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Last Updated:
Mar 19th, 2008 - 07:43:02 |
Best Local Radio Show:
Detroit Local 101
by Deleano Acevedo
It’s hard not to love those guitar riffs that blow your hair back and melt your face. Detroit musicians have been at it for what seems like forever. It seems like every newborn baby in this city was handed a guitar after they left the womb because almost everyone is in a band.
Detroit Local 101 went on the air in early 2006 and dedicates two hours every Tuesday night to local music. Hosted by Suzy Cole and Melody Licious, the idea came up when Riff2 wanted to expand its local catalogue and showcase the city’s hottest bands.
A unique aspect of the show is that there is a listening party at Small’s Bar every Tuesday night. “We’ve had foosball playoffs, dance competitions, sing-alongs and my favorite game: Let’s see who can out drink Suzy!” Cole said.
Not only can you hear the magic unfold, but you can drink yourself into a rock ‘n’ roll haze!
Aside from playing a countless number of bands in the area, the show invites artists to perform live on the air. “When Wolfbait came in for the acoustic performance, they looked like a metal mariachi band singing about robots taking over the world,” Cole said.
The show welcomes all local artists to send in music, whether it’s rock, country or hip-hop. So, if you're in a band and been sitting on that hot recording you did in your friend's basement, send it in. “We’ve come a long way with the diversity of our playlists over the last year,” Licious said. “We are always looking for more Detroit music.” | RDW
Detroit Local 101 airs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. on riff2.com or HD Radio.
Best Radio Station: 89X
by Jeff Milo
I remember seeing, with hazy wonderment, numerous stickers reading
“89|X” plastered on my teenage sister’s bedroom door when I was only
10. The following year, I started tuning in regularly and by the time I
was 12, I’d collected immortal neo-classics like Weezer’s Blue Album,
Pearl Jam’s Vs. and Nirvana’s In Utero.
In a music world diseased with über-accelerated digestion and snotty
elitists seeking out the most obscure songs throughout the Internet,
89X still stands as a reliable pillar, a generational gateway for music
appreciators, and has long exposed Southeast Michigan to the best new
rock, as well as classic giants that helped forge the alternative
sound, like The Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers. It
features vital programs such as The Homeboy Show, The People’s Choice
and Catch of the Day.
And 89X hosts humongous concerts with impressive bills every year: in
the summer with their birthday show; and at winter’s start with The
Night 89X Stole Christmas. 89X has been the soundtrack to many lives
for the past 16 years; with such an impressive history and strong
offerings even today, there’s little surprise readers voted 89X
Detroit’s Best Radio Station.
“89X is very grateful to all the readers of Real Detroit and 89X
listeners for giving us this award,” 89X Promotions Director Cal Cagno
said. “We work hard every day to bring you the best new rock FIRST,
give you cool prizes and entertain you in the process. It is great to
know you like what we are doing!” | RDW
Best Talk Radio Station: 97.1 Free FM
From the moment you wake, on to keeping you alive during your morning commute, laughing from 9-5 and then home again, 97.1 is Detroit’s most comprehensive talk station. In the personality department, 97.1's hosts are electric and current. No matter what show you tune in to, the on-air chemistry is undeniable and addictive. “I have 97.1 programmed to three presets in my car,” wrote one dedicated voter. Carrying more sports in ‘07, 97.1 FM is the epitome of talk radio.
Best Sports-Talk Radio Station: The Sports Station 1270 XYT
As the sun rises, Sporting News Radio keeps the insomniacs tapped in to all overnight news and buzz in all things sports, then Detroiters are treated to the nationally syndicated Mike & Mike morning show before really digging the into local sports world. The Big Show covers the entire sports realm before The Inferno heats up the city, covering all the major controversies and characters. What more could you ask for? A game you say? 1270 covers nearly every major and college game with play-by play.
Best Morning Show: Drew and Mike, 101.1 WRIF
Guaranteed laughs are hard to find, especially in the early hours, but when tuned into the WRIF, the laughter is anything but lacking. They don’t care if you’re laughing with them or at them, and that’s part of what makes them so good. “They’re just cool Detroit dudes,” mentioned a voter. “Best interviews,” said another. Political correctness is thrown out the window, so you never know what to expect, which is what keeps Detroit coming back every morning.
Best Overnight Show: Liz Copeland, 101.9 WDET
Copeland’s is the voice of Detroit insomniacs and eclectic music eccentrics alike. According to readers, when it comes to sonic assortment of avant-garde and electronic, no DJ is better than 11-year vet Copeland. “I’d be lost without her,” wrote one Real D voter, while another described her as “the musical ambassador of Detroit.” She may not have a key to the city, but she has free reign over our ears and hearts.
Best Local News: Fox 2 News, WJBK
From Kam Carmen and Alan Lee mornings to Huel Perkins and Monica Gayle evenings, Fox 2 delivers cutting regional and international news on an ever-evolving plate of relevancy and entertainment. Consistency is the name of the game in news, and “most reliable” was the Fox 2 mantra Real D readers voiced over and over.
Best Investigative News Team: Channel 7 WXYZ
The big stories break hardest on Channel 7. Our readers love the team of Steve Wilson, Ray Sayah and Heather Catallo. Judiciously uncompromising, Channel 7 is implacable at uncovering dirty politics, bad business and crooked clergy. Wilson is the fiery veteran with infamous tenacity, while Sayah has made a name for himself working to get results and reactions from his investigations, and Catallo rounds out the pack with her introspective and passionate style. A Real A-Team.
Best Local Anchorperson: Diana Lewis, Channel 7 WXYZ
This July 4 will mark Diana’s 30th year in Detroit anchoring the news! Sometimes the way news is delivered is just as important as the content itself, which is one reason Lewis has enjoyed such a successful and significant career in Detroit. Friendly but appropriately serious is Lewis’ style. Referred to by one voter as “the matriarch of local news,” she is still the city’s beloved anchor and favorite Lewis … though daughter Glenda gave her a strong run.
Best Sportscaster: Don Shane, Channel 7 WXYZ
Charismatic and captivating, Don Shane was voted this year’s best local sportscaster. Shane sits down with some of the sports world’s most influential personalities, who always seem comfortable with him while being interviewed. Hosting the Big 10 Ticket show during the college football season, as well as the McDonald’s Scholar Athlete of the Week program have brought Shane into our homes and lives on a more personal level. Shane is fun, knowledgeable and personable, like Detroit’s surrogate “cool uncle.”
Best Sports Writer: Rob Parker, The Detroit News
Detroit’s favorite New Yorker, Parker is the sarcastic, edgy and unbelievably knowledgeable sports columnist for The Detroit News. Though the MLB is his specialty, when Parker weighs in on basketball, golf, football or any other sporting event imaginable, the city reads attentively. “The voice of sports commentary,” as one voter called him; Parker has a distinct style and innate ability to see several sides of the story, though the stance he takes is always uniquely his own.
Best Media Personality: Charles Pugh
Helping mold this personality the city has grown to love so much are his Detroit roots and real life experiences. A native West-sider, Pugh is a force to be reckoned with in the investigative reporting department, yet at the same time his balanced presence while anchoring the weekend news is honest and unwavering. A strong voice in both the African-American and gay communities, Pugh has affirmed his place as an extremely interesting and influential media personality.
Best Daily Newspaper: Detroit Free Press
Like most things in life, all we need is truth and reliability. The Free Press delivers both, seven days a week. Readership, tradition and the Sunday issue have kept the Free Press alive through good and bad times.
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