Will WJR switch back to Michigan now that Michigan has a better bball team and football team than MSU?

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December 5th, 2012 at 11:09 PM
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ThadMattasagoblin
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Will WJR switch back to Michigan now that Michigan has a better bball team and football team than MSU?

If you remember in 2006 WJR switched from being affiliated with UM to MSU basing their rationale on MSU bball bringing in more listeners.  Around this time Michigan bball was in the dumps and Amaker was enroute to being fired.  Fast forward to 2012 and Michigan's football future looks much brighter than MSU's and the bball future looks bright as well.  Any chance that WJR switches back to Michigan?

903 wins most in college football

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December 5th, 2012 at 11:12 PM | Wasn't there some weird (Score:5 Normal)
snarling wolverine
Joined: 12/14/2011
MGoPoints: 4684

Wasn't there some weird underhanded move that won the contract for MSU?

December 6th, 2012 at 3:58 PM | the underhanded move (Score:1)
danimal1968
Joined: 07/13/2008
MGoPoints: 118

was how they announced it.  They loaded a bus of WJR people, headed to East Lansing, then stopped the bus, and pulled  Beckmann, Steve Courtney, and Paul W. Smith off the bus, and drove on without them.

 

http://beta.urmisports.com/content.php?contentid=84

December 6th, 2012 at 11:14 PM | Was it the fault of the America's Cup? (Score:1)
bluewoody
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Joined: 02/19/2012
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I thought we dropped the ball due to prior sailing engagements. I thought someone was out sailing.

December 5th, 2012 at 11:17 PM | WJR (Score:5 Normal)
k.o.k.Law
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Joined: 08/12/2011
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not underhanded, MSU paid them to carry the games, taking the risk of selling the ads themselves.

K.O.K.law

December 6th, 2012 at 11:24 PM | MSU needs the press (Score:1)
MGoSoftball
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Joined: 10/18/2010
MGoPoints: 3578

because without WJR, no one would know about them.  This was a business decision plain and simple.  We dont need WJR to promote us.  We have the brand to pull in independant radio stations across the state for half the cost.

I dont blame WJR for taking the money.  However msu forced many listeners to switch stations.  WRJs numbers have tanked since they took on moo u.  No one cares about moo u.

WJR needs us back to bring back listeners.  Their numbers will double if they do.

From the Red Cedar Message Board:  "God hates us."  Yes He does Lil Bro, yes he does.  Everyone hates you.

December 7th, 2012 at 2:12 PM | * (Score:1)
yossarians tree
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This still irks me to no end. It is a loser for both WJR and Michigan. The only "winner" is MSU because they have a radio power they neither need nor deserve. All the WJR people were big Michigan slappies and they suddenly had to "change allegiances" and act like they meant it because it was, well, their job. My guess is Martin fucked this up. I get so pissed off because every season when the first game starts I have to find out which bullshit Detroit station is carrying the Michigan game. For a couple years it was the FM "oldies" station that didn't even have a postgame. Now it's the 24 hour news station. It is like some greasy douchebag with a pinkie ring is banging your hot former girlfriend. Damn it to hell! Motherscratcher! Foul!

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.

"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.

December 5th, 2012 at 11:18 PM | 760 (Score:5 Normal)
TrppWlbrnID
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Is a mere shadow of its former great self. It used to be a beacon for the tigers, red wings and um that you could hear in much of the country. Now it's just another clear channel mouthpiece.

2013 resolution - make it onto the 2014 favorite MGoPosters post, not ironically
December 5th, 2012 at 11:58 PM | It's still a better signal (Score:3 Normal)
Maize.Blue Wagner
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It's still a better signal than most. I can get it at my home in Ionia about as well as I can get 1300 out of GR (an 'M' station). I think it would be great to have Michigan sports back on WJR, though I don't think the recent success of the basketball team will have any direct impact on the radio situation. 

December 6th, 2012 at 9:11 PM | Forget that. At night I get (Score:1)
stephenrjking
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Joined: 03/15/2012
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Forget that. At night I get it pretty easily in Duluth. I wish they would carry real sports again--especially in the winter, I would tune in all the time.

Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth. 

December 6th, 2012 at 11:55 PM | Especially because with (Score:2)
ChopBlock
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Especially because with shorter days, you can get the signal by mid-evening already during the winter.

"The straightest line from A to B is straight: From A to B"

"When you have Denard Robinson, you can have everything"

~George Walden

December 7th, 2012 at 1:26 AM | Exactly. (Score:1)
stephenrjking
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Exactly.

Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth. 

December 7th, 2012 at 9:24 PM | I live on the east coast, in (Score:2)
M-Dog
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I live on the east coast, in the DC area.  I can get WJR at night pretty clearly.  It was my lifeline to non-brodcasted Michigan games in the days before the internet and the Big Ten network.  I was bummed when they switched.  Have not listned to it since.

 

M'Dog

December 6th, 2012 at 6:45 AM | Yeah, you nailed it. Makes me (Score:4 Normal)
Cold War
Joined: 01/15/2012
MGoPoints: 433

Yeah, you nailed it. Makes me sad. I miss WJR carrying UM and the Tigers. Now it's dominated by political blowhards and carries a school that bought it's way in, and fewer people care about.

I do think they are relevant, given their reach. Maybe not as much with the net, etc., but it  still matters. I'd love to see them and UM. Tigers, etc, swallow  some pride and get it done  at some point. But I doubt it happens.

 

December 6th, 2012 at 6:45 AM | Yeah, you nailed it. Makes me (Score:2 Normal)
Cold War
Joined: 01/15/2012
MGoPoints: 433

Yeah, you nailed it. Makes me sad. I miss WJR carrying UM and the Tigers. Now it's dominated by political blowhards and carries a school that bought it's way in, and fewer people care about.

I do think they are relevant, given their reach. Maybe not as much with the net, etc., but it  still matters. I'd love to see them and UM. Tigers, etc, swallow  some pride and get it done  at some point. But I doubt it happens.

 

December 6th, 2012 at 8:04 AM | Very true. When my Dad used (Score:3 Normal)
DrunkOnHiggins
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Very true. When my Dad used to be stationed in Texas he said he could pick up WJR from Detroit on clear nights.

"And if that doesn't wet your appetite, you're watching the wrong channel."

You can usually find me bumping some Reggae, hammered on Higgins Lake with the goon squad. #HALOL

Go Blue!

December 6th, 2012 at 10:24 AM | I wasn't that far away, but... (Score:4 Normal)
Benoit Balls
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my Dad and I could get a clear signal in his truck on a stretch of road between our house in Cleveland and our cottage near the Pennsylvania state line. Some of the happiest memories of my childhood involve riding back from a night doing work on the house at the lake, listening to Bruce Martyn call a Wings game.  

The funny thing was we couldn't get a signal on the big Cleveland AM station (1100), but we pulled in 760 well enough to hear the Wings.

ALWAYS remember the golden rule: He who has the gold, makes the rules

 

December 5th, 2012 at 11:18 PM | Como?  Brief explanation of (Score:5 Normal)
B-Nut-GoBlue
Joined: 09/30/2011
MGoPoints: 1679

Como?  Brief explanation of what WJR is? (Bad feeling I'll come out looking dumb here)

December 5th, 2012 at 11:28 PM | Radio (Score:1)
A_Train32
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Station

"Only three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad" -Bo Schembechler

December 6th, 2012 at 1:04 AM | im 12 wat is radio? there b (Score:5 Normal)
mgovideo
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im 12 wat is radio? there b an app 4 it?

@mgovideo

December 6th, 2012 at 12:15 AM | It's where you heard Ernie (Score:3 Normal)
turtleboy
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It's where you heard Ernie Harwell call games. Never watched a game with the TV sound until they fired him.

How many times have you been on the freeway and had someone fly by you at 100 mph then end up 2 cars ahead of you at the off ramp? What's the point? -Mark Harmon

December 6th, 2012 at 9:07 AM | Yeah..... until "they" fired (Score:3 Normal)
k1400
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Yeah..... until "they" fired Ernie.

I will fight 'til I am dead, a winged helmet on my head.

December 6th, 2012 at 12:56 AM | Now I know I've lived in New York too long. (Score:3 Normal)
Michigasling
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Because I had to ask the same question, trying to figure out what two-sport recruit with the initials WJR was wavering in his commitment to MSU.  WJR was our favorite Detroit station when I was a kid, fergodsakes.  Didn't it play classical music as well as Ernie Harwell?  And now it's Clear Channel?  How the classy have fallen.

December 6th, 2012 at 1:06 PM | Thanks for biting the bullet, (Score:2)
MGoSteelers
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Thanks for biting the bullet, I've spent about 60 seconds trying to figure out which recruit WJR is.  That was roughly 55 seconds too long.

December 5th, 2012 at 11:19 PM | Given the historical (Score:5 Normal)
mGrowOld
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Given the historical dominance of MSU over Michigan in both Basketball (they trail 75 to 94) as well as football (they trail 32 to 67 with 5 ties) I'm sure WJR views the current state of affairs as nothing more than a temporary and quickly overcome setback.  Clearly with MSU dominating as they have in head to head meetings athletically coupled with their national reputation academically it's no wonder a radio station that broadcasts over half the USA at night would want to carry the Spartan torch.  And then when you add in the obviously higher per-capita income of State fans over Michigan fans well - you have an advertising trifecta that's tough to beat.

Here in backwards universe the decision makes all the sense in the world.

 

 

December 5th, 2012 at 11:25 PM | I'm sure they're getting (Score:2)
UMxWolverines
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I'm sure they're getting soooooo many more listeners for msu games. How long was the contract with msu for?

"Ohio is like a giant turd that Michigan just can't pinch off"

December 5th, 2012 at 11:34 PM | I hate seeing threads like this (Score:5 Normal)
HAIL-YEA
Joined: 07/15/2009
MGoPoints: 1010

1.) They have a contract.. its not like at any time they can just say oh UM looks good this year lets switch.

2.) Yes the basketball and football teams look to be trending upward...but they haven't done squat yet. The bball team hasn't made it to the 2nd weekend in the tourney and the football team hasn't made it to the B1G title game in a terrible down time for the conference.

3.) Why would UM even give them the rights back after they trashed us when they switched..they are a nobody am radio station..The internet has made them irrelevent and UM sure doesn't need the money.

How can you kill that which has no life

December 6th, 2012 at 9:23 AM | To Add To This... (Score:3 Normal)
LSAClassOf2000
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Just to add a little to the first point in particular, it will not be anytime soon either, per this announcement from January 2010, when WJR extended its agreement with the school until 2020.

Feezy also has built this contract into a going thing at WJR, as far as I know, since they broadcast MSU-backed non-sports content sometimes as well now with programming like "The Greening Of The Great Lakes", so I can't imagine that the station could or would even consider backing out at this point.

"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."

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December 5th, 2012 at 11:36 PM | This was all about money (as (Score:5 Normal)
WolverineHistorian
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This was all about money (as most things are now) instead of better programs and records. 

MSU spent a ton of money to take WJR away from us.  And basketball will never be bigger than football, so I have a hard time believing any rationale that MSU basketball was going to bring in more listeners.  Especially when you take into account that MSU basketball circa 2006 was nothing compared to their 1998-2001 years.   

Go Blue!  Always!

http://www.youtube.com/user/WolverineHistorian

December 6th, 2012 at 12:10 AM | In that case (Score:1)
Greg McMurtry
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Fuck WJR.

...confidence is the stain they can't wipe off...

December 6th, 2012 at 10:12 AM | Word. (Score:1)
French West Indian
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Joined: 12/28/2011
MGoPoints: 928

Fuck WJR indeed!

Having said that, radio is far from dead.  In addition to covering live events, it's probably the best medium for storytelling.  If Michigan is really swimming in money the way that everybody seems to think that Brandon is, then why not just create their own radio station?  Could feature most M sports events live with additional pre & post game coverage.

Or, alternatively, this could be an opportunity for an aspiring media entrepreneur.  WJR is vulnerable because of their outdated corporate ownership and with something like M sports as an anchor, a new channel could make major headway.

December 6th, 2012 at 4:02 PM | Michigan does have its own radio station (Score:1)
danimal1968
Joined: 07/13/2008
MGoPoints: 118

The University does anyway.  It's WUOM - 91.7 FM.  They used to carry a separate broadcast of the football games; not sure if they still do or not.

December 6th, 2012 at 12:14 AM | Basketball will never be bigger than football (Score:2)
notYOURmom
Joined: 03/13/2009
MGoPoints: 580

In money terms, unless basketball plays more than twice as many games in a season.



Oh right.

December 6th, 2012 at 8:34 AM | not the same (Score:2 Normal)
teldar
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Joined: 07/14/2009
MGoPoints: 1302

Basketball is no where near as popular as football. This is not hard to understand.

Wasting away in Ohio, a Wolverine in a sea of red and grey

December 6th, 2012 at 12:21 AM | It Was Also Personal (Score:2 Insightful)
Germany Shultz
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Bill Martin really, really, really pissed off then WJR GM Mike Feezy with outrageous demands. Martin took WJR for granted and MSU swooped in with big $$ for WJR and Feezy really loved the State people. But Feezy has recently left, so ... This was a major league F**CK UP by one Bill Martin.

December 6th, 2012 at 12:39 AM | I never heard that! Bill (Score:2)
UMxWolverines
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I never heard that! Bill Martin screwed this up too? RABBLE!

"Ohio is like a giant turd that Michigan just can't pinch off"

December 6th, 2012 at 12:57 AM | Martin Really Did (Score:2 Informative)
Germany Shultz
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Martin assumed WJR need UM more than UM needed WJR. He expected UM to be WJR's "loss leader." Now WJR makes actual money from MSU and we have no radio station that everyone can hear Michigan football. Feezy HATED Martin and had nothing but contempt for him. And he really loved the attention the State admin gave him and the station. But as I said, Feezy is gone now. 

December 5th, 2012 at 11:37 PM | Great voice of the Great Lakes (Score:1)
aratman
Joined: 10/02/2010
MGoPoints: 264

Great Voice of the Great Lakes....it is on an old fashion AM station on something in the 80s we called radio.

December 6th, 2012 at 12:16 AM | I missed the J in WJR and (Score:1)
MQTBlue
Joined: 11/27/2011
MGoPoints: 123

I missed the J in WJR and assumed it was a question of if WR Drake Harris would switch to Michigan now that we're better in both. 

December 6th, 2012 at 5:24 AM | GAH! (Score:4 Normal)
michimoby
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Joined: 04/13/2009
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THAT DAMN SNEAKY J

--------------------------------------------

"I cannot think of a better person to guide our university's athletic strategy than the inventor of The Noid."

December 6th, 2012 at 12:37 AM | WJR used to be something of (Score:4 Normal)
ReadYourGuard
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WJR used to be something of royalty in the broadcast universe when JP McCarthy and Ernie Harwell graced the airwaves. That station used to carry a LOT of clout. All the major Michigan sports were broadcast on "the Flamethrower". Now? No so much.

"the Spirit of Michigan...is based on a deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways....and a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours" - Fielding Yost
December 6th, 2012 at 12:46 AM | At this point carrying UofM (Score:3 Normal)
turtleboy
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Joined: 04/22/2011
MGoPoints: 3207

At this point carrying UofM sports would be better for WJR than for Michigan. Especially due to the BTN.

How many times have you been on the freeway and had someone fly by you at 100 mph then end up 2 cars ahead of you at the off ramp? What's the point? -Mark Harmon

December 6th, 2012 at 12:48 AM | I can pick up WJR in an hour (Score:3 Normal)
RowoneEndzone
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MGoPoints: 3121

I can pick up WJR in an hour and a half east of buffalo. It would be cool to hear some UM on the radio again.

"Wasn't that Michigan drive just great.  That's like Patton riding into Berlin." ~Bob Ufer

December 6th, 2012 at 12:59 AM | WJR in Jersey (Score:4 Normal)
Germany Shultz
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MGoPoints: 176

I can pick up WJR in the Philly suburbs of South Jersey. But when I'm in Metro Detroit, I can never find the right radio station for M football and when I do, it's all static. Sigh. Martin. 

December 6th, 2012 at 1:07 AM | We need a better raid deal... (Score:4 Normal)
Brodie
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MGoPoints: 3454

We need a better raid deal... I prefer Frank and Jim to the TV guys but I can never get a non-staticy 950 signal in my house. Going to FM was the right move, we need to sign a long term deal for football and bball on 97.1 

When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing. -- Bo Schembechler

December 6th, 2012 at 1:18 AM | This has to be the most (Score:3 Normal)
UofM-StL
Joined: 11/21/2011
MGoPoints: 232

This has to be the most pining for radio that I've ever seen take place on the Internet. Especially for a site that makes fun of newspapers and bundled cable as much as we do. Radio is dead, it has no money, no audience, and no appeal.

December 6th, 2012 at 2:19 AM | You can't exactly watch a (Score:5 Normal)
UMxWolverines
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Joined: 03/01/2009
MGoPoints: 5222

You can't exactly watch a game while you're driving...

"Ohio is like a giant turd that Michigan just can't pinch off"

December 6th, 2012 at 2:43 AM | or.... (Score:5 Normal)
HELLE
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MGoPoints: 639

listen to the post game on the way home.

Go Blue!

December 6th, 2012 at 11:13 AM | or mute Chris Spielman (Score:3 Normal)
Wolverine 73
Joined: 08/03/2009
MGoPoints: 563

and listen to Beckman and Brandstatter call the game.

wolverine 73

December 6th, 2012 at 3:02 AM | Way back before the internet (Score:1)
uminks
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Joined: 11/10/2009
MGoPoints: 1441

Radio was as good or even better than the newspaper on getting the latest and greatest sports info. I remember when I was a kid listening to JP McCarthy interviewing Bo often during the 70s. They were pro UM way back then. That station really fell on hard times after JP died and the station became a shell of what it use to be. I would always listen to the Tigers with Harwell and Carrie, Red Wings Hockey with Bruce Martin and Sid Able, and Van Patrick then Reynolds did the Lions games! It use to be a great station years ago.

expect the best

December 6th, 2012 at 3:04 AM | How could I forget to include the Ufe! (Score:1)
uminks
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Joined: 11/10/2009
MGoPoints: 1441

Bob Ufer came to WJR back in '74 up until his last days alive!

 

expect the best

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