Detroit's venerable public radio station WDET (101.9 FM) is hitting the refresh button on its programming lineup, and not a moment too soon as it gears up to celebrate a mammoth 75th anniversary next month. WDET is beefing up its slate with a slew of Detroit-centric shows, all while putting a cork in the repeat broadcasts of national shows that you can snag elsewhere.
WDET's General Manager Mary Zatina seems all about keeping things fresh and keeping the listeners engaged, she quipped "We take great pride in delivering what our listeners want from WDET" in a press release, while a recent audience survey uncovered a hankering for more distinctive Motor City flavor in their public radio diet; listeners reported they were less keen on reruns of national shows, so changes are afoot.
Among the shiny new additions starting on February 5, Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Henderson will be cutting the ribbon on "Created Equal," a morning discussion show on the playground of inequality and opportunity, the show is also getting an evening encore, according to the Detroit News.
While "The Metro," sandwiched neatly at 11 a.m. with a 10 p.m. repeat, promises a juicy bite of local news and culture teamed up by Nick Austin and Tia Graham, as per details from the Detroit Free Press.
A generous three-hour helping of music with Ryan Patrick Hooper called "In the Groove" takes over the noon to 3 p.m. slot, and bet your bottom dollar it's not just any old tune-spinning session. As the sun sets, Detroit's music mavens will serenade the evenings with shows like "Alternate Take" and "The New Music Show with Shigeto," while the city's own Don Was teams up with Ann Delisi for an earlier, weekend-ready stint of music curation, and that's just the tip of the iceberg—check out the full lineup at WDET's official announcement on wdet.org.
Not to be outdone by the music buffs, WDET's newsroom is also getting a shot in the arm as longtime journalist Amanda LeClaire takes the helm as midday newscaster, producer of interviews and features, and curator of the CuriosiD podcast—a show where Detroiters' burning questions are tossed, turned, and tackled by the station's reporters. The whole shebang kicks off with a members-only bash on February 13 at Jam Handy in Detroit, giving a nod to the station's maiden broadcast in 1949.
