speaking of radio

**the rock** · March-25-11, 07:10 AM

I have listened to WJR since the mid-40's. I think Warren Pierce does a great job, and is very upbeat. My gripe with the station is that it is PACKED with commercials that go on and on, When Paul Smith or Beckman or any of them get into an interesting interview, they interrupt it with lengthy commercials , sometimes 6 or 7 in a row, So then I switch to WRCJ-FM.

**Al Publican** · March-25-11, 05:45 PM

WJR began to change about the time David Newman had a stroke about ten years ago and discontinued doing his radio talk show? Is David Newman still with us?

Local radio programming has taken a hit in the last decade or so, so I have noticed while living in Detroit, San Diego, and Charlotte during that period.

I can enjoy listening to a conservative talk show host, but Frank Beckman comes across too much like a warm up act for Limbaugh. Is Michael Smerconish's national radio show carried in Detroit? Smerconish is what I think of as a thinking rational conservative; he seems to share many libertarian views with me. See his site at Smerconish.com

**Vic_doucette** · March-25-11, 07:13 PM

Al, as far as I know David is still alive. Best talk show host I've ever heard, even including the famous national guys. He could do current events, sports, arts and culture and goodness knows what else all in the same hour, without screaming at or belittling his listeners.

Unlike many shows today, he'd allow callers with views that opposed his on the air. As long as you were on point and respectful, you'd get your say ... but you'd better have had a cogent argument or you were toast.

His movie trivia quizzes were fiendishly difficult; you could tell he loved film and new a lot about it.

I wish he were well enough to be on the air, and that some station manager would be smart enough to hire him.

**Al Publican** · March-26-11, 12:39 AM

I was a winner in David Newman's last monthly history quiz in Oct 2001. The question was: what was the last American battleship to fire in anger during time of war? The answer was, USS Wisconsin during the 1991 Gulf War. I won dinner-theater tickets to the Gem Theater and a certificate with my name on it.

As much as I disagreed with Mark Scott's radio show on WXYT in the '80s and '90s, I listened to it often and called in at times.

littlebuddy · March-26-11, 10:54 AM

Is there a site that talks about WJR and how it used to be, lineup and all that?

**Vic_doucette** · March-26-11, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by littlebuddy

Is there a site that talks about WJR and how it used to be, lineup and all that?

Not per se, but you could probably get information in the Metro Detroit/SE Michigan section of this board:

http://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/index.php

**reddog289** · March-27-11, 12:22 AM

Call me nostalgic or a geezer, I liked the old WJR. Things did go down hill when JP passed. And I for one never could stand Dr Laura.

**Al Publican** · March-27-11, 01:12 AM

Anyone remember the sports talk show where anytime some asked the two hosts how they were doing, which was a no-no on the show, an effeminate sounding male voice would go, "Suuuper, thanks for asking"? That moment always tickled me.

**gazhekwe** · March-27-11, 07:51 AM

I had my car radio preset to 760 and 950 AM until maybe five years ago. Had to abandon WJR. I got an IPOD for Christmas and that's where I go when I can't find anything I can stand on the airwaves. All my weird music is on there, and I can go from Andy Griffith to Glenn Velez to Northern Cree on a good shuffle. No DJ can beat that.

**Jarvo** · March-30-11, 04:26 PM

It is really sad what wjr has become...
I work midnights and that guy they run at night--Mark Levan? is the absolute worst. He rants and raves and his voice is utterly annoying...taken right from the Limbaugh and Hannity mold...
then they segue to the trucker network duo and those two clowns are just as annoying. I would rather listen to Health info and the conspiracy theory and UFO stuff on Coast to Coast AM on CKLW

The whole element of "local based info" and community- related programming is sorely missed.
The sad fact is Right Wing conservative talk shows are what sells...They try to rile people up and bitch about what "America has become"... or how terrible the direction we're headed is.

lilpup · March-30-11, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by Jarvo

It is really sad what wjr has become...
I work midnights and that guy they run at night--Mark Levan? is the absolute worst. He rants and raves and his voice is utterly annoying...taken right from the Limbaugh and Hannity mold...
then they segue to the trucker network duo and those two clowns are just as annoying. I would rather listen to Health info and the conspiracy theory and UFO stuff on Coast to Coast AM on CKLW

The whole element of "local based info" and community- related programming is sorely missed.
The sad fact is Right Wing conservative talk shows are what sells...They try to rile people up and bitch about what "America has become"... or how terrible the direction we're headed is.

And I suspect that's why Michigan Radio has become one of the top public radio organizations in the country for receiving pledges.

**rjk** · March-30-11, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Al Publican

Anyone remember the sports talk show where anytime some asked the two hosts how they were doing, which was a no-no on the show, an effeminate sounding male voice would go, "Suuuper, thanks for asking"? That moment always tickled me.

That was Jamie Samuelson and Greg Henson.