What I Learned from being PD at WJR
When I first arrived in Detroit, it was to run WHYT, the Capital Cities CHR station. It was a massive job, and I had my hands full. But right down the hallway sat the undisputed giant of the market: WJR. WJR wasn’t just the number one station in Detroit; it was the highest-billing monster in the entire Capital Cities empire. It was legendary. It was also, to my ears, programmed like a grandfather clock.
I’m a programmer. I can’t help it. Every time I listened, I winced. My GM and I would talk about it constantly. I’d point out all the flaws, he’d nod patiently, and then he’d gently remind me to stay in my lane and focus on WHYT. Then, about two years into my run, he called me upstairs and dropped a bomb:
"How would you like to be the Program Director of WJR, too?"
Talk about a "be careful what you wish for" moment.
Step 1: Getting the Godfather’s Blessing
I wanted the gig. But I knew there was a massive, 200-pound gorilla in the room: JP McCarthy.
JP wasn’t just the morning guy; he was the undisputed voice of Detroit. If JP didn’t want me there, I was dead on arrival. We met, we talked, and he gave me a quote I’ll never forget:
“I hate all these changes we have to make, but
I know we have to do it.”
With that, my WJR era officially began.
Operation: De-Age the Giant
At the time, WJR was a powerhouse. It boasted 50,000 watts, a full 24/7 live airstaff, a 20-plus person news department, its own traffic helicopter, and broadcast rights for the Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings. It had everything, except youth. My mandate was simple: Keep the massive heritage, but drag the demographics down to the 25-54 sweet spot. Easy, right? Sure, if you enjoy tightrope walking over a pit of fire. Here is how we started the facelift:
Locking the Music Library: Back then, WJR still played some music, but the air personalities basically treated the library like their personal jukebox. I put an end to that, installed Selector, and locked the logs. (You would have thought I’d stolen their lunch money).
The Infamous Jingles: We rolled out a sleek, modern new jingle package. It was so controversial to the traditionalists that it literally made the front page of the Detroit Free Press.
Contemporizing the News: I hired a brilliant young news director, Bob Schuman. We weren't trying to sound like a Top 40 station; we just wanted to sound like we lived in the same decade as our listeners.
We were making noise, but the real heavy lifting, especially when it came to sports, massive community events and managing some of the biggest talents in the business, was about to begin.
To be continued next week!