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WRIF

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
Mega Hertz
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WRIF

Post by Mega Hertz » Sat Dec 26, 2020 9:43 am

We've now reached a Sophie's Choice of sorts. As I type this, WRIF is playing Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc", a song I've NEVER EVER heard on Riff before. I've also heard stuff like Blink-182, who I only remember playing "Adam's Song" in early 2000.

I'll admit, I'm liking the more "alternative" songs Riff has been playing of late.

The problem?

Do you wanna sit through six snowflake songs on 98.7 to get that one gold track you like? Or do you sit through Whitesnake and Ozzy and Def Leppard to get to that one gold track you like?

If only us 90s+ alternative fans had an actual option on FM...


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syntheticexctasy
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Re: WRIF

Post by syntheticexctasy » Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:05 pm

Mega Hertz wrote:
Sat Dec 26, 2020 9:43 am
We've now reached a Sophie's Choice of sorts. As I type this, WRIF is playing Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc", a song I've NEVER EVER heard on Riff before. I've also heard stuff like Blink-182, who I only remember playing "Adam's Song" in early 2000.

I'll admit, I'm liking the more "alternative" songs Riff has been playing of late.

The problem?

Do you wanna sit through six snowflake songs on 98.7 to get that one gold track you like? Or do you sit through Whitesnake and Ozzy and Def Leppard to get to that one gold track you like?

If only us 90s+ alternative fans had an actual option on FM...
Seconded. I've always thought it would be a wise move to move all of the butt-rock to WCSX since it plays most of that anyhow....Guess there's a reason i'm not a PD.



Deleted User 14896

Re: WRIF

Post by Deleted User 14896 » Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:32 pm

syntheticexctasy wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:05 pm
Seconded. I've always thought it would be a wise move to move all of the butt-rock to WCSX since it plays most of that anyhow....Guess there's a reason i'm not a PD.
I don't listen to much terrestrial music anymore. And I have nothing to do with the industry.
But let me throw this out there. What if 'RIF or 'CSX just went back to the 'ABX days?
Tell the PD to have a nice day, and let the on air "personalities" play whatever they want.
How do you think that would work out? Do you think it would become too Alice?



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Colonel Flagg
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Re: WRIF

Post by Colonel Flagg » Mon Dec 28, 2020 4:58 pm

Mike Oxlong wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:32 pm
syntheticexctasy wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:05 pm
Seconded. I've always thought it would be a wise move to move all of the butt-rock to WCSX since it plays most of that anyhow....Guess there's a reason i'm not a PD.
I don't listen to much terrestrial music anymore. And I have nothing to do with the industry.
But let me throw this out there. What if 'RIF or 'CSX just went back to the 'ABX days?
Tell the PD to have a nice day, and let the on air "personalities" play whatever they want.
How do you think that would work out? Do you think it would become too Alice?
WABX was that way very early on, but the truly popular, successful version of WABX, when it was owned by Century, had a PD. And structure to the format. Free Form WXYZ-FM, later WRIF, had a PD. His name was Dick Kernan. The best Free Form station ever known to mankind, KFML Denver, had a PD as well. The late Bill Ashford. I worked with Bill in Lansing.

I don't know if there's enough product out there to do AOR the old fashioned way. The closest remaining example, geographically speaking, is probably K94, WKKI Celina, Ohio.

As for personalities picking the music, I can see on-air vets like Arthur P, or Jerry Lubin picking the music, but are you sure you'd want a guy like Dahmer doing that? :lol


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windsor
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Re: WRIF

Post by windsor » Mon Dec 28, 2020 6:02 pm

The "We play Anything" format is the freeform of today really.We had Doug FM in the D and it didnt do too well overall.Don't think listeners could ever go back to the early days of FM in this era.

The thing that hurts radio today imo isnt the PD or MD its the overkill by consultants and the test audience"s.

Let the PD and music guy do their jobs and we would have better terrestrial radio.Before taking those jobs you should know the music of the format and hear it in your head of what you would like it to sound like.Now LA, NYC Chicago and Detroit all sound the same. Its boring radio.


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JLesinski
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Re: WRIF

Post by JLesinski » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:13 am

I like that WRIF is not scared. The way it should be:

WCSX: 80% Traditional classic rock 20% 80's hair metal hits
WLLZ: 80's and 90's
WRIF: 80% 2000 and beyond 20% 90's



MotorCityRadioFreak
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Re: WRIF

Post by MotorCityRadioFreak » Thu Dec 31, 2020 3:11 am

I think that the WRIF is tweaking their playlist. They should. They know that 89X and the River are gone, so there is an opening for the softer stuff. Besides, how many years can they continue to play hardly nothing butt rock?


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Mega Hertz
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Re: WRIF

Post by Mega Hertz » Thu Dec 31, 2020 10:05 am

I don't fully agree with the freeform idea. Now that the toothpaste is out of the tube, we can't fo back to the DJ picking out all the music. Look at KMET back when. They used call-out data and research and testing, sure. That was the backbone of AOR. But there was also a gut feeling to it. The LOCAL PD and the LOCAL MD were hitting the LOCAL streets. Jim Ladd said it well when he said that they brought in consultants to program the best station in Southern California without having a clue about Southern California. Like when he got yelled at for playing a Hendrix request because it didn't test well in Chicago.

The problem is also everything being tied to a handful of promoters, labels, station owners and venue owners. Flagg said in another thread that when you came out against your competitor, you were on your own. You didn't have an iHeart or Entercom to back you up. Now you're told what you're gonna hear and told you'll like it, in part because it SOUNDS like the last song you just heard. Instead, program like the Pandora concept. Oh, you liked this song? Well, here's something else you may like. Another band or another song off the album. Like how they used to. Sure, it's a hot album, and we're playing the single...just like the other guy. But let's check out this song. And in PPM, there's no excuse. You can see song by song how they're doing. It's literally cheaper and easier to take the LCD of what tests well in New York, LA, Chicago, Philly, Dallas, etc., and apply it across the board.

I don't, however, need to hear a 20 minute Taj Majal album track in afternoon drive.


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windsor
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Re: WRIF

Post by windsor » Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:57 pm

A good example of using your gut and music instinct is Rosalie Trombley at the Big 8. She broke so many artists from Detroit and Canada.


F**K Trudeau and F**K CBC !!!!

Mega Hertz
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Re: WRIF

Post by Mega Hertz » Thu Dec 31, 2020 6:29 pm

Speaking of Canada, I heard Our Lady Peace on Riff the other day. Another band I may have not heard of if not for 89x. I would love it if WRIF dumped the butt rock, let Wheels and CSX (and to an extent, WOMC) fight over it. Gold cuts aren't very often pre 1990, add those bands only 89x played, maybe pull a deeper tune out from time to time, and eat Alt's lunch.

Of course, that's one hell of a tweak for a rock station that's been around 50 years, so...

Maybe Alt could step up and give 96.3's playlist back to them and start fresh?


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
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Mega Hertz
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Location: Brighton

Re: WRIF

Post by Mega Hertz » Thu Dec 31, 2020 6:31 pm

Btw, don't mistake this for a complaint thread. I'm really happy WRIF is programming this way and I find myself tuning to them more often and for longer periods.


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
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MotorCityRadioFreak
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Re: WRIF

Post by MotorCityRadioFreak » Thu Dec 31, 2020 7:32 pm

I guess I will to when I flip to FM(which isn't much now).


They/them, non-binary and proud.

Remember that “2000 Mules” was concocted by a circus of elephants.
The right needs to stop worry about what’s between people’s legs. Instead, they should focus on what’s between their ears.
Audacity sucks.

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