where did the WDET voices go?

[lafayette]

Sounds like WDET is fundraising. How come all of the usual on air people are gone and replaced with someone who sounds like an intern and some guy? Why are they doing this?

[kryptonite]

Because WDET is clueless and sucks. They took one of the best radio stations in the country, trashed most of the music programming and turned it into BS talk and gab. I used to be a regular donor, but will no longer give them a dime and throw out every mailing I receive from them.

Do I sound bitter enough? If not I can try harder.

[lafayette]

I'm with you, Kryp. Public radio in Detroit without a lot of music during the day isn't public radio. anybody know who that guys is on the radio this morning?

[Lowell]

I greatly appreciate WDET. It is outstanding in local news coverage and discussion, particularly with Detroit Today and the local segments on the half hours of the NPR news. I have supported WDET fundraisers starting the very first one.

I will be supporting them again during this fundraiser and am issuing a 'challenge' to urge all on this forum to do the same. This is truly a great asset to Detroit and our airwaves. It is the best of radio in Detroit.

I find it telling that it seems to get only noticed when they have to put the hat and advertise to fund themselves. Yet other radio stations, which bury us in annoying ads every day of the year, get a pass.

[REL]

Where's the love?

WDET gives us Craig Fahle's Detroit Today, a great program that I consider us lucky to have. And I also appreciate Essential Music with Ann Delisi on the weekends. Not to mention Moth Radio Hour, Ed Love, and a wealth of other hosts & programs.

I will give a donation the pledge drive no matter who's individual voice is asking for it. I don't think that should matter too much.

Long live WDET.

[Homer]

"Take Away"
please take it away, far away.....................

[gazhekwe]

I have supported WDET since the beginning as well and this year I am going for a dollar a day. I love some of the programming, Detroit Today, Essential Music, Folks Like Us, and some of the news commentary. Tell Me More's the Barbershop Guys are great. The rest of the program, not so much. The Takeaway has improved with the addition of Celeste Headlee who started here on WDET. I was very glad to see the back of Femi Oke. John Hockenberry can follow her right out that door now. There are quite a few commentators that make me run for the channel changer, but the good far outweigh the bad.

[smogboy]

Now I still support WDET, but not as much as I used to. And it's not just because of finances on my end, it's just because WDET doesn't play as much interesting music as they used to. I absolutely adore Ann Delisi's Essential Music Show on the weekend and have contributed during her pledge drive. I still enjoy the morning drive into work by listening to the NPR feeds and I occasionally can catch a real informative Detroit Today show, but that's about it that really catches my ear. And I appreciate the Ed Love, Michael Julien, Robert Jones, and Matt Watroba shows but they're all very much one genre.

What I really miss were the 9 to 5 diverse and informed musical radio shows hosted by Judy Adams, Martin Bandyke, John Penney, and even the late Dave Dixon. Now I didn't always agree or even like every bit of music they played; Lord knows Judy Adams has a massive adoration of Jimi Hendrix and Martin Bandyke played Los Lobos far too much, BUT they played other stuff as well. They played it because they thought it was good music. I liked to think that they actually took the time to listen to it and then made informed choices to play it for us. It wasn't just a pre-formatted playlist sent down from the corporate masters off in some ivory tower.

I also think the time slot is critical too. For a lot of people working the 9 to 5 grind, having access to some form of music is a luxury. Having access to the old WDET music selection was a god send! I can't speak for other workers but as the day progresses I can only catch small snippets at best- and if it was even the last few minutes of a song I could always follow through to see who it was on the posted playlists. I would have to say that nearly half of my music collection has been gleaned off of knowledge gained from listening to WDET. They literally played stuff that I would've never have had the chance to get listening to regular commercial radio in this market. When WDET played their diverse music back in the day, it truly was educational as well as being entertaining. And even if I was away from my desk for a bit I knew that when I'd come back, there would be new interesting bits to be heard. Now if it's a half hour news show like they have now, they're essentially asking us to listen from the beginning to end thereby asking for a dedicated listener.

I'm not saying those shows aren't top quality and some of the subject matter is dry but it's much more difficult for those of us who work 9 to 5 to listen to. Work still comes first for many of us- listening to informative talk shows requires a much much more dedicated ear than passively listening to music.

And I like my news too, but not just all day. I like it for my commute times where I can devote that half hour to hearing a more in depth news story. I do miss the eclectic music between 9 to 5. They can still keep the news at the commute times and they can still keep the wonderful genre shows on as well. And as much as I miss Liz Copeland's intellect and diverse music, it was sometimes difficult to listen to her stuff just because of the time slot. Like with so many television shows I think time slots as to where and when shows are broadcast are critical. Great shows can die and flop if given a horrific time frame.

[EastsideAl]

I would love WDET a lot more if they hadn't gotten rid of the thing that made them special and not just another mostly generic NPR station - lots of interesting music programming. I really have no need to listen to yet more news/talk blather. That's not what I want the radio for - I can read, dammit.

I'll give them money for folks like Ed Love, Robert Jones, Jay Butler, and even Ann Delisi, and I'll make that clear to them, as I have ever since they fired almost everyone who made it a station worth listening to. But it's a whole lot less money than I used to give them, and they won't get any more from me until they restore something more like the "real" WDET.

[smogboy]

I would love WDET a lot more if they hadn't gotten rid of the thing that made them special and not just another mostly generic NPR station - lots of interesting music programming. I really have no need to listen to yet more news/talk blather. That's not what I want the radio for - I can read, dammit.

I'll give them money for folks like Ed Love, Robert Jones, Jay Butler, and even Ann Delisi, and I'll make that clear to them, as I have ever since they fired almost everyone who made it a station worth listening to. But it's a whole lot less money than I used to give them, and they won't get any more from me until they restore something more like the "real" WDET.

I think EastsideAl here makes a really solid point here too in the fact that the people that they fired were local folks. They all had ties to the community and had a firm grasp on the pulse of Detroit and its music. Once they cast those people adrift and replaced them with national NPR shows [[again, no matter how wonderful), WDET became just one of many and lost its unique Detroit edge.

I know I used to hear this all the time during the pledge drives but seriously "where else are you going to hear music like this anywhere else on the radio dial?" And that was the tipping point for me to donate to something special in this area.

[Awfavre]

I agree with what Smogboy said. I learned to stop listening to the canned crap on mainstream radio after listening to the 9 to 5 music on WDET. Half of my music collection was because of what I listened to during that time period.

When they switched to the all news format during the day, it ripped out a piece of my heart. I then turned to Internet radio [[Radio Paradise) & stopped listening – & donating – to WDET. Locally, I listen mostly to CBC Radio 2, 89.9 in Windsor.

[smogboy]

I'm telling ya- that 9 to 5 group was vital to WDET! I think a lot of us are in that category and when WDET stopped the music in that slot, we ditched them for good. We were a nice passive appreciative audience sitting at our desks listening to new unheard of music back then. I'd like to think we were pretty loyal too!

I'd just look at the listening habits of so many other people too. How many of us are willing to seriously dedicate even a half hour or hour for radio- no matter how good during that slot. After we all haul ourselves home, it's family time or time indulging with television.

[kryptonite]

DET sure crapped up an excellent format. I personally have not donated a dollar since the change and don't intend to. Prior to their "demise" I was a regular donor and frequently a WDET club member and went to a few of their member parties years ago. My home and car radio were tuned to WDET probably about 90% of the time, but no longer. I'm just speaking for myself but if DET were to go off the air now I would not miss it. but I do miss The Coachman [[RIP), Martin Bandyke, Dave Dixon [[RIP), Judy Adams, Ralph Valdez, yada yada yada.

And sorry but I hate classical music and cannot develop a liking for their air waves replacement except for the evening jazz which I love.

[gazhekwe]

When WDET turned off the classical music, there was a huge outcry. I was answering phones during the first fundraiser after that, and I got earfuls and earfuls of mad people. I'm sure all the other phone people did too.

While I miss the music during the day a lot, I really enjoy Detroit Today and sometimes Fresh Air. A few weeks ago there was a fantastic program on Speaking of Faith about strengthening the Ojibwe Language that I loved. I am happy to find tidbits of info here and there. It's like looking for agates on the beach.

[gnome]

I'm a day sponsor, but still haven't gotten my "shout-out" nor my "thank you gift" of a night at the Ferry Street Inn. Repeated calls to their management have gone for naught.

I like the news and talk format and while I don't agree with most of the "left" bias, I look forward to Quinn Klienfelter's show, the CarTalk guys; Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me; and Terry Gross.

I am curious as to why Detroit Today disabled their on-line comment section. Guess Craig didn't like differing views being expressed.

[Detroitnerd]

I think, over the last five years, they've done just about everything they could to alienate their listeners, one after another. I didn't mind the musical programming, though I didn't care for it all THAT much. And I like the local talk with Craig and Quinn, which reminds me of WNYC's morning talk shows from when I lived there. And I listen now and enjoy the local stuff. [[I hate, hate, hate the national stuff.)

But the thing is, they switched one way, then another, then back. thereby leaving everybody feeling betrayed at one time or another. Now with talk on the air and music on digital, I think we at last have a chance to have everybody pleased -- at least a little.

[EastsideAl]

What left bias? Most of the NPR programming is as bland as CNN or the center-right "new" Democrats. You must've missed the good old days when WDET really challenged the established social order with folks like Kofi Natambu, Faruq Z. Bey, Brother Leonard King, etc. Marty Bandyke, Ralph Valdez, Judy Adams, etc., never did that, but at least they provided some alternative and wider aesthetic interest than the unchallenging comfort and pre-digested for nationwide middle-class acceptability information of NPR programming.

[East Detroit]

Things are better now that Superman is gone.

[1KielsonDrive]

Because WDET is clueless and sucks. They took one of the best radio stations in the country, trashed most of the music programming and turned it into BS talk and gab. I used to be a regular donor, but will no longer give them a dime and throw out every mailing I receive from them.

Do I sound bitter enough? If not I can try harder.

Ditto here kryptonite. Try harder or I might. Thank you.

[1KielsonDrive]

Oh Lowell, never say a bad word about anyone, even if they deserve it. I know, I'm the cup half empty guy. You know as well as we do that no matter how much better DET is than other totally lousy radio stations in the Detroit market, it still SUCKS. They tore it apart and made no effort to reconcile with their long time listeners. I've donated. I won't donate again. Well maybe, if they invite Kim Heron, John Penny, Ralph Valdez, Judy Adams, Willie Wilson, and others back. Maybe not full time or daily, but to do shows similar to what they did in the past. We need a community and music station in Detroit. How many NPR affiliates are there in the Detroit/Flint/A2 markets? I don't know for sure, but I can tell you, I run down the dial and hear the same babbling at about 6 different stops. Oh, I forgot.......there is a difference between all of those NPR affiliates - a few seconds time delay. Yeah, compared to WJR and CNN, NPR is good. Kinda like compared to crack, cocaine is good.

[1KielsonDrive]

"Take Away"
please take it away, far away.....................

Thank you Homer. Please take it away, far away...................... The theme song should be outlawed.

[1KielsonDrive]

Before I changed my clock radio away from 'The Take Away' in the morning, they had started their nano-second, media-byte, interviews. How does 'Take Away' get 1, 2 or 3 people [[experts?) to come on the radio at any time of the day, much less early AM, to quickly answer one question about a topic? Health Care? Let's make it brief. Afghanistan? Ditto. And, why would you do it? Is this journalism? It took me all of about a week to change my dial.

[1KielsonDrive]

[quote=smogboy;80981]I think EastsideAl here makes a really solid point here too in the fact that the people that they fired were local folks. They all had ties to the community and had a firm grasp on the pulse of Detroit and its music. Once they cast those people adrift and replaced them with national NPR shows [[again, no matter how wonderful), WDET became just one of many and lost its unique Detroit edge.

Thanks smogboy and Eastside Al. You said it right.

[EMG]

When WDET turned off the classical music, there was a huge outcry.

Now you're making me nostalgic for 105.1 FM WQRS - and Carl Grapentine.

[1KielsonDrive]

WEMU, if you can get it in the Detroit area, is a good alternative to BS talk radio, a large part of the day. Linda Yohn and Michael Jewett are good hosts and they serve a nice variety of music. They are also very active in their community.