89X returns?

[BFSEsq]

Yeah, the Cancon on 89X seems to be deeper cuts than it typically was in the old days. I mean, it's no Billy Talent.

[BFSEsq]

Scott Vertical (morning guy on Ann Arbor's 107one) is lurking in the thread about 89X in the Detroit subreddit. Someone mentioned Kelly Brown and I said she was on 107.1 now and he came to confirm. He's been popping up in other places there too. I just thought it was amusing. Of course we know that all of the air talent on other stations have been watching this. https://ibb.co/1J6zWV68

[BFSEsq]

The station is giving away tickets to the Lumineers at Comerica Park this weekend via Facebook. I mean, I guess they can only use social media since they don't have DJs yet. I'm pleasantly surprised that they would do this right away. If only they could, you know, mention it on-air. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19q9KW ... tid=wwXIfr

[windsor]

Scott Vertical (morning guy on Ann Arbor's 107one) is lurking in the thread about 89X in the Detroit subreddit. Someone mentioned Kelly Brown and I said she was on 107.1 now and he came to confirm. He's been popping up in other places there too. I just thought it was amusing. Of course we know that all of the air talent on other stations have been watching this. https://ibb.co/1J6zWV68

I think your getting way ahead of the new 89X reality in 2025.

No way will Bell dish out the funds to get a Vertical or Kelly Brown.
Next they arent targeting the D buying into any books.
Jocks will be VTed from theyre stable of stations. Morn drive might be Live.
Eventually Detroit area listeners will get tired of the deep cancon if it continues. Its still the honeymoon phaze.
Interesting to speculate though first format change fun in awhile on the dial.

[MegaHertz]

At one point this morning

89x, 94.7, 98.7, 101.1, 104.3 and 106.7 were all playing a song from the 90s. WOMC had Wonderwall on and WCSX had "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins.

It's nice to see our generation finally getting a couple of good cracks in between 70s arena rock, bro country, Jesuscasters and 80s pop.

[MWmetalhead]

Scott Vertical (morning guy on Ann Arbor's 107one) is lurking in the thread about 89X in the Detroit subreddit. Someone mentioned Kelly Brown and I said she was on 107.1 now and he came to confirm. He's been popping up in other places there too. I just thought it was amusing. Of course we know that all of the air talent on other stations have been watching this. https://ibb.co/1J6zWV68

I think your getting way ahead of the new 89X reality in 2025.

No way will Bell dish out the funds to get a Vertical or Kelly Brown.
Next they arent targeting the D buying into any books.
Jocks will be VTed from theyre stable of stations. Morn drive might be Live.
Eventually Detroit area listeners will get tired of the deep cancon if it continues. Its still the honeymoon phaze.
Interesting to speculate though first format change fun in awhile on the dial.

Remember, Bell sold many of its radio properties earlier this year. A lot of their remaining stations are in Quebec.

89X is the only alternative formatted station in the entire company.

While some voice tracking is possible from folks located in distant cities, I think at least a couple air shifts will be staffed locally, maybe more. 93.9 has a local morning show and local PM drive show, as an example.

I think U.S. based jocks are unlikely unless they are allowed to VT from home and were associated with the golden era of the station.

Greg Gnyp is in Ontario, not Michigan. CKLW's Dan MacDonald, already in the building, clearly has a passion for the brand. I suspect we might hear one or both of those guys on this version of the station.

This iteration of 89X is very different than the 2018-2020 era of the station or even the 1998-2013 era, both of which featured a lot more nu metal.

I've not heard Korn, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, or Tool yet.

89X also used to play Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Volbeat, Disturbed and Drowning Pool all the time, and in the final few years when it was current-heavy Active Rock even would play Pantera as a library artist.

It appears none of those bands will be part of this iteration of the station.

At the same time, the station isn't playing massive doses of light indie rock flare that drove its ratings into the ground in the 2014-2016 timeframe.

The station is staying in the middle lane of the alternative format this time with a heavier emphasis on 90s gold than before while still playing air worthy new songs & recent hits. It is not sitting on the fence between alternative and active rock as it did for much of its prior life.

89X was the one station in the past 25 years that put a bit of scare into the mighty WRIF. In the late 00s and very early 2010s, in the Detroit market, 89X was neck and neck with WRIF in A18 to 34 and a number of male-only demos. 89X at times even achieved a first place finish in Adults 18 to 34 in the Detroit market.

89X had WRIF so worried that Riff decided to cancel Drew & Mike, who to that point was arguably the most successful morning show in Detroit radio history, in order to hire away Dave & Chuck.

[MWmetalhead]

Just heard Nookie by Limp Bizkit.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

Today I heard:

Wheatus
90s Green Day
Tegan and Sarah
Fallout Boy
Third Eye Blind
Our Lady Peace
City and Colors
Depeche Mode

No complaints. It’s more like a 90s 89X crossed with some of the River favorites. I am someone that does mind the CanCon stuff. Bring on Crash Parallel, Our Lady Peace, Tragically Hip, Alanis etc.

[BFSEsq]

I didn’t mean to suggest the possibility that Vertical or anyone else was going to defect to 89X. I honestly assumed there would be zero former DJs that would be on this iteration of the station. In fact, MW even suggesting the possibility was a surprise to me. We can only hope. Gnyp would be amazing; I’ve actually seen a lot of people mentioning missing him in facebook comments and such. I’m pretty sure I remember Dan McDonald from 93.9 The River. I didn’t know he was at CKLW.

Speaking of… Saw Mike Kakuk post on Facebook reminiscing about his time on overnights on 89X as “Stereo Mike” in 1998. Did not realize that Stereo Mike, who I only vaguely remember, is now doing mornings at CKLW. (I feel like more 89X DJs used to have nicknames. Limecoat Craig is one I still remember. Phat Matt, of course.)

I am so happy that this iteration of 89X isn’t playing nu metal. Good riddance. That was something I never liked about the station. Too much of it. Metallica et al, too. Save that for the Riff, that’s where it all belongs. I DID hear Limp Bizkit’s “Nookie” just now, though.

[BFSEsq]

No complaints. It’s more like a 90s 89X crossed with some of the River favorites.

Oh man, I think you’re right. That must be why I’m loving this mix so much. I ALWAYS wanted a mix of 89X and The River.

[MWmetalhead]

Hearing "That Song" by Big Wreck earlier this evening was fun.

(Yes, I'm aware Cool FM plays that one regularly. Cool FM has a weak to non-existent signal where I live except during tropo episodes.)

[MWmetalhead]

I’m pretty sure I remember Dan McDonald from 93.9 The River. I didn’t know he was at CKLW.

Yup; he was heard on The River for a good chunk of its second run.

He did some shifts on 89X, too, for a brief period after Bell fired all Michigan air talent and shuttered its Southfield office.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

Hearing "That Song" by Big Wreck earlier this evening was fun.

(Yes, I'm aware Cool FM plays that one regularly. Cool FM has a weak to non-existent signal where I live except during tropo episodes.)

I gave up on them a long time ago.

It was nice to put 88.7 on preset 1 again. I then put 104.3 in the 6th slot moving away from #1 that had been opened. 105.1 got the axe. So, right now it’s
1. 89X
2. WDVD
3.97.1
4.98.7
5. WRIF
6.WOMC

[MWmetalhead]

I've got five of those six on my presets, but I've got two banks of presets programmed.

#1 is WRIF, #2 is 89X, #3 is WLLZ, and I forget the order after that.

I do know I deleted 105.1 recently; their playlist is so stale. Their songs don't withstand the test of time as well as great rock & alternative songs.

I cannot stomach WDVD anymore. That station sounded decent when Rob Bridges was PD. I've not liked the station's sound since his departure, regardless of PD. I'm more likely to listen to both WNIC and WKQI over them. WDVD's imaging sounds so incredibly bland. Sounded outstanding when Chris Corley was alive & well, sounded OK when Jeff Berlin was used, sounded darn good when John Cipriano was used, and awful when they began using the hoarse voiced guy. Now, they have the female (whose name escapes me) doing 100 percent of the voiceovers; largely dry reads with no snazzy production effects. I also wish they never dumped the jingle package. They do have damn good audio processing, though.

[BFSEsq]

BILLY TALENT ALERT