists of Spike Jones and Stan Freburg recordings which of course anyone with a pair of ears knows is a lame characterization. No matter, there are plenty of us that are happy to offer our listenership and financial support to enjoy eclectic programming rather than tired, washed out commercial fare.



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Reese K Rickards
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by Reese K Rickards » Thu Jul 15, 2021 3:51 pm

The Devil went down to Georgia is a 1979 single, "And earlier" is not what I consider a viable country format. Likewise the WYCE format is not viable. Without donations, it would wither and die.

It's not a knock on the station. It is what is is.... a novelty.


If I Heart GR really wanted to save money, it would sublet two of it's three floors at 77 Monroe Center.

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MWmetalhead
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Jul 15, 2021 4:11 pm

It's more of a niche or cult station than a novelty station.



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Lester The Nightfly
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by Lester The Nightfly » Thu Jul 15, 2021 5:57 pm

Reese K Rickards wrote:
Thu Jul 15, 2021 3:51 pm
The Devil went down to Georgia is a 1979 single, "And earlier" is not what I consider a viable country format. Likewise the WYCE format is not viable. Without donations, it would wither and die.

It's not a knock on the station. It is what is is.... a novelty.
Hence the title "Listener Supported" like dozen's of similar great stations thriving throughout our county. As far as viability, that's an interesting take given commercial radio broadcasting is hanging on by it's fingernails or have you missed all the threads on that subject over the years?



ftballfan
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by ftballfan » Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:38 pm

Reese K Rickards wrote:
Thu Jul 15, 2021 3:51 pm
The Devil went down to Georgia is a 1979 single, "And earlier" is not what I consider a viable country format. Likewise the WYCE format is not viable. Without donations, it would wither and die.

It's not a knock on the station. It is what is is.... a novelty.
Speaking of CDB's hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", I heard that song on 106.5 Jack FM (!!) as I was driving into work this morning



andymuskegon
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Location: muskegon mi

Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by andymuskegon » Thu Jul 15, 2021 9:18 pm

eclectic isn't necessarily a novelty. don't forget, radio is as much of an art as it is a business.
Reese K Rickards wrote:
Thu Jul 15, 2021 3:51 pm
The Devil went down to Georgia is a 1979 single, "And earlier" is not what I consider a viable country format. Likewise the WYCE format is not viable. Without donations, it would wither and die.

It's not a knock on the station. It is what is is.... a novelty.


http://www.facebook.com/#!/andyoriley

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MWmetalhead
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Re: non commercial fm radio in G.R.

Post by MWmetalhead » Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:48 am

eclectic isn't necessarily a novelty.
+1

Nicely put.



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