What is WRIF?

Encyclopedia : W : WR : WRI : WRIF

WRIF (101.1) is one of the longest-running and most storied rock radio stations in the United States, located in Detroit, Michigan. Through 35 years and four owners, The "Riff" has been "The Home Of Rock & Roll" in Detroit.

History

It was 1948 when WXYZ-FM signed on at 101.1 MHz in Detroit. For most of the station's early years, the station was simply a simulcast of WXYZ-AM 1270 (now WXYT-AM), but that changed in 1970. The station was owned by ABC, and they made WXYZ-FM an affiliate of the "Love" network, a nationally syndicated underground rock format from ABC that predated today's satellite-fed radio formats. WXYZ-FM hired at least one local jock for this format - Arthur Penhallow.

On February 14, 1971, the station changed its call letters to WRIF. It's widely believed that ABC made a mistake when applying for these calls - they had intended the WRIF calls for their 94.7 in Chicago, while 101.1 in Detroit was supposed to have been WDAI (Detroit Auto Industry), and they mixed up the two stations when applying for the call letters. Chicago got the WDAI calls, and their 94.7 frequency was destined for years of failure through many format and call letter changes. Meanwhile, Detroit's WRIF was on its way to becoming a legend.

WRIF was a pioneer in the AOR format, utilizing many elements of progressive rock radio while maintaining a tight, Top-40 style playlist. Other ABC stations with a similar sound included WPLJ in New York and WDVE in Pittsburgh. WRIF was not a pure rocker in its early years - you could hear such artists as KC & The Sunshine Band and the Bee Gees alongside Alice Cooper, Traffic, and the Allman Brothers. After 1975, WRIF dropped most of the pop artists to concentrate on rock, but they would play a pop or disco song if it was extremely popular. "Stayin' Alive," for example, got many spins on WRIF in 1977-78.

Many young people in the Detroit area considered WRIF to be a stepping stone in those years - if you were too hip for Top-40 800 CKLW or 93.1 WDRQ, but not quite ready for progressive rock 99.5 WABX or 106.7 WWWW (W4), you listened to WRIF.

The 1980's was probably the decade that saw the most change in the Detroit radio dial. Among other changes, a new rocker was installed at 98.7, WLLZ ("Detroit's Wheels", now known as "Smooth Jazz V-98.7"), and it proved so popular that it took out two other Detroit rock stations. WWWW went country in 1980, and WABX as we knew it was gone in 1983 (today it's country WYCD). But WRIF soldiered on, even though it was sold twice in the 1980's and its rock format was on the chopping block more than once. In May 2006, WRIF outlasted yet another rock station but with a twist. 106.7 "The Drive" switched to country (this time as "106.7 The Fox") just as it did back in 1980 when it was known as "W4". This means WRIF helped knock it's competition off the same frequency twice. It's probably safe to say that this hasn't been done by very many stations in any format.

The 1980s saw the Morning Crew -- Jim Johnson ("JJ") and Dick The Bruiser (AKA George Baier) -- in their prime, spoofing songs with hits such as "96 Beers", "Beer Frame", and "Bars", and lampooning Meet the Press with "Meet the Bruiser". Despite WRIF's playing of disco songs, JJ and the Morning Crew created DREAD: Detroit Rockers Engaged in the Abolition of Disco.

In 1991, WRIF hired a new morning team from Phoenix, AZ - Drew & Zip. Zip was gone by 1994 and was replaced by local personality Mike Clark. Drew & Mike went on to become the #1 rated morning show in Detroit, and today (2005) they're still #1 in most Arbitron ratings books.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed one company to own more than one station on the same band in the same market for the first time, and Greater Media, who already owned Detroit's classic rocker 94.7 WCSX, wasted no time purchasing WRIF. They own the station to this day.

In 2005, WRIF still ranks in the top ten stations in the Detroit market. Their format is best called Heritage Rock, and you will hear a wide variety of modern rock and classic hard rock. Arthur Penhallow, the local DJ that WXYZ-FM hired way back in 1970, is still doing afternoon drive at WRIF.

The station served as a backdrop for the Kevin Costner film The Upside of Anger.

Weekday air talent lineup (March 2006):

6-10:30 a.m.: Drew Lane & Mike Clark
10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.: Doug Podell
3-7 p.m.: Arthur Penhallow
7 p.m.-midnight: Meltdown
Midnight-6 a.m.: Screamin' Scott
Others: Anne Carlini, Kelly Brown, Steve Black, Mike Staff, Dave Doran, Suzy Cole, Peter Werbe, Jay Hudson

WRIF's HD Radio multicast signal is called "RIFF2" and features music by local Detroit artists, both rock and hip-hop, as well as other non-mainstream artists largely ignored by commercial radio.

WRIF's transmitter is located in Royal Oak Township in suburban Oakland County near the intersection of 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue. WRIF transmits its signal with an ERP of 11,000 watts from an antenna 955 feet in height. Five other Detroit radio stations transmit their signals from the same tower as WRIF.

External Links

[WRIF]

FM Radio Stations in the Detroit / Windsor Market [(Arbitron #9)]

By Frequency: 88.1 | 88.1 | 88.1 | 88.3 | 88.3 | 88.7 | 89.1 | 89.1 | 89.3 | 89.5 | 89.5 | 89.9 | 90.9 | 91.3 | 91.5 | 91.7 | 92.3 | 93.1 | 93.9 | 94.7 | 95.1 | 95.5 | 96.3 | 96.7 | 97.1 | 97.9 | 98.7 | 99.5 | 100.3 | 101.1 | 101.5 | 101.9 | 102.7 | 102.9 | 103.5 | 103.9 | 104.3 | 104.7 | 105.1 | 105.9 | 106.7 | 107.5 | 107.9

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