Radio ratings 1993-94

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

I think I remember 93.1's commercials as a kid, "Turn on the light, 93.1"(string pulled on lamp) Does that sound familiar?

I believe it was also around that time that Kroger started their very annoying "listen to the scissors" campaign while I was watching Tigers baseball on WDIV.

[WOHO]

What was WWJ-FM next? Was it WLTI?

[MWmetalhead]

WLTI were the calls for 93.1.

I believe WJOI were the calls used for 97.1 after ditching the WWJ-FM calls, although it is possible another set came in between.

[Mega Hertz]

WLLZ may have been bordering on irrelevance otherwise but not in my house Plus, Podell took over PD reigns in mid '94 and Drew and Mike were getting hot. Other than Sheri Donovan, who was at WLLZ then? Who was their morning show? I listened to just as much Riff as I did LLZ but can't remember much from the last 3 years of LLZ's life. I can remember Calvert interviewing Mellencamp in late 1992

If I recall, around that time, Calvert/Ed Kelly/Albom were on WLLZ but left in that time period. I can't recall the replacement dj's I don't think anyone noteworthy. WLLZ then started changing to Alt-rock. I remember them playing Alanis morrisette, you otta know, which was a big song. NIN-Closer, Bush-glycerine, Oasis, some for those songs ring a bell. I remember this because the job I was at, my co-worker only wanted to listen to wllz and like what is a habit off all stations, you hear the same songs over and over.
Then one day, in middle of the morning it became "smooth jazz"
I had my own headset listening to Drew and Mike and then I converted everyone.

You pretty much nailed it. There is an aircheck of M. Dung floating around online from January, 1995 and they are still playing mainstream rock (AC/DC, Van Halen, Tom Petty) and newer stuff (Offspring, Nirvana, Green Day), but yeah, by summer, it was all new rock. I remember Sponge getting a lot of play as well as "Just Like Anyone" by Soul Asylum. Like you said, it's hard to remember anyone of note. I did reach out to Chuck Santoni, he was there and has a really awesome Today's Wheels softball jersey, Kelly Walker was there, too, but I'll be damned if I can remember anyone else.

I came home from school that Friday Christmas break started and had to clean my room. I flipped around but couldn't find LLZ (analog tuner). I went out and asked my dad what happened to Wheels and he tells me "They're not playing rock anymore". It was the first time a station I actively enjoyed had flipped formats, and it would happen a lot to me over the next 3-4 years. It didn't male sense to me...how could a station I like change like that?! That was a rough time for rock radio. Some stations went classic, some (like Wheels) went full modern rock. WRIF managed to nail it down somehow. I wish there was more audio out there, I would pay almost any amount to hear that flip.

[Realist]

WLLZ may have been bordering on irrelevance otherwise but not in my house Plus, Podell took over PD reigns in mid '94 and Drew and Mike were getting hot. Other than Sheri Donovan, who was at WLLZ then? Who was their morning show? I listened to just as much Riff as I did LLZ but can't remember much from the last 3 years of LLZ's life. I can remember Calvert interviewing Mellencamp in late 1992

If I recall, around that time, Calvert/Ed Kelly/Albom were on WLLZ but left in that time period. I can't recall the replacement dj's I don't think anyone noteworthy. WLLZ then started changing to Alt-rock. I remember them playing Alanis morrisette, you otta know, which was a big song. NIN-Closer, Bush-glycerine, Oasis, some for those songs ring a bell. I remember this because the job I was at, my co-worker only wanted to listen to wllz and like what is a habit off all stations, you hear the same songs over and over.
Then one day, in middle of the morning it became "smooth jazz"
I had my own headset listening to Drew and Mike and then I converted everyone.

You pretty much nailed it. There is an aircheck of M. Dung floating around online from January, 1995 and they are still playing mainstream rock (AC/DC, Van Halen, Tom Petty) and newer stuff (Offspring, Nirvana, Green Day), but yeah, by summer, it was all new rock. I remember Sponge getting a lot of play as well as "Just Like Anyone" by Soul Asylum. Like you said, it's hard to remember anyone of note. I did reach out to Chuck Santoni, he was there and has a really awesome Today's Wheels softball jersey, Kelly Walker was there, too, but I'll be damned if I can remember anyone else.

I came home from school that Friday Christmas break started and had to clean my room. I flipped around but couldn't find LLZ (analog tuner). I went out and asked my dad what happened to Wheels and he tells me "They're not playing rock anymore". It was the first time a station I actively enjoyed had flipped formats, and it would happen a lot to me over the next 3-4 years. It didn't male sense to me...how could a station I like change like that?! That was a rough time for rock radio. Some stations went classic, some (like Wheels) went full modern rock. WRIF managed to nail it down somehow. I wish there was more audio out there, I would pay almost any amount to hear that flip.

I believe that was also around the time that they had an afternoon guy with a voice that was, um, kinda effeminate. He was married to a female jock that either worked there or at another station (mind is foggy). IIRC, I last heard him on the air in Lansing

[BKRPDM]

https://youtu.be/eGfuHWRY5vg

Air check from 1996, not terribly long after the flip to WDRQ.

I remember mornings being jockless initially, with Bobby Ocean doing voiceovers. Then it was briefly Lynne Woodison with Tim Siegrist. After that, it was Mark Mitchell with Sharon Foster and Trixxie Deluxxe (Ed Dobski). By mid-1997, “Joe Mama” replaced Mitchell and Foster. By 1998, Domino held down mornings, and by 1999 it was Jay Towers in the role.

[MWmetalhead]

I liked "Joe Mama" and the "Mama's Family" show. I have no idea if it earned good ratings (probably not given its short duration).

[BFSEsq]

https://youtu.be/eGfuHWRY5vg

Air check from 1996, not terribly long after the flip to WDRQ.

This playlist is just a fantastic time capsule. What a time for 'dance' radio. I would never listen to this kind of thing at the time in 1996, but now it's retro in just the right way. Who is this jock in the air check? He gave his name as Chuck.

[Mega Hertz]

https://youtu.be/eGfuHWRY5vg

Air check from 1996, not terribly long after the flip to WDRQ.

This playlist is just a fantastic time capsule. What a time for 'dance' radio. I would never listen to this kind of thing at the time in 1996, but now it's retro in just the right way. Who is this jock in the air check? He gave his name as Chuck.

That is the one and only Chuck Santoni. Been in radio here since the early to mid 70s on stations like WABX, W4 country and a later stint at WLLZ. Still runs 107.1 in Port Huron I believe (haven't lived over that way in a number of years).

[Colonel Flagg]

WLLZ may have been bordering on irrelevance otherwise but not in my house Plus, Podell took over PD reigns in mid '94 and Drew and Mike were getting hot. Other than Sheri Donovan, who was at WLLZ then? Who was their morning show? I listened to just as much Riff as I did LLZ but can't remember much from the last 3 years of LLZ's life. I can remember Calvert interviewing Mellencamp in late 1992

If I recall, around that time, Calvert/Ed Kelly/Albom were on WLLZ but left in that time period. I can't recall the replacement dj's I don't think anyone noteworthy. WLLZ then started changing to Alt-rock. I remember them playing Alanis morrisette, you otta know, which was a big song. NIN-Closer, Bush-glycerine, Oasis, some for those songs ring a bell. I remember this because the job I was at, my co-worker only wanted to listen to wllz and like what is a habit off all stations, you hear the same songs over and over.
Then one day, in middle of the morning it became "smooth jazz"
I had my own headset listening to Drew and Mike and then I converted everyone.

You pretty much nailed it. There is an aircheck of M. Dung floating around online from January, 1995 and they are still playing mainstream rock (AC/DC, Van Halen, Tom Petty) and newer stuff (Offspring, Nirvana, Green Day), but yeah, by summer, it was all new rock. I remember Sponge getting a lot of play as well as "Just Like Anyone" by Soul Asylum. Like you said, it's hard to remember anyone of note. I did reach out to Chuck Santoni, he was there and has a really awesome Today's Wheels softball jersey, Kelly Walker was there, too, but I'll be damned if I can remember anyone else.

I came home from school that Friday Christmas break started and had to clean my room. I flipped around but couldn't find LLZ (analog tuner). I went out and asked my dad what happened to Wheels and he tells me "They're not playing rock anymore". It was the first time a station I actively enjoyed had flipped formats, and it would happen a lot to me over the next 3-4 years. It didn't male sense to me...how could a station I like change like that?! That was a rough time for rock radio. Some stations went classic, some (like Wheels) went full modern rock. WRIF managed to nail it down somehow. I wish there was more audio out there, I would pay almost any amount to hear that flip.

I forgot all about M. Dung! Good catch. Santoni was probably doing midday's at some point, or that's what I seem to remember. As far as I know, he's still at WSAQ Port Huron. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to hear "Today's Wheels" as I was in Orlando during that timeframe.

As to WLTI, it was a well programmed, traditional AC. Mornings with Eddie Rogers, afternoons with Ted Anthony.

[Mega Hertz]

WLLZ may have been bordering on irrelevance otherwise but not in my house Plus, Podell took over PD reigns in mid '94 and Drew and Mike were getting hot. Other than Sheri Donovan, who was at WLLZ then? Who was their morning show? I listened to just as much Riff as I did LLZ but can't remember much from the last 3 years of LLZ's life. I can remember Calvert interviewing Mellencamp in late 1992

If I recall, around that time, Calvert/Ed Kelly/Albom were on WLLZ but left in that time period. I can't recall the replacement dj's I don't think anyone noteworthy. WLLZ then started changing to Alt-rock. I remember them playing Alanis morrisette, you otta know, which was a big song. NIN-Closer, Bush-glycerine, Oasis, some for those songs ring a bell. I remember this because the job I was at, my co-worker only wanted to listen to wllz and like what is a habit off all stations, you hear the same songs over and over.
Then one day, in middle of the morning it became "smooth jazz"
I had my own headset listening to Drew and Mike and then I converted everyone.

You pretty much nailed it. There is an aircheck of M. Dung floating around online from January, 1995 and they are still playing mainstream rock (AC/DC, Van Halen, Tom Petty) and newer stuff (Offspring, Nirvana, Green Day), but yeah, by summer, it was all new rock. I remember Sponge getting a lot of play as well as "Just Like Anyone" by Soul Asylum. Like you said, it's hard to remember anyone of note. I did reach out to Chuck Santoni, he was there and has a really awesome Today's Wheels softball jersey, Kelly Walker was there, too, but I'll be damned if I can remember anyone else.

I came home from school that Friday Christmas break started and had to clean my room. I flipped around but couldn't find LLZ (analog tuner). I went out and asked my dad what happened to Wheels and he tells me "They're not playing rock anymore". It was the first time a station I actively enjoyed had flipped formats, and it would happen a lot to me over the next 3-4 years. It didn't male sense to me...how could a station I like change like that?! That was a rough time for rock radio. Some stations went classic, some (like Wheels) went full modern rock. WRIF managed to nail it down somehow. I wish there was more audio out there, I would pay almost any amount to hear that flip.

I forgot all about M. Dung! Good catch. Santoni was probably doing midday's at some point, or that's what I seem to remember. As far as I know, he's still at WSAQ Port Huron. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to hear "Today's Wheels" as I was in Orlando during that timeframe.

As to WLTI, it was a well programmed, traditional AC. Mornings with Eddie Rogers, afternoons with Ted Anthony.

I believe middays is correct for Chuck. I used to have a tape of him coming out of "Gotta Get Away" by Offspring. Had it for many years until my evil tape deck had it for lunch.

[Mega Hertz]

[BFSEsq]

That jersey is cool.