It seems there is never a dull moment in the world of Detroit radio, as evidenced by Crain’s Detroit Business reporter Bill Shea’s second major piece on the topic in two weeks. This time, another Motown Morning Show makes an exit; not for retirement but, rather, greener pastures – literally. You can read Bill’s entire piece here, once again featuring thoughts from Tanner Friedman. We wanted to elaborate further.
So where might 89x’s dynamic duo (actually it’s a team of three) “Dave & Chuck the Freak” be off to? No one seems to know exactly; in fact, it is perhaps this city’s best kept secret since the Kilpatrick/Beatty affair. There is, however, much speculation. Mary Martin of Martin Media Services knows radio well – she buys it for a living. And while, she says, rumors abound that the team could be heading to Greater Media to lead a revamped Magic (currently playing all holiday music in their A/C format), she would put her money on CBS’s AMP Radio.
Martin cites, in particular, CBS’s deep pockets and the fact that while the station does well in the ratings with Women 18-34, it still has not reached peak potential. “Dave & Chuck” on the other hand, routinely trounce 97-1 “The Ticket” in the top spot with Men 18-34. Would, however, CBS want to battle its sister station in this regard? On the other hand, no one does “live and local” like CBS Radio. Have the two tone down content a little and you might just have the right combo to truly make a run at Clear Channel’s Channel 9-55.
We’ll continue to watch and listen. With a multi-month non-compete currently in play, it could be late 1Q 2013 before they return to the airwaves. Then, they are sure to raise havoc and, most likely, the PPM numbers of the station that takes them in.