New round of WDET changes; Ed Love cut way back

[smogboy]

Man alive. To be the program director for WDET must be like playing goalie for the Red WIngs or QB for the Lions. It really does seem like a no win situation for them. Anytime they want to make any changes, it really riles up the listeners.

We listeners to WDET are one loyal lot. We've all grown attached to our favorite shows, their hosts and most importantly the knowledge they bring to the airwaves. Anytime anyone fidgets with that relationship- all hell breaks loose. I have always advocated that WDET should be 60-65% music and 35-40% news/talk with a much larger emphasis on keeping the shows local as opposed to the NPR feeds [[I can easily listen to them on just about any other radio station online). I still would have preferred some music during the weekdays/ weeknights as opposed to just cramming all of it into the weekends.

I love listening to the selected by and played by the WDET personalities- it's easy to digest. I can't begin to count how much of my music library has been a direct result of listening to WDET. People like Judy Adams, Dave Dixon, Martin Bandyke, Liz Copeland, Willie Wilson, Ann Delisi, John Penney, Matt Watroba, Chuck Horn, Ed Love, the Famous Coachman, and others have all been a major contributor to my musical knowledge. Granted a lot of the stuff they've also played I could also care less about purchasing BUT I do have a greater appreciation for their genres. The one major common thread amongst these people is that they are local, they're knowledgeable, and what really made WDET unique amongst all other NPR radio stations. These people harkened back to what commercial radio was all about- people listened to radio to be informed. Radio personalities could actually MAKE musical acts by endorsing them. Musicians could actually be “discovered�. Radio personalities were the enlightened people who we thought of as spending countless hours listening to music, culling through good & bad music, reading the reviews, going to the shows, and be the musical experts. We counted on them to be sources of new information, as opposed to the non-descript, easily replaceable voices that permeate the airwaves now.

Does anyone remember when payola was a possibility and an absolute taboo in radio?

Does anyone remember following a radio personality from one radio station to another if they jumped ship?

Now I’m not ready to completely ditch WDET just yet. They should be given some credit for bringing back Ann Delisi on weekends and having some eclectic personality driven music again. I’m not sure if this current move is along those lines to adding more or if it’s taken a step backwards [[maybe a little of each because they did bring her back and have cut her hours too). I know that anytime someone messes with the WDET line-up, someone’s bound to get miffed. I can’t say I’m completely happy with it either but I will be willing to give it a shot.

[Melody]

LOVE IT! I'm so glad the Takeaway is over and done before I start listening. I'm glad I get to listen to Craig again on my way to work again. I know you gotta respect Ed Love but I cannot stand jazz, and I'm glad I can now listen to WDET past 8 p.m., which is when I'm often in the car anyway. I love Tell Me More, and I can't wait to hear Souncheck and John Mosier's show.

[gazhekwe]

The Takeaway is still on, too bad.

I just listened to the last Folks Like Us, cried a few times. I will miss that show. I hope it comes back like the last time they cut it. I'll miss Deep River, too. I wasn't really into the Arkansas Traveler but it has sure had a long run. I remember seeing Larry coming in to start his show when I was answering phones during fundraisers in the early 70s.

Well, last time they cut those shows, the fans really made a fuss, and I think they lost some fundraising during those slots. This time, I guess moving Larry and Matt to Sunday evenings hurt their audience count, so maybe they won't have that fundraising clout. Still, not having Roots music will be a tremendous loss. As they kept pointing out today, that music is the basis of most of the modern music we find so appealing today.

[1KielsonDrive]

The Takeaway is still on, too bad.

I just listened to the last Folks Like Us, cried a few times. I will miss that show. I hope it comes back like the last time they cut it. I'll miss Deep River, too. I wasn't really into the Arkansas Traveler but it has sure had a long run. I remember seeing Larry coming in to start his show when I was answering phones during fundraisers in the early 70s.

Well, last time they cut those shows, the fans really made a fuss, and I think they lost some fundraising during those slots. This time, I guess moving Larry and Matt to Sunday evenings hurt their audience count, so maybe they won't have that fundraising clout. Still, not having Roots music will be a tremendous loss. As they kept pointing out today, that music is the basis of most of the modern music we find so appealing today.

I was at a concert at Greenwood Coffee House in Ann Arbor last winter. Before the show began, the MC said Matt Watroba had just called to announce that WDET was moving his show from saturday night to sunday night, "The graveyard of radio. Where radio shows go to die". That was ostensibly what Matt asked the MC to convey to the audience. There was a loud groan. Matt knew the writing was on the wall. Too bad. Maybe WEMU will have him back again. I can see their studios from where I'm sitting. I get their signal much better than WDET's. I used to think the basis of community, public radio and televison was communication, interaction and support, not profit.

[1KielsonDrive]

DET just needs to fess up and go back to news until 9AM, music from 9AM until 3PM and news again from 3PM until about 7PM. In other words the older and better format. Ask the volunteers back to answer phones and reconnect with the community. How in the hell can you go to a festival on the streets of Detroit and see 'Takeaway' people staffing a WDET booth? How about NPR correspondents? Will they show up to do a show from Wayne State or the DIA?

[chitaku]

Craig fahle show??? lame, WDET is weak

[smogboy]

DET just needs to fess up and go back to news until 9AM, music from 9AM until 3PM and news again from 3PM until about 7PM. In other words the older and better format. Ask the volunteers back to answer phones and reconnect with the community. How in the hell can you go to a festival on the streets of Detroit and see 'Takeaway' people staffing a WDET booth? How about NPR correspondents? Will they show up to do a show from Wayne State or the DIA?

This sounds like genius to me!

I'm in total agreement here about keeping the news in for the morning and afternoon commutes. I loved having music during the day because quite honestly if there was a great discussion or subject matter that was on, most of us who work can't devote the 20 minutes or half hour to really get into it. But listening to music? Sure we can listen in for short segments as well as long segments- and if we only catch a glimpse of a song and still want to know who the artist was, we can always check back online for the playlists.

I even loved it when they had an NPR musical show at lunch just to break things up a bit. Only to be followed up with more local flavored eclectic music.

WDET really does need to connect with the people again. I'm sure parts of these changes were due to budget concerns but sometimes once one loses a loyal listener- they might never come back because they found something else.

[1KielsonDrive]

I remember various DET show hosts broadcasting at Festival of the Arts and other Detroit events. Matt Watroba and John Mosier are two that come to mind. I wouldn't know John Shockenberry or whatever his name is, if he did show up. And that's not likely.

[ronaldj]

Sorry to see these changes at WDET. Spouse and I know Larry McDaniels a little bit. This schedule change is going to be more than a little bit difficult for him and Jane. He knows the music and has been a super promoter of bluegrass for too many years to get kicked in the ass in this fashion.

[gazhekwe]

It seems to me they have decided they need to bring in newer younger listeners for more money. They don't seem to care if they lose the older reliable donors, since we are finite anyway. I wonder how old this guy Elcessor is? 20-something, you think?

My hubby is working on a better antenna to better pick up Ann Arbor, and hopefully, Ypsi. Maybe they will pick up the roots shows again.

Matt said he can be heard at Singout.org, and on Sirius radio he has a program.

[ordinary]

I simply cannot take that Hockenberry fellow, his grating personality taints the rest of my day.

Cheers

I couldn't agree more. He never lets people get a word in edgewise. They should dump that show and do something better with the money they save. Putting Folks LIke Us and The Arkansas Traveler on Sunday was indeed their demise. I like Ann Delisi but I don't care for the stuff she plays.

I probably will vote with my withholding of dollars for a while.

[gnome]

Craig fahle show??? lame, WDET is weak

Chitaku knows of what he speaks as he worked on DetroitToday. Fahle has carved out a little fiefdom and from what I hear within DET his goal is to take the show to a national audience; hence, the name change. Now, Fahle has his friends here as he use to post under the name ______, but he is now a regular on the site with No-Name and I don't have a feeling for him one way or another.

[CountrySquire]

No more Car Talk? Too bad. But as much as Tom and Ray tried to be objective they do have an annoying bias towards foreign brands that I had a VERY difficult time listening to anyways.

[lafayette]

wow, Craig Falley is on detroityes.com? i wonder if he will show himself and talk to us. you know, that local, community connection the station prides itself on now. adn where is the king of wdet, this michael guy? why won't he talk to us in these discussions? what is he afraid of?

[467riverfix]

Too bad about Ed Love. But I had a feeling his show - after the widespread macheting of the station's once great music lineup - was kept on because of contractural reasons. Good that Car Talk, Arkansas Traveler and Folks Like Us going. Great that Delisi is still around [[was a welcome addition to weekend afts which are otherwise death city for radio). The Reinhart shows sound positive, the Julien show possibly good [[though a lot of that genre is pretty repetitive & boring).. Nick Austin's vintage soul and acid jazz [[?!) - but, hey, probably better than what was there. Mosier tucked away late Fri nites, not so great. The rest of the "talk" lineup continues WDET's completely boring [[post 2005) ways. And BBC overnight World Serviuce - gag me! "This is a completely different city than in 2005" - Ellcessor. Huh?

[Craggy]

wow, Craig Falley is on detroityes.com? i wonder if he will show himself and talk to us. you know, that local, community connection the station prides itself on now. adn where is the king of wdet, this michael guy? why won't he talk to us in these discussions? what is he afraid of?

I have been on Detroit Yes since almost the beginning. And, as long as you'll have me, I plan on sticking around.

I'm not sure who Chitaku is, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't worked for the program in any official capacity, and I'm also darn sure I have no designs on taking the show national.

Now, If you'll excuse me, I've got some serfs to abuse in the fiefdom.

[kryptonite]

Idea!! I no longer contribute to Wdet since it turned into worthless boring sh*t, maybe I will use that money to subscribe to XM.

[CountrySquire]

So long as they continue to feature Morning Edition and All Things Considered they have my support. Best news programs ever.

[gazhekwe]

I like them myself, but I can get Morning Edition later from Ann Arbor.

[1KielsonDrive]

Chitaku knows of what he speaks as he worked on DetroitToday. Fahle has carved out a little fiefdom and from what I hear within DET his goal is to take the show to a national audience; hence, the name change. Now, Fahle has his friends here as he use to post under the name ______, but he is now a regular on the site with No-Name and I don't have a feeling for him one way or another.

Fahle was posting here prior to leaving DET to go to another station. He may be posting again under a different moniker that we don't know. I stopped listening to him because he had very annoying speech patterns. He continually said things like, "and again", repeating it over and over, almost in place of "uh, umm,umm". He also had a way of being very patronizing to and agreeable with people he was interviewing. He has a good radio voice and is quite intelligent but I don't expect he's good enough for a nationally syndicated program. Then again, I haven't listened to him for a couple of years for reasons I mentioned. He may have improved.

[1KielsonDrive]

I have been on Detroit Yes since almost the beginning. And, as long as you'll have me, I plan on sticking around.

I'm not sure who Chitaku is, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't worked for the program in any official capacity, and I'm also darn sure I have no designs on taking the show national.

Now, If you'll excuse me, I've got some serfs to abuse in the fiefdom.

An imposter?

[Gannon]

No.

Real deal.


What size shoe do you wear, Kielson?

[Craggy]

Fahle was posting here prior to leaving DET to go to another station. He may be posting again under a different moniker that we don't know. I stopped listening to him because he had very annoying speech patterns. He continually said things like, "and again", repeating it over and over, almost in place of "uh, umm,umm". He also had a way of being very patronizing to and agreeable with people he was interviewing. He has a good radio voice and is quite intelligent but I don't expect he's good enough for a nationally syndicated program. Then again, I haven't listened to him for a couple of years for reasons I mentioned. He may have improved.

I am still posting here, albeit infrequently. I do read the board every day, as I get valuable ideas, and yes, valuable critique. If its been a couple of years, I hope you'd give the show a try.

As always, the bulk of the show is live, and I don't edit things in an effort to give some sort of impression of perfection. It's a conversation, after all.

[gazhekwe]

I enjoy the show, and it is one of the things I hope to still like about WDET. Either I am getting used to them or Craig has cut back on some of those speech blips like 'and again.' [[Good thing!) Give him another try. The subject matter can't be beat.

[Andrew in Windsor]

Unless the they finally shitcan Amy Miller in the morning, any changes are superficial at best.

Nails on a blackborad I tell 'ya!