Nielesn Audio Ratings for May

[Ben Zonia]

DVD = Detroit's Venereal Disease.

Before many of you were born, there was this PSA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdA2Z4Qt2K0

[Marcus]

The last time WDVD was this low is pre-PPM when sister station 93.1 was doing milquetoast CHR. I'm talking 2003 or thereabouts.

96.3 needs to step up its game in afternoons and evenings and needs to stop being a knock off of Mojo's show in mornings. Dave Fuller should be moved to middays.

93.1 doesn't sound bad at all right now. 96.3 sounds stale.

I was there in 2003, and a lot of the problem was too much interference from upper management. I never liked the whole "DVD" branding at all. What does it mean anyway? Disney would have been better off retooling "The Planet" into whatever the hell they wanted it to be. Planet was a great name... I never understood why you would name an FM station after a video disc, but what do I know? Supposedly, the original thought was to call 96.3 "Detroit's Variety" but that idea was shelved by one of the many decision makers.

One day, WDVD's PD disappeared. Vanished, not a word, no explanation, didn't leave a note, nothing. No idea what happened to him, or where he went, but he never returned to the Fisher Building. A high profile PD friend of mine eventually applied for the job. When he got out of the meeting, he met me in the bar downstairs. He said he wouldn't take the gig even if they offered it to him. I asked why not? "Too many chef's" is what he said. Another well known rock radio PD, Greg Ausham, got the job. He didn't stay long. While I liked the late Mike Fezzey, I always thought 96.3 could've been something better. They're still using the same bland, uninspiring logo they used when the station launched. Two owners later, and nobody's fixed that. At least "Planet" and "Johnny in the Morning" perfect or not, were known, memorable brands.

Very interesting! Also very true in regards to the name and logo. THIS STATION NEEDS A REBRANDING BAAAAAADLY!
96.3 MY FM, Today's 96.3, Star 96.3.... SOMETHING.... I always HATED the name! At least change the damn logo.....

I agree with you on the name of the station. I would also have no problem with them flipping it to Adult Hits or Rhythmic AC although the chances of that are slim to none. I would also like to see what would happen to both WDVD and 760 WJR if Beasley Broadcast Group bought them.

[Mega Hertz]

Ah, yes. The 96.3 of 2001-2005. Nickelback, Maroon 5, Matchbox 20...followed by Poison and Bon Jovi.

There's an air check out there from early 2001. You can tell Planet is on its last leg. I remember meeting Johnny in the morning at a McDonald's in Sterling Heights in 1999. He took the time to sit and have breakfast with my dad and I and give me a realistic breakdown of radio. It was shortly after 105.1 flipped from the edge. That was my first lesson in radio. And he used fast food as an analogy. If everyone is eating at this burger joint and no one is eating at the place next door, they are gonna do whatever they can to change to get some of those customers in their door.

I miss when 96.3 was relevant. Those were good days.

[ChrisWL1980]

And are they still doing one song from 80s/early 90s, among all the other much newer music? Not sure that Sia, Halsey, Bieber, Dua Lipa sounds good next to Whitney Houston. Just weird, IMO.

What you just described is just what WNIC is doing now. Sounds unlistenable to me. Celine Dion and '70s Elton John ballads do not mix well with Chris Brown and "ABCDEFU."
The only '90s left is a handful of tracks from the '97-'99 teen-pop boom - Christina, Britney, Ricky Martin, etc. No '80s or any other '90s, except for Sunday nights during Back Trax USA.

[armchair pd]

Re: 963

It's not so much the music that's stale, it's not bad, or the air talent exactly I think is the issue rather than the production value/energy that I find lacking.

The imaging is some of the most boring I've ever heard, and they are doing a bunch of cold segues. They used to have fun imaging and occasional jingles. Minus that and the overall energy of the station is flat. On an Adult Top 40 that's uninspiring.

Content, and that means imaging too, not just jocks, between the songs that you can hear anywhere, is what wins listeners.

Not MORE MUSIC LESS TALK.

Yawn.

[dial-it-in]

While driving yesterday I heard "Fly me Courageous" and a solid one hit wonder by request on WRIF. Meanwhile it seems WLLZ has added the Eagles to their stable.
Great job WRIF! And WLLZ: this is why you suck ass.
Its very simple WLLZ...all you have to do is play kick ass rock tunes from the 80's and 90's that are not the same tired retreads we can hear elsewhere. You'll get to the high 3's or low 4's. The decision makers for WLLZ need to be beaten senseless.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

I don't know what 96.3 is any more. I heard 90s R&B last week.

[radioandtventhusiast]

And are they still doing one song from 80s/early 90s, among all the other much newer music? Not sure that Sia, Halsey, Bieber, Dua Lipa sounds good next to Whitney Houston. Just weird, IMO.

What you just described is just what WNIC is doing now. Sounds unlistenable to me. Celine Dion and '70s Elton John ballads do not mix well with Chris Brown and "ABCDEFU."
The only '90s left is a handful of tracks from the '97-'99 teen-pop boom - Christina, Britney, Ricky Martin, etc. No '80s or any other '90s, except for Sunday nights during Back Trax USA.

Between 101.5 the River in Toledo and WNIC, I think 101.5 has a slightly better mix.

[ChrisWL1980]

And are they still doing one song from 80s/early 90s, among all the other much newer music? Not sure that Sia, Halsey, Bieber, Dua Lipa sounds good next to Whitney Houston. Just weird, IMO.

What you just described is just what WNIC is doing now. Sounds unlistenable to me. Celine Dion and '70s Elton John ballads do not mix well with Chris Brown and "ABCDEFU."
The only '90s left is a handful of tracks from the '97-'99 teen-pop boom - Christina, Britney, Ricky Martin, etc. No '80s or any other '90s, except for Sunday nights during Back Trax USA.

Between 101.5 the River in Toledo and WNIC, I think 101.5 has a slightly better mix.

I agree. A more consistent mix, anyway.
I should have clarified that the comment I made about '90s music and Back Trax in the second part of that quote refers to WDVD.