WDET listeners say they'll miss the music

Others happy to have old shows, more news from NPR
BY BRIAN McCOLLUM Detroit FREE PRESS POP MUSIC WRITER
December 14, 2005
Tuesday brought big changes to public radio station WDET-FM (101.9). As part of a major schedule overhaul, general manager Michael Coleman replaced several of the station's signature music shows with syndicated programming from National Public Radio.
Listener reactions Tuesday were often intense and covered a wide range of opinion. But one common thread was clear: Detroit is passionate about public radio.
Here's what some had to say:
"It's really a tough loss. I'll bet the fund-raising goes down next time. I just can't believe the idea that the music lovers don't contribute a lot to this station. But maybe this is a good thing in disguise, because I'm going to have to do some research and look for some alternatives."
-- Bob Dombrowski, Grosse Ile
"I believe NPR offers the highest quality, most objective news programming in the world. I have been a committed listener of WDET for over a decade. When the format shifted in September 2004, I didn't stop contributing to public radio. I just shifted my dollars to 91.7, the Ann Arbor NPR affiliate (WUOM-FM). ... While Detroit music is important and shouldn't be ignored, I consider NPR programming essential to being an informed person. Therefore, I support the changes to the station."
-- Chris LaDuke, Detroit
"NPR remains an elitist outfit which only covers stories which reflect Western cultural themes, unless of course there is some nasty and graphic global nightmare in a Third World country. NPR's staff and programming does not reflect the diversity of the country. NPR's hosts are usually white with a token spiking of African-American insights. Asian and Hispanic Americans' contributions remain invisible. ...
"The promise of more news and NPR's middle-of-the-road syndicated programming is a prescription for afternoon naps and channel surfing.
"Hopefully, the new management at WDET will wake up from its blind loyalty to survey-driven programming and restore its alternative-theme local programming. Those who have supported WDET for years deserve what they pay for, not the predictable and boring syndicated programming of NPR."
-- Greg Thrasher, Birmingham
"It was great music all day. You already get enough politics if you listen to the news in the morning. ... This was cool because you had people (on the air) who seemed like family, part of the local woodwork. I guess we'll have to make the best of it."
-- Dave Collins, Berkley
"I'm happy for the change. I missed many of the regular talk programs that were dumped after the last format change. ... I have always liked WDET and was disgruntled after all the changes (in 2004), and I found myself tuning in less and less. ...
"Even though I don't really care for 'Folks Like Us' or 'The Arkansas Traveler,' I'm sure that there are as many people happy about their return as I was about 'Fresh Air' and 'Car Talk.' Kudos to Michael Coleman and his courage to return WDET to the way it was. Expect a pledge from across the river in the spring."
-- Andrew Foot, Windsor