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Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Covers all of Northern Lower Michigan (from Ludington to Tawas northward), as well as the Straits Area and Soo Region.
Deleted User 4520

Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by Deleted User 4520 » Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:30 pm

Usually I play my USB thumb drive in the car for my music entertainment. Today was different. On the way home from Gaylord I decided to flip through the FM dial. And to my dismay, it was abysmal! The stations up here are just trash. Some didn't have very good reception, others have boring old fossil rock, imaging is horrendous! Tbh, not a lot of variety around here. KLT and Rock 105 are blah, just can't get excited about they're playlists. KLT is soooo dated! The country stations around here are meh. TCM is dull, I don't like "new" country. Reception is spotty on Big Country 102.9.



CK-722
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by CK-722 » Wed Dec 09, 2020 2:09 pm

Station reception depends a lot on location. Where were you when you had signal problems with which stations in particular? Keep in mind that it is impossible to serve the entire Northern Michigan market, even with two or three stations.

You also have to remember that Northern Michigan skews older due to retirees and people approaching retirement age. If you don't play older tracks they won't listen. Personally, I think larger cities have abysmal formats. Chicago had to use a Franken FM, on 87.75, WRME-LP, Me TV FM to serve older people in the area. It consistently appears near the Top 10 overall, despite being difficult to tune for both radios and listeners. It's currently doing better than every 50 kW AM in the market, that used to top the ratings back in the day.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

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ChrisWL1980
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Wed Dec 09, 2020 5:59 pm

Listeners who enjoy pop music don't have it much better, to be honest. KHQ has always been a "safe" milquetoast kind of CHR, but the last time I was up there they were sounding like full-out Hot AC. Alpena's 107.7 actually sounded as contemporary as KHQ, if not more so. Z93 is the closest thing to a real CHR the north country has along with WIOG in those areas that can pick it up. As for country, all that Florida Georgia Line and Sam Hunt... and not one station playing actual country music except in Cheboygan County (and WATZ and WKJC on occasion). Still hoping for a "Duke" type format I can actually pick up in Gaylord. I did notice that WCBY has a CP for a second translator to be based in Indian River (on 98.1).

Mac FM is probably the commercial station I listen to most when I'm in the area, and AM 680 WDBC when I'm around Petoskey/the Straits, as those are the only two real sources for "relaxing" music anymore. 97.7 WCHY has a decent oldies rotation (satellite fed) when they're playing music, although I could do without the far-right Parler-pandering nutjob talk in the morning. The public stations are the real oases, as I find my dial on IPR Classical most of the time.

Of course, the market is a CCM lover's wet dream. At least most of the programming (except for Air 1) is Michigan-made. Fuel FM seems to be a decently run Christian CHR, a species that's becoming harder and harder to find.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:32 am

The FM dial pretty much everywhere is abysmal.



since16
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by since16 » Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:36 am

I think there are a lot of stations trying to do their best with what they have to work with, but radio is far from dead, especially with the expansion of cross promotional through digital (social media, web streaming) and not being tied down by corporate radio, a station can do what needs to be done to connect and engage with the audience.

I think there are some great stations out there still. At least we hope.



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TC Talks
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by TC Talks » Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:08 pm

Try WNMC


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NMCSpeaks
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by NMCSpeaks » Sun Dec 13, 2020 5:30 pm

TC Talks wrote:
Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:08 pm
Try WNMC
Yes, try WNMC.



ChrisWL1980
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Mon Dec 14, 2020 7:17 pm

TC Talks wrote:
Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:08 pm
Try WNMC
I would if it came in better in the Gaylord area. Sometimes I can get a faint signal on a car radio, but it quickly disappears east of town thanks to WPHN.

I visited WNMC in 1997 or '98 while college hunting. Then as now, they were very well put together for a college station. Not surprised they're still going strong while other college stations are folding or selling to religious broadcasters.



CK-722
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Re: Northern Michigan Radio Is Abysmal

Post by CK-722 » Mon Dec 14, 2020 7:28 pm

In the 1980s, you could get it near the Straits with a good outdoor directional antenna and rotator. Not sure now now due to all the additional NCE-FM stations. It was only 150 watts then, on 90.9 MHz. It's amazing what you could do back then with a good receiver and antenna.

http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/c ... r_id=70600

Some of our other posters may know why the channel change was made, but it could have been done for a mutual upgrade of WNMC and WOLW 91.1 Cadillac.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.

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