WDTK
Encyclopedia
WDTK, known on the air as NewsTalk 1400, is a conservative-oriented news/talk radio station
broadcasting at 1400 kHz on the AM dial in Detroit, Michigan
, United States
. The station is owned by Salem Communications
, one of the nation's largest owners of Christian
-oriented radio stations.
WDTK is the Detroit outlet for such syndicated conservative talkers as Mike Gallagher
, Dennis Prager
, Dennis Miller
, Lars Larson
and Michael Medved
.
in Detroit, but was probably most famous as the home of conservative radio commentator Jerry Buckley, who was shot dead in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel in 1930 after successfully campaigning for a mayoral recall election in which then-mayor Charles Bowles
lost.
WMBC's call letters were changed to WJLB in 1939 after the station was acquired by John Lord Booth (who renamed the station for himself), and in 1941 the station settled on its current home of 1400 kHz. Being a small independent station, WJLB relied on brokered programming to pay the bills, much of which was ethnic in nature, including many programs targeted toward Detroit's African-American community. One of WJLB's most popular programs during its early years was the Interracial Goodwill Hour, a jazz
and R&B show hosted by later Cleveland radio legend Bill Randle
.
By the 1960s, WJLB had competition for Detroit's black audience in the form of 1440 AM WCHB
and later 107.5 FM WGPR
, and WJLB evolved into a chiefly R&B/soul music station, using the slogan "Tiger Radio" for a time in the late 1960s. Perhaps WJLB's most well-known personality in the 1960s and 1970s was Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg
, one of the first successful female air personalities in Detroit, best known for her trademark line, "I betcha!" In the early 1970s, Steinberg led the WJLB air staff in protesting the fact that the station employed no African-Americans outside of the air personalities.
In 1980, in response to the growing popularity of FM radio, WJLB-AM 1400 switched call signs and formats with its ethnic sister station, WMZK-FM 97.9. WJLB
-FM was updated to the then-new urban contemporary
format and has been a top-rated station in Detroit since. However, WJLB-FM dropped Steinberg's show, and Martha Jean the Queen found herself without a radio home until 1982, when a Steinberg-led group called TXZ Corporation purchased WMZK-AM 1400 and changed the calls to WQBH (the calls stood for Queen Broadcasts Here). WQBH took on a full-service format of R&B and gospel music and African-American-oriented talk which would continue for over two decades. With backing from Michigan National Bank
, Steinberg took full ownership of WQBH (as "Queen's Broadcasting Corporation") in 1997. After Steinberg's death in January 2000, ownership of the station reverted to a consortium of her three daughters and the Order of the Fisherman Ministry. WQBH continued to air broadcasts of Steinberg's past programs after her death.
In March 2004, Salem Communications announced that it would be acquiring WQBH from the Steinberg family for $4.75 million. The sale was finalized in May, and in September, Salem changed WQBH's calls to WDTK and installed the current conservative news/talk format.
With a 1,000-watt signal that does not reach far beyond the immediate city of Detroit, WDTK is a weak competitor to 50,000-watt WJR
, but does have a small but loyal audience.
Mike Gallagher
Dennis Prager
Michael Medved
Hugh Hewitt
Lars Larson
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting at 1400 kHz on the AM dial in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The station is owned by Salem Communications
Salem Communications
Salem Communications is a U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher specializing in evangelical Christian and conservative political talk radio. It owns 99 commercial radio stations, 65 of which are in the top 25 markets. Salem is the fifth largest U.S....
, one of the nation's largest owners of Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
-oriented radio stations.
WDTK is the Detroit outlet for such syndicated conservative talkers as Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagheris an American radio host and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Mike Gallagher Show, a nationally-syndicated radio program that airs throughout the United States on Salem Radio Network and is also a FOX News Channel Contributor and guest host...
, Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
, Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
, Lars Larson
Lars Larson
Lars Larson is a conservative U.S. talk radio show host based in Oregon. Larson hosts a national talk radio show, which as of 2009 is syndicated by Compass Media Networks...
and Michael Medved
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
.
History
The station began in November 1925 at 1170 kHz as WMBC. The calls stood for the station's original owners, the Michigan Broadcast Company. WMBC's frequency changed to 1230 in 1927 and to 1420 in 1930. WMBC was an early outlet for religious programming and gospel musicGospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
in Detroit, but was probably most famous as the home of conservative radio commentator Jerry Buckley, who was shot dead in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel in 1930 after successfully campaigning for a mayoral recall election in which then-mayor Charles Bowles
Charles Bowles
Charles E. Bowles was a politician from Michigan, and served as Mayor of Detroit in 1930.-Biography:Charles Bowles was born on March 24, 1884 in Yale, Michigan, the son of Alfred and Mary Lutz Bowles...
lost.
WMBC's call letters were changed to WJLB in 1939 after the station was acquired by John Lord Booth (who renamed the station for himself), and in 1941 the station settled on its current home of 1400 kHz. Being a small independent station, WJLB relied on brokered programming to pay the bills, much of which was ethnic in nature, including many programs targeted toward Detroit's African-American community. One of WJLB's most popular programs during its early years was the Interracial Goodwill Hour, a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and R&B show hosted by later Cleveland radio legend Bill Randle
Bill Randle
Bill Randle was an American disc jockey, lawyer and university professor.He was born William McKinley Randle Jr. in Detroit, Michigan. In Detroit, he hosted a popular show on WJLB-AM radio called The Interracial Goodwill Hour, featuring rhythm and blues music and hot jazz...
.
By the 1960s, WJLB had competition for Detroit's black audience in the form of 1440 AM WCHB
WDRJ
WDRJ is an AM radio station broadcasting at 1440 kHz licensed to Inkster, Michigan, and serving the Detroit radio market. Owned by Davidson Media Group, the station airs an Urban Gospel format branded as Rejoice 1440 AM...
and later 107.5 FM WGPR
WGPR
WGPR is an FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan brodacasting a Mainstream Urban format. Owned by the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons and operated under local marketing agreement by Radio One, the station operates on 107.5 MHz....
, and WJLB evolved into a chiefly R&B/soul music station, using the slogan "Tiger Radio" for a time in the late 1960s. Perhaps WJLB's most well-known personality in the 1960s and 1970s was Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg
Martha Jean Steinberg
Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg was an influential African-American radio broadcaster and later was also the pastor of her own church....
, one of the first successful female air personalities in Detroit, best known for her trademark line, "I betcha!" In the early 1970s, Steinberg led the WJLB air staff in protesting the fact that the station employed no African-Americans outside of the air personalities.
In 1980, in response to the growing popularity of FM radio, WJLB-AM 1400 switched call signs and formats with its ethnic sister station, WMZK-FM 97.9. WJLB
WJLB
WJLB, is a Clear Channel-owned Urban Contemporary radio station in Detroit that broadcasts on 97.9 megahertz frequency. The station is known on-air as FM98 WJLB. This is the station that began the career of Urban radio legend and video jock, Donnie Simpson...
-FM was updated to the then-new urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
format and has been a top-rated station in Detroit since. However, WJLB-FM dropped Steinberg's show, and Martha Jean the Queen found herself without a radio home until 1982, when a Steinberg-led group called TXZ Corporation purchased WMZK-AM 1400 and changed the calls to WQBH (the calls stood for Queen Broadcasts Here). WQBH took on a full-service format of R&B and gospel music and African-American-oriented talk which would continue for over two decades. With backing from Michigan National Bank
Michigan National Bank
Michigan National Bank was a bank founded in Lansing, Michigan, which was established on 31 December 1940 when Howard J Stoddard consolidated six Michigan banks: First National Bank and Trust Company of Grand Rapids, First National Trust and Savings Bank of Port Huron, Lansing National Bank,...
, Steinberg took full ownership of WQBH (as "Queen's Broadcasting Corporation") in 1997. After Steinberg's death in January 2000, ownership of the station reverted to a consortium of her three daughters and the Order of the Fisherman Ministry. WQBH continued to air broadcasts of Steinberg's past programs after her death.
In March 2004, Salem Communications announced that it would be acquiring WQBH from the Steinberg family for $4.75 million. The sale was finalized in May, and in September, Salem changed WQBH's calls to WDTK and installed the current conservative news/talk format.
With a 1,000-watt signal that does not reach far beyond the immediate city of Detroit, WDTK is a weak competitor to 50,000-watt WJR
WJR
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...
, but does have a small but loyal audience.
Talk Show hosts
Bill BennettBill Bennett
William Richards Bennett, PC, OBC , commonly known as Bill Bennett, was the 27th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He is a son of the former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, of R.B...
Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagheris an American radio host and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Mike Gallagher Show, a nationally-syndicated radio program that airs throughout the United States on Salem Radio Network and is also a FOX News Channel Contributor and guest host...
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
Michael Medved
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt is an American radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, lawyer, academic, and author. An outspoken Republican, evangelical Christian, he comments on society, politics, and media bias in the United States. Hewitt is also a law professor at Chapman University School of Law.-...
Lars Larson
Lars Larson
Lars Larson is a conservative U.S. talk radio show host based in Oregon. Larson hosts a national talk radio show, which as of 2009 is syndicated by Compass Media Networks...
Further reading
- "You're Gonna Like It... I Bet'cha!", chapter on Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg from Rockin' Down the Dial: A History of Detroit Radio from Jack the Bellboy to the Big 8, by David Carson (University of Michigan Press). Details Steinberg's early career in Detroit at WCHB-AM and WJLB-AM.