United Auto Workers

WDET-FM was dedicated on December 18, 1948 by Governor of Michigan G. Mennen Williams and UAW president Walter Reuther, who declared that it would not be just the United Auto Worker's station but the "station of the people of Detroit."^[3] The first air date was Feb. 13, 1949. It mostly broadcast public service programs under station manager Ben Hoberman from the studios on Capital Street near Rouge Park. The station was not financially viable and the UAW-CIO sought to sell it.^[4]

Detroit Public Radio

What was then Wayne University (it joined the state university system in 1956) bought the station for one dollar in 1952 and converted it to non-commercial status. The irregular programming schedule included mainly classical music and faculty lectures.

John Buckstaff, who became general manager in 1968, developed the station's format until he resigned in 1981. Jazz, modern music, and volunteer-produced programming were added.^[5] In the early 1970s, WDET-FM began adding shows from the new public radio network, NPR, including All Things Considered and Morning Edition. There were volunteer-produced talk programs geared to a specific audience, such as Gayly Speaking and Indian to Indian.^[6] Judy Adams, who would be a music host and program director until 2005, was hired in 1974.^[7]

The conflict of programming time for niche audiences or a wider audience would be a theme for many years.^[8] Station management and volunteer producers often clashed, and the station struggled financially.^[9] Buckstaff said that the station's strength was its variety, and that "you're bound to run into something you don't like."^[10] In 1972, the station held a press conference to announce that they needed $65,000 (about $490,000 in 2024 dollars) to avoid going off the air.^[11] As of 1975, however, it was the seventh most-listened to public radio station in the country and had a record-setting pledge drive.^[12]

In May 1982, Marvin Granger became general manager. Much of the volunteer-made programming did not have a professional sound, he felt, and he cancelled many of these programs and oriented the station to a general audience. Many felt that this changing of the station's identity left some groups without a voice, but Granger stated that programs with small audiences were not financially viable.^[13] Granger and program director Judy Adams also changed the music programming focus from classical to jazz music.^[14] Granger resigned in December 1983 and news director Caryn Mathes became general manager.^[15] She would lead the station until February 2005.^[16]

The listening audience greatly expanded in the 1980s, along with revenue. In 1983, Ed Love,^[17] Ann Delisi, Martin Bandyke and Ralph Valdez were hired as music hosts. In 1984, Adams continued jazz programming during the weekday while adding blues/folk shows on Saturdays and classical shows on Sundays.^[14] By 1986, the station had expanded its musical programming to include Dave Dixon's daily weekday program of rock and eclectic music.^[18]

Weekday music variety programs became a driver of listenership during the 1990s. Martin Bandyke began a daily show in September 1991.^[19] Dave Dixon's show ended in February 1992 and Ann Delisi took over his time slot.^[20] Besides bluegrass, folk, blues and classical programs on the weekends, Ismael Ahmed's world music show was on by 1991.^[21] By 1993, 150,000 listeners per week were listening, considered healthy for a public radio station.^[22]

The departure of music director Ann Delisi in 1995 prompted further changes to the weekday lineup. Judy Adams's program began to air between 9 AM and noon, then Martin Bandyke's program aired until the afternoon NPR programs.^[23] Ed Love's program aired between 7 PM and 10 PM.^[24] By 1996, Ralph Valdez at 10 PM and Liz Warner (née Copeland) at midnight both hosted eclectic music programs.^[25][26]

Controversial changes

WDET was in turmoil between 2004 and 2007, with frequent programming changes that caused controversy. The first wave of changes came on September 17, 2004, when weekday music programs were expanded in place of NPR programs The Tavis Smiley Show and Fresh Air. General manager Caryn Mathes stated that this would bolster the station’s mission of “contemporary adult music.”^[27] One of the more controversial changes was the cancellation of Matt Watroba’s Folks Like Us and Larry McDaniel’s Arkansas Traveler programs. These were long-running Saturday folk and bluegrass shows that management felt were too niche.^[28] Later that year, Mathes accepted a position at WAMU in Washington, D.C. and remained at WDET until February 2005.^[29]

Michael Coleman, former general manager of Michigan Public, became general manager during summer 2005. Under his leadership, the station transitioned to a mostly news and talk format. The station had been operating in a financial deficit, and Coleman aimed to grow the audience by better balancing news and music.^[30] He cut many local music programs, outraging listeners who had donated to fund those programs. Martin Bandyke’s program was the first to end. Bandyke resigned amidst allegations that he “trafficked in recorded music and accepted free concert tickets in violation of WSU policy,” according to the Detroit Free Press. It had been common and accepted to exchange promotional CDs at record stores for the benefit of the station’s music library under Caryn Mathes. He was off the air in November and resigned in December.^[31][32]

Although listeners celebrated the reinstatement of Matt Watroba and Larry McDaniels’ weekend programs,^[33] the removal of weekday music in December 2005 was met with an overwhelmingly negative response and caused harm to Detroit’s music scene.^[34] As stated in the Detroit Free Press:

WDET had made its musical mark with a loose, spirited approach that snubbed traditional notions of public radio snobbery and took cues from the freewheeling programming of old-school FM stations such as Detroit’s classic WABX… The station’s transformation left lingering effects on the local landscape, many say, including difficulty selling certain concerts, developing certain artists and maintaining a sense of community.^[34]

Coleman’s changes caused a drop in revenue and listenership, prompting the layoff of four staffers in May 2006.^[35] The station saw a 31 percent drop in its audience.^[35] To protest the change to talk programming during the weekday, Los Lobos cancelled its live performance scheduled for the pledge drive that spring.^[36] In March 2006, Coleman was charged with embezzlement from Michigan Public, for which he ultimately pleaded no contest.^{[37] [38]} Over the Christmas holiday, Coleman packed up his office and resigned from WDET without notifying his staff in advance.^[39] A month later, he joined LGBTQ nonprofit Affirmations as development director.^[37]

Allen Mazurek, program director and acting general manager, further removed music programs in April 2007. He stated that Wayne State University wanted the station to have more talk programs, and be the “public affairs and information voice for the Detroit area.” Shows hosted by Liz Copeland, W. Kim Heron, Ralph Valdez, Mick Collins and Chuck Horn were removed, while the Ed Love Program and weekend blues, folk, and world music programs remained.^[40] Craig Fahle became the permanent host of Detroit Today, the station's daily public affairs program, that September.^[41]