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===Detroit's Sports Powerhouse 97-1===
===Detroit's Sports Powerhouse 97-1===
On [[October 1]], [[2007]], at 3pm, WKRK ended Live 97.1 Free FM and changed its calls to WXYT-FM. Due to retarded management {{Fact|management is retarded}}, the station moved to an all-sports format, simulcasting with 1270 [[WXYT]].
On [[October 1]], [[2007]], at 3pm, WKRK ended Live 97.1 Free FM and changed its calls to WXYT-FM. Due to retarded management {{Fact|management is retarded}}, the station moved to an all-sports format, simulcasting with 1270 [[WXYT]]. The decision to remove the popular [[Motor City Middays]] show and a timeslot change of [[Deminski & Doyle]] caused a backlash among loyal FreeFM listeners. Many angry phone calls and emails were placed, and an online petition was also formed {{http://www.petitiononline.com/971det/petition.html}}. It is unknown whether management will come it its senses and restore the once fresh and original programming or continue with the cookie-cutter, overused sports only grind. It is speculated, however, that this decision will result in the loss of listeners and may ultimately bring down 97.1 FM entirely.


==Airstaff==
==Airstaff==

Revision as of 20:05, 2 October 2007

WXYT-FM
File:WXYT.png
Broadcast area[1]
Frequency97.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingDetroit's Sports Powerhouse
Programming
FormatSports Talk
Ownership
OwnerCBS Radio
WOMC, WVMV, WWJ, WXYT, WYCD
History
First air date
May 10, 1941
Former call signs
WKRK-FM (6/9/97-10/2/07)
WYST (9/2/94-6/9/97)
WJOI (11/30/81-9/2/94)
WWJ-FM (1948-11/30/81)
WENA (1945?-1948)
W45D (1941-1945?)
Technical information
ClassB
Power15,000 watts
ERP15 kW
Links
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.wxyt.com
See also: WXYT

WXYT-FM, currently branded as Detroit's Sports Powerhouse and formerly known as Live 97-1 Free FM, is an FM station broadcasting at 97.1 MHz, in Detroit, Michigan. It currently simulcasts programming found on WXYT (1270 AM). The station is owned by CBS Radio. WXYT-FM's transmitter is located in suburban Southfield, Michigan at the intersection of 11 Mile and Greenfield Roads and transmits its signal from an antenna 891 feet in height with an effective radiated power of 15,000 watts.

WXYT-FM is the flagship station for the Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings, and Detroit Tigers. It also carries programming from the Chicago-based Sporting News Radio Network.

History

Early History

The station that would become WXYT-FM began broadcasting as an experimental Apex AM station called W8XWJ in 1936. In 1940, the station ceased broadcasting while owner Evening News Association (parent company of WWJ-AM 950 and The Detroit News) waited for the FCC to approve its move to the newly created FM band. Approval came in late October 1940 and on May 10, 1941 the station (now renamed W45D) signed on at 44.5 MHz with 3,000 watts of power, becoming the first FM radio station in Michigan and the seventh in the United States. When the FCC created the new 88-108 MHz broadcast band, W45D was moved to 96.9 as WENA in September 1945. By 1948, the station had settled on its present 97.1 home as WWJ-FM, originally simulcasting WWJ-AM. In the 1960s and 1970s, WWJ-FM was one of several stations competing for Detroit's Beautiful Music audience, along with 95.5 WLDM and 96.3 WJR-FM.

Joy 97

In 1981, WWJ-FM changed its call letters to WJOI, which helped it distinguish itself more from its AM sister station (which was becoming quite successful with its all-news format). WJOI's format remained Beautiful Music. 96.3 WJR-FM change to "Hot Hits" WHYT in September 1982 left WJOI (nicknamed "Joy 97") as Detroit's only beautiful-music station (fellow easy-listening stations WNIC, WOMC and WCZY had all evolved to adult-contemporary formats by that time). As a result, WJOI enjoyed consistent top ten showings in the Arbitron ratings through most of the rest of the 1980s, and even reached #1 12+ in the Arbitron results in the spring 1984 book (1), topping WJR, at a time when the beautiful music format was becoming endangered in other markets. By then, WJOI was no longer purely instrumental, having added soft AC vocals and softer oldies into its music mix. However, by the early 1990s, aging demographics and falling ratings led WJOI to brighten its sound to a very soft flavor of AC. The station's ratings did not recover.

The WJOI call sign is now in use at an AM adult standards music station in Norfolk, Virginia.

Star 97

Losing the Adult Contemporary battle, WJOI became WYST (aka "Star 97") in September 1994 and featured a 1970s oldies/classic rock format. WYST positioned itself as "The Greatest Hits of the '70s," although the station did branch its playlist out somewhat into the late '60s and early '80s. WYST was also Detroit's outlet for syndicated morning show host Don Imus.

WYST is now a country music station in the Bloomington, Illinois market, branded as "107-7 the bull".

97ROCK/Live 97.1 Free FM

In February 1997, Imus' show moved to AM sister WXYT 1270, making room for Howard Stern. WYST switched its format to Active Rock, as "97ROCK" Later taking the calls WKRK and the on-air identifier "97-1 K-Rock" in June of that year. WYST, competing with WRIF (Detroit's other active rock station), "K-Rock" caught the ears of fans of harder rock and metal. Unfortunately, K-Rock's penchant for making fun of WRIF, mostly for long stretches between songs, turned off many a listener just as quickly. Ratings continued to be less than impressive, and in late August 1998, WKRK repositioned itself as "Extreme Radio" with its format evolving toward Hot Talk. By March of 1999, the majority of the station's music programming on weekdays was gone and the station soon took on the name "97-1: Detroit's FM Talk Station". This was later changed to simply "97-1 FM Talk". WKRK relaunched as "Live 97.1" in May 2003. In August 2004, WKRK became the flagship radio station for the Detroit Lions.

In October 2005, WKRK added the "Free FM" identifier being used by CBS Radio on many of its hot-talk properties across the country. Once Howard Stern left for Sirius Satellite Radio on January 3, 2006, WKRK began simulcasting Rover's Morning Glory. Rover continued as the morning show until September 2006, when low ratings lead to a switch to syndicated Opie and Anthony.

On December 28, 2006, station management announced the termination of on-air talent Rob Parker and Mark Wilson (of "Parker and the Man") as well as the termination of Michelle McKormick, one of the hosts of "Motor City Middays." On January 8, 2007, the termination of Jessica Hall (producer for "Motor City Middays") was announced as well.

On March 9, 2007, WKRK announced that it had signed former WTWR personality "Johnny D" to host a new show to follow "Opie And Anthony" beginning on April 2, moving the start of "Motor City Middays" from 9 AM to 11 AM. Meanwhile, "MCM" would add new co-host Shila Nathan from WKRZ in Scranton, Pennsylvania to join co-hosts Jay Towers and Bill McAllister.

Beginning on March 11, 2007, WKRK added a 2-hour video gaming radio show to their Sunday line-up called "PWNED RADIO," hosted by Bill Doyle and Shane Hamelin.

Detroit's Sports Powerhouse 97-1

On October 1, 2007, at 3pm, WKRK ended Live 97.1 Free FM and changed its calls to WXYT-FM. Due to retarded management [citation needed], the station moved to an all-sports format, simulcasting with 1270 WXYT. The decision to remove the popular Motor City Middays show and a timeslot change of Deminski & Doyle caused a backlash among loyal FreeFM listeners. Many angry phone calls and emails were placed, and an online petition was also formed Template:Http://www.petitiononline.com/971det/petition.html. It is unknown whether management will come it its senses and restore the once fresh and original programming or continue with the cookie-cutter, overused sports only grind. It is speculated, however, that this decision will result in the loss of listeners and may ultimately bring down 97.1 FM entirely.

Airstaff

The current lineup (as of October 2007) is as follows

  • Morning Show: Deminski & Doyle - Jeff Deminski & Bill Doyle
  • Mid-Days: The Big Show - Scott "The Gator" Anderson & Doug Karsch
  • Afternoon Drive: The Sports Inferno - Mike Valenti & Terry Foster
  • Evenings: The Book On Sports - Pat Caputo
  • Nighttime: Dennis Fithian

Sources

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