Michigan Radio
Encyclopedia
Michigan Radio is a network
of three public radio stations operated by the University of Michigan
through its broadcasting arm, Michigan Public Media. The station is a founding member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International
and American Public Media
. Its main studio is located in Ann Arbor, with satellite studios in Flint
and offices in Grand Rapids
.
The stations are:
The stations are not identified by their call letters, except for the hourly legal ID. They are known as Michigan Radio: Your NPR News Station. The network currently airs NPR news and talk, which it has since July 1, 1996. All three stations are licensed for and broadcast in HD Radio
, although there are currently no HD subchannels.
Combined, the three stations cover most of the southern two-thirds of the Lower Peninsula
.
in Detroit and "The Balkan States: Places and Nations in the News" for WKAR
in East Lansing.
In the early 1940s, the University of Michigan applied for an AM radio station. The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) turned down the application because there were not any available frequencies at the time. Around this time the university began working on plans for a statewide network of four FM stations to be located in Ann Arbor, Mount Pleasant
, Manistique
and Houghton
. The university applied to the FCC on September 11, 1944 for a station at 43.1FM (part of a band of frequencies used for testing of Frequency Modulation) with a power of 50,000 watts. At the time an assignment on the new FM band
was seen as a significant disadvantage.
The FCC granted a license for WUOM (for University Of Michigan) at 91.7 in the brand new FM band; the station went on the air in 1948, broadcasting from studios in Angell Hall
on the UM campus. In 1949 the station moved across the street to newly completed studios on the fifth floor of the Administration Building, now known as the Literature, Science & Arts Building. Michigan Radio remained in those studios until August 23, 2003, when it moved off campus to the Argus Building on Ann Arbor's Old West Side. Its signal covers most of the southeastern and central Lower Peninsula, from Lansing to Detroit. The station provides 24-hour NPR news service to the state capital, since WKAR-AM
must sign off at sundown and WKAR-FM
airs the Classical 24
network from 7 pm to 5 am weeknights with minimal if any interruption for news.
WFUM (for Flint University of Michigan) has been on the air at its current 91.1 frequency since August 23, 1985 when it first signed on as WFUM-FM. The original WFUM operated at 107.1 MHz during the 1950s and was also a simulcast of WUOM. WFUM (FM) was shut down after WUOM increased its power to 115,000 watts, giving it adequate coverage of Flint and meaning that WFUM, which operated with only 400 watts of power, was no longer necessary. WUOM has since reduced its power to 93,000 watts, but still can be heard with a fair signal in Flint. WFUM today operates with 17,500 watts of power. Its signal reaches the immediate area around Flint primarily but also can be heard in far northern parts of the Detroit metro area on selective radios. The current incarnation used the "-FM" extension because the WFUM callsign was also assigned to the University of Michigan's television station in Flint when the station first signed on, WFUM (TV). With the completed sale of the TV station to Central Michigan University
and the call letters changed to WCMZ-TV, WFUM-FM adopted the simplified call letters of WFUM now that the Federal Communications Commission
approved the sale of the TV station.
WVGR (Vogt Grand Rapids, after Fred Vogt, who led the campaign for public radio in the area) has been broadcasting since December 7, 1961. It covers West Michigan with a powerful 96,000-watt signal and competes with other NPR member stations WGVU
in Grand Rapids and WMUK in Kalamazoo. WVGR had long operated at 108,000 watts from rented space on NBC
affiliate WOOD-TV
's tower, but had to move in 1999 because WOOD needed the space for its HDTV transmitter. It temporarily moved to CBS
affiliate WWMT
's tower while it raised money for a new tower of its own. WVGR was forced to downgrade to a mono signal at 20,000 watts, but resumed broadcasting from its own tower in the fall of 2006. http://www.michiganradio.org/media/docs/west_michigan_tower.pdf
games that month, as well as two live concerts from Hill Auditorium
- recitals featuring University of Michigan faculty. Some of the programs featured recorded music, but nearly all programs were performed live to air in the first days. By the early 1950s many of these shows were being transcribed and sent to other stations.
In the mid 1960s the station had the largest staff of any FM radio station in the country. WUOM produced programs that were broadcast throughout Michigan on commercial and educational stations, and many of its programs aired around the country. The tapes were "bicycled" from one educational station to another.
WUOM was a charter member of NPR in 1971, and was one of the 93 stations that aired the inaugural broadcast of All Things Considered
. In 1989, it adopted the on-air name of "Michigan Radio."
WUOM's popularity gradually decreased from the height of the 1960s, though it still retained enough prestige to become a charter member of NPR in 1971. It was one of the 90 stations that aired the inaugural broadcast of All Things Considered
. However, the early 1990s, Michigan Radio (as it has been known since 1989) was seen by some as a neglected backwater. One important cause of the decline was that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, created in 1967, tended to divert funding away from university owned stations to stations in large urban areas. Another cause of WUOM's decline may be that radio listening patterns changed, and listeners had new expectations. WUOM, while making some changes to accommodate the new realities of broadcasting, clung to its previously successful 1960s model for program production, which included primarily music and host presentation.
As a result of reduced popularity, the station faced declining audience and contributions throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1995 the CPB informed the station that its audience was so small that its federal funding was in jeopardy. Around the same time, the University of Michigan commissioned a private study that recommended the university divest itself of the radio stations. The university decided against that plan and instead made one last attempt to resuscitate the station.
Michigan Radio's transformation to a news/talk format coincided with NPR's offering of a new package of programs to span the gap between Morning Edition
and All Things Considered. These new programs included the Diane Rehm Show, The Derek McGinty Show, and others, and Michigan Radio was the first station to sign up to offer this package to its listeners.
As a public radio pioneer in the news/talk format on FM, Michigan Radio may have helped influence similar transitions to that format by stations including WUNC in Chapel Hill, NC, WBUR-FM in Boston, WAMU in Washington, DC, KPCC in Pasadena, CA, WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and WBEZ in Chicago. For several years after 1996, Michigan Radio's rise was a case study in the public radio industry, and its success still fuels change elsewhere, including in Iowa, where the Bornstein and Associates Report on Iowa Public Radio consolidation devotes a chapter to studying Michigan Radio's format change.
In addition, Michigan Radio broadcasts the BBC World Service
as distributed by PRI during the late night and early morning hours (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.).
Local hosts include Christina Shockley (mornings during Morning Edition), Mike Perini (middays), Jennifer White (afternoon drive during All Things Considered), Kyle Norris, Rina Miller, Jennifer Guerra, Zoe Clark, and Mercedes Mejia. The news staff includes Steve Carmody, Dustin Dwyer, Lindsay Smith, Sarah Cwiek, Tracy Samilton, Sarah Hulett, and news director Vincent Duffy. Michigan Radio produces and syndicates The Environment Report
with host Rebecca Willliams.
Michigan Radio receives the largest portion of its funding from listener contributions (41% in FY 2005). These contributions are solicited during two annual fund drives, in the spring and fall, lasting about 7 days each. Listeners are encouraged to become "members" of Michigan Radio, but such membership does not include any publicly known privileges. So called "day sponsors," who contribute $365 per year, will have a short message read a few times on the air on a selected day. These listener fund drives are known to be very successful, and the station regularly exceeds its monetary goals.
The second largest revenue source for Michigan Radio is underwriting contributions (30%), and the underwriting company typically receives on-air mentions in return. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
provides 9% of station funding, and the university itself kicks in another 9%.
Having increased its net assets by over $2.5 million in the last 3 fiscal years, the station is clearly doing very well financially. According to a 2004 CPB report on the financial health of public radio stations, Michigan Radio was one of the few top 20 public radio stations in excellent financial health. That CPB report, titled "Having It All," was seen as a general warning to all public broadcasters, including Michigan Radio, to improve the bottom line of their stations. Although the station remains silent on the air about its financial goals, it is presumably amassing cash for the following purposes:
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
of three public radio stations operated by the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
through its broadcasting arm, Michigan Public Media. The station is a founding member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
and American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
. Its main studio is located in Ann Arbor, with satellite studios in Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
and offices in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
.
The stations are:
- WUOM - Ann Arbor/Detroit (91.7 FMFrequency modulationIn telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
, 93 KW) (Flagship station) - WFUM - FlintFlint, MichiganFlint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
(91.1 FM, 17.5 KW) - WVGR - Grand RapidsGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
(104.1 FM, 96 KW)
The stations are not identified by their call letters, except for the hourly legal ID. They are known as Michigan Radio: Your NPR News Station. The network currently airs NPR news and talk, which it has since July 1, 1996. All three stations are licensed for and broadcast in HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
, although there are currently no HD subchannels.
Combined, the three stations cover most of the southern two-thirds of the Lower Peninsula
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
.
Station beginnings
Before the university had applied for its own radio station, the University of Michigan Extension Service Bureau of Broadcasting produced programs for other stations starting the 1920s. For instance, in November 1944, the Bureau of Broadcasting produced "Stump the Professor" for WJRWJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
in Detroit and "The Balkan States: Places and Nations in the News" for WKAR
WKAR (AM)
WKAR is a National Public Radio member station in East Lansing, Michigan; broadcasting at 870 kHz. It is owned by Michigan State University, and carries news and talk shows from NPR. It is part of MSU's Broadcasting Services Division, and is a sister station to the FM radio and television...
in East Lansing.
In the early 1940s, the University of Michigan applied for an AM radio station. The Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) turned down the application because there were not any available frequencies at the time. Around this time the university began working on plans for a statewide network of four FM stations to be located in Ann Arbor, Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Isabella County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,946. The 2008 census estimate places the population at 26,675....
, Manistique
Manistique, Michigan
Manistique is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,583. It is the county seat of Schoolcraft County and the only incorporated community in the county. The city lies on the north shore of Lake Michigan, at the southwest corner...
and Houghton
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
. The university applied to the FCC on September 11, 1944 for a station at 43.1FM (part of a band of frequencies used for testing of Frequency Modulation) with a power of 50,000 watts. At the time an assignment on the new FM band
FM broadcast band
The FM broadcast band, used for FM broadcast radio by radio stations, differs between different parts of the world. In Europe and Africa , it spans from 87.5 to 108.0 megahertz , while in America it goes only from 88.0 to 108.0 MHz. The FM broadcast band in Japan uses 76.0 to 90 MHz...
was seen as a significant disadvantage.
The FCC granted a license for WUOM (for University Of Michigan) at 91.7 in the brand new FM band; the station went on the air in 1948, broadcasting from studios in Angell Hall
University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts is the liberal arts and sciences unit of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Established in 1841 with seven students and two teachers, the college is currently the largest unit at U-M in terms of the number of students...
on the UM campus. In 1949 the station moved across the street to newly completed studios on the fifth floor of the Administration Building, now known as the Literature, Science & Arts Building. Michigan Radio remained in those studios until August 23, 2003, when it moved off campus to the Argus Building on Ann Arbor's Old West Side. Its signal covers most of the southeastern and central Lower Peninsula, from Lansing to Detroit. The station provides 24-hour NPR news service to the state capital, since WKAR-AM
WKAR (AM)
WKAR is a National Public Radio member station in East Lansing, Michigan; broadcasting at 870 kHz. It is owned by Michigan State University, and carries news and talk shows from NPR. It is part of MSU's Broadcasting Services Division, and is a sister station to the FM radio and television...
must sign off at sundown and WKAR-FM
WKAR-FM
WKAR-FM is a public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan; broadcasting on the FM dial at 90.5 MHz. It is owned by Michigan State University, and is sister station to the AM radio and television stations with the same call letters....
airs the Classical 24
Classical 24
Classical 24 is a syndicated, satellite-delivered public radio service providing classical music to its carrying stations. It generally airs overnights on many non-commercial and a handful of commercial classical music stations. However, the service is operated 24 hours a day and is used by some...
network from 7 pm to 5 am weeknights with minimal if any interruption for news.
WFUM (for Flint University of Michigan) has been on the air at its current 91.1 frequency since August 23, 1985 when it first signed on as WFUM-FM. The original WFUM operated at 107.1 MHz during the 1950s and was also a simulcast of WUOM. WFUM (FM) was shut down after WUOM increased its power to 115,000 watts, giving it adequate coverage of Flint and meaning that WFUM, which operated with only 400 watts of power, was no longer necessary. WUOM has since reduced its power to 93,000 watts, but still can be heard with a fair signal in Flint. WFUM today operates with 17,500 watts of power. Its signal reaches the immediate area around Flint primarily but also can be heard in far northern parts of the Detroit metro area on selective radios. The current incarnation used the "-FM" extension because the WFUM callsign was also assigned to the University of Michigan's television station in Flint when the station first signed on, WFUM (TV). With the completed sale of the TV station to Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
and the call letters changed to WCMZ-TV, WFUM-FM adopted the simplified call letters of WFUM now that the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
approved the sale of the TV station.
WVGR (Vogt Grand Rapids, after Fred Vogt, who led the campaign for public radio in the area) has been broadcasting since December 7, 1961. It covers West Michigan with a powerful 96,000-watt signal and competes with other NPR member stations WGVU
WGVU-FM
WGVU-FM is a radio station that serves that Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area and is simulcasted throughout Western Michigan. The main broadcast frequency is 88.5 MHz, which is licensed to Allendale/Grand Rapids. It is simulcast on WGVS-FM 95.3 MHz, which is licensed to Whitehall/Muskegon. The...
in Grand Rapids and WMUK in Kalamazoo. WVGR had long operated at 108,000 watts from rented space on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Middleville near the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Charter channel...
's tower, but had to move in 1999 because WOOD needed the space for its HDTV transmitter. It temporarily moved to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WWMT
WWMT
WWMT is the CBS-affiliated television station for West Michigan licensed to Kalamazoo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on Chief Noonday Road/M-179, northwest of Yankee Springs Township, along the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also...
's tower while it raised money for a new tower of its own. WVGR was forced to downgrade to a mono signal at 20,000 watts, but resumed broadcasting from its own tower in the fall of 2006. http://www.michiganradio.org/media/docs/west_michigan_tower.pdf
Early growth and decline
WUOM quickly established itself as one of the leading educational broadcasters. Because the station was not affiliated with any of the commercial radio networks, it produced nearly all the programs it broadcast in the early days. The program guide for October, 1949 shows the station on the air from 12:00pm–10:00pm on weekdays (the station had just expanded into evenings), with a few hours of programs on Saturday and Sunday. The programs listed in the 1949 guide include "From the Classrooms," "Songs of France," "Tell Me, Professor," "Especially for Women," "Around the Town," "Record Rarities," "Hymns of Freedom," "Angell Hall Playhouse," and "Tea-Time Tunes." The station also offered live play-by-play of Michigan footballMichigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
games that month, as well as two live concerts from Hill Auditorium
Hill Auditorium
Hill Auditorium is the largest performance venue on the University of Michigan campus, in Ann Arbor, USA. The auditorium was named in honor of Arthur Hill , who served as a regent of the university from 1901 to 1909. He bequeathed $200,000 to the university for the construction of a venue for...
- recitals featuring University of Michigan faculty. Some of the programs featured recorded music, but nearly all programs were performed live to air in the first days. By the early 1950s many of these shows were being transcribed and sent to other stations.
In the mid 1960s the station had the largest staff of any FM radio station in the country. WUOM produced programs that were broadcast throughout Michigan on commercial and educational stations, and many of its programs aired around the country. The tapes were "bicycled" from one educational station to another.
WUOM was a charter member of NPR in 1971, and was one of the 93 stations that aired the inaugural broadcast of All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
. In 1989, it adopted the on-air name of "Michigan Radio."
WUOM's popularity gradually decreased from the height of the 1960s, though it still retained enough prestige to become a charter member of NPR in 1971. It was one of the 90 stations that aired the inaugural broadcast of All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
. However, the early 1990s, Michigan Radio (as it has been known since 1989) was seen by some as a neglected backwater. One important cause of the decline was that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, created in 1967, tended to divert funding away from university owned stations to stations in large urban areas. Another cause of WUOM's decline may be that radio listening patterns changed, and listeners had new expectations. WUOM, while making some changes to accommodate the new realities of broadcasting, clung to its previously successful 1960s model for program production, which included primarily music and host presentation.
As a result of reduced popularity, the station faced declining audience and contributions throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1995 the CPB informed the station that its audience was so small that its federal funding was in jeopardy. Around the same time, the University of Michigan commissioned a private study that recommended the university divest itself of the radio stations. The university decided against that plan and instead made one last attempt to resuscitate the station.
Resurgence of Michigan Radio
Donovan Reynolds became the manager of Michigan Radio in 1995. He determined that the only way to save the stations was to execute a marked broadcasting departure from the past with a focus on programs that listeners most enjoyed. Reynolds changed the format to News/Talk on July 1, 1996. Although a few public radio stations had a news/talk format in 1996, most were on AM. Classical music was still offered, but only during evenings, overnight and on weekends. The classical music programs were phased out in July 2000, but continued to be streamed on the Internet from the station's website until 2004. Some classical music fans were initially unhappy with the changes, especially due to the recent closure of a Detroit commercial classical station, WQRS-FM, in 1997. However, the format has been extremely successful in terms of attracting new listeners and therefore listener donations.Michigan Radio's transformation to a news/talk format coincided with NPR's offering of a new package of programs to span the gap between Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
and All Things Considered. These new programs included the Diane Rehm Show, The Derek McGinty Show, and others, and Michigan Radio was the first station to sign up to offer this package to its listeners.
As a public radio pioneer in the news/talk format on FM, Michigan Radio may have helped influence similar transitions to that format by stations including WUNC in Chapel Hill, NC, WBUR-FM in Boston, WAMU in Washington, DC, KPCC in Pasadena, CA, WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and WBEZ in Chicago. For several years after 1996, Michigan Radio's rise was a case study in the public radio industry, and its success still fuels change elsewhere, including in Iowa, where the Bornstein and Associates Report on Iowa Public Radio consolidation devotes a chapter to studying Michigan Radio's format change.
Programming
Michigan Radio provides a variety of programs, including:- Morning EditionMorning EditionMorning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
- BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
NewshourNewshourNewshour is BBC World Service's flagship international news and current affairs programme, which broadcasts twice daily: at 1400 and 2100 each edition lasting one hour. It consists of news bulletins on the hour and half hour, international interviews and in-depth reports of world news... - The Diane Rehm ShowThe Diane Rehm ShowThe Diane Rehm Show is a National Public Radio call-in show based in the United States. In October, 2007, The Diane Rehm Show was named to Audience Research Analysis’ list of the top ten most powerful national programs in public radio – the only talk show on the list...
- Fresh AirFresh AirFresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
- Here and NowHere and Now (Boston)Here and Now is a public radio magazine program produced by WBUR in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed across the United States by Public Radio International. The one-hour program airs Monday to Friday at noon locally and generally at 11am, noon or 1pm on affiliate stations...
- Talk of the NationTalk of the NationTalk of the Nation is a talk radio program based in the United States, produced by National Public Radio, and is broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Its focus is current events and controversial issues....
- Talk of the Nation Science Friday
- All Things ConsideredAll Things ConsideredAll Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
- MarketplaceMarketplace (radio program)Marketplace is a radio program that focuses on business, the economy, and events that influence them. Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, the show is produced and distributed by American Public Media, in association with the University of Southern California...
- The WorldThe World (radio program)PRI's The World is a global news radio, audio and multi-platform program created by Public Radio International based on the program's congruence with PRI's mission, and in order to fulfill the critical need for more original global news created for and provided to Americans. This was partly a...
- The Story with Dick GordonThe Story with Dick GordonThe Story with Dick Gordon is a weekday interview program hosted by Dick Gordon, former host of WBUR's The Connection and, before that, fill-in host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's national radio program This Morning...
- On Point
- Living on Earth
- On the Media
- Weekend Edition Saturday
- Car TalkCar TalkCar Talk is a radio talk show broadcast weekly on National Public Radio stations throughout the United States and elsewhere. Its subjects are automobiles and repair, and it often takes humorous turns...
- Whad'Ya KnowMichael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?Whad'Ya Know? is an American comedy, interview, and quiz radio show. Hosted by Michael Feldman, it was created in 1985. It is produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed weekly by Public Radio International...
- Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
- This American LifeThis American LifeThis American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
- Weekend America
- A Prairie Home CompanionA Prairie Home CompanionA Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
- American RoutesAmerican RoutesAmerican Routes is a weekly two-hour public radio program that presents the breadth and depth of the American musical and cultural landscape. Hosted by Nick Spitzer, American Routes is syndicated by 225 stations, with over half a million listeners. It is produced out of New Orleans and distributed...
- Speaking of Faith
- Marketplace Money
- The Splendid TableThe Splendid TableThe Splendid Table is a weekly radio program about food hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. It is produced and distributed by American Public Media and airs weekends nationwide on public radio stations. It provides listeners with information on food preparation, appreciation, and culture...
- WireTapWireTap (radio program)WireTap is a half-hour long radio show which airs on CBC Radio One Saturday afternoons at 3:30 pm, and Thursday evenings at 11:30 pm. An hour-long version of WireTap is distributed in the United States by Public Radio International and is heard on multiple public radio stations...
(from CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
)
In addition, Michigan Radio broadcasts the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
as distributed by PRI during the late night and early morning hours (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.).
Local hosts include Christina Shockley (mornings during Morning Edition), Mike Perini (middays), Jennifer White (afternoon drive during All Things Considered), Kyle Norris, Rina Miller, Jennifer Guerra, Zoe Clark, and Mercedes Mejia. The news staff includes Steve Carmody, Dustin Dwyer, Lindsay Smith, Sarah Cwiek, Tracy Samilton, Sarah Hulett, and news director Vincent Duffy. Michigan Radio produces and syndicates The Environment Report
The Environment Report
The Environment Report is a show produced and syndicated by Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor, Michigan.-Mission:The Environment Report's mission is to be a news service committed to revealing the relationship between the natural world and the everyday lives of people.-1993-2006: Great Lakes Radio...
with host Rebecca Willliams.
Station finances
Being a telecommunications entity operated by the University of Michigan, Michigan Public Media and Michigan Radio financial documents can be obtained from the university through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.Michigan Radio receives the largest portion of its funding from listener contributions (41% in FY 2005). These contributions are solicited during two annual fund drives, in the spring and fall, lasting about 7 days each. Listeners are encouraged to become "members" of Michigan Radio, but such membership does not include any publicly known privileges. So called "day sponsors," who contribute $365 per year, will have a short message read a few times on the air on a selected day. These listener fund drives are known to be very successful, and the station regularly exceeds its monetary goals.
The second largest revenue source for Michigan Radio is underwriting contributions (30%), and the underwriting company typically receives on-air mentions in return. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
provides 9% of station funding, and the university itself kicks in another 9%.
Having increased its net assets by over $2.5 million in the last 3 fiscal years, the station is clearly doing very well financially. According to a 2004 CPB report on the financial health of public radio stations, Michigan Radio was one of the few top 20 public radio stations in excellent financial health. That CPB report, titled "Having It All," was seen as a general warning to all public broadcasters, including Michigan Radio, to improve the bottom line of their stations. Although the station remains silent on the air about its financial goals, it is presumably amassing cash for the following purposes:
- Cushion unexpected shortfalls in revenue, should a fund drive fall short of its usual record-breaking performance.
- Rainy day fund, should federal or university support be reduced.
- Funding for major expenses, such as a new $1.5 Million tower for WVGR near Grand Rapids.
- Funding for expanded programming and services.
- Emergency expenditures, such as a lightning strike at the Ann Arbor studios in July 2005, that caused a few thousand dollars in damage.
| Michigan Radio Financial Information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ending June 30 of | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 |
| Fund Drive Contributions | $2,545,000 | $2,212,975 | $2,126,367 | $1,980,700 |
| Underwriting Revenue | 1,385,000 | 1,305,348 | 1,280,278 | 813,878 |
| Total Revenue | 7,243,000 | 5,406,342 | 6,694,305 | 5,301,301 |
| Operating Expenses | 5,803,000 | 4,848,220 | 4,830,944 | 3,808,165 |
| Total Net Assets | 7,414,000 | 5,974,401 | 5,368,162 | 3,458,634 |
Sources
- Michiguide.com - WUOM History
- Michiguide.com - WFUM History
- Michiguide.com - WVGR History
- Michigan Radio Newsroom on criminal investigation
External links
- "How Radio Got Into the Act" - Jack Mitchell's account of the three men at WUOM who got radio included in the act creating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
- CPB report "Having it All." The report explores the financial health of public radio stations. (pdf)
- Bornstein and Associates Report on Iowa Public Radio, which contains a chapter devoted to Michigan Radio's 1996 format change.