In today's BOTD podcast, once again at the park with our canine executive producer (apologies for occasional wind issues)...
-Chuck proclaims how embarrassing it is that Traverse City has no Detroit Tiger radio affiliate, and the Record-Eagle newspaper recently covered the story.
-He said that he visited the Traverse City area last year and tried to pick up the nearest Tiger station, Cadillac's 93.7 The Ticket in Williamsburg, but got severe bleeding from WKLT's Boyne City repeater at 93.5. At the time, they were playing one of Kid Rock's more-recent songs. He ended up flipping to satellite radio to pick up the game.
-Chuck goes over the history of Tigers radio in Traverse City. He says that WTCM picking up The Rush Limbaugh Show, plus the Tigers' poor record played a role in the station wanting to dump the team. It was a huge reason why station owner Ross Biederman bought WCCW 1310 and moved the team there.
-He then explains that another broadcaster took over the rights to the Tigers for Traverse City, but they were only leasing the stations and were forced off those frequencies. Two of the three-biggest radio companies serving Traverse City air the Tigers elsewhere.
-WTCM and WCCW's general manager told the Record-Eagle that if he aired the Tigers, people call and complain. Chuck explained that several of the stations he manages have lousy-to-no ratings.
-The Lions air on local classic rock station The Bear. Chuck explains that they've been getting mauled by KLT for years and should consider a format change.
-Chuck visited Traverse City recently and now, the FM dial is overrun with Christian radio stations.
-He does say that Rock 105 and 95-5 isn't a bad station. However...
-Chuck touches on CBS affiliate WWTV 9&10 and their move to Traverse City after being in the Cadillac area for 71 years. On social media, people praise the station for being locally owned and not run by an ultra-right-winged firm like Sinclair, who owns NBC affiliate WPBN-TV 7&4 and WGTU ABC 29&8. Chuck explains that local isn't always better.
-He talks about the fact that 9&10 dropped Howard Stern's ill-fated Saturday night show for NRA infomercials starring Charleton Heston in 1999. He also criticized the station for dumping a CBS 9/11 documentary for a bad Robin Williams movie over profanity. Chuck claims that it all boiled down to money from a notorious billionaire.
-Chuck touched on a former 9&10 anchor who was fired from a station in El Paso, Texas for conducting a one-sided interview with embattled attorney general Ken Paxton. He also heard rumors of a toxic work environment at the station that caused a revolving door.
-Chuck explained that the fact that 9&10 is paying the owner's friend to own the local Fox affiliate for them to operate makes them as shady as Sinclair. The fact that 9&10 moved from a giant mausoleum-style building to what looks like a town house is karma. Chuck also commented that their new studio is quite tiny.
-He ends the podcast by praising a new community radio station in his childhood hometown and that people need to continue to support independent voices.
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