Radio Free A2
We meant to make fun of 107.1 FM last week when one of their DJs proclaimed, “Ann Arbor has to be in anybody’s top three cities in terms of music, art and culture in the Midwest … I don’t feel this is a small pond … maybe in population, but in arts and culture it is bigger.” We never got around to it, and then they had to win us over by playing Saint Etienne’s “Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)”. (Which does have something of a pro-historical-preservation theme, but we’ll let that slide.)
Oh yeah, that “local” station owned by a Texas corporation.
Good song, though.
posted by Dave on March 5th, 2006 at 11:15 pmWell, if they have local DJs who have any control whatsoever over the playlist, that’s more local than most commercial stations.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 5th, 2006 at 11:48 pmAgreed, though I’ve been listening to that station for the past year and it sounds like they keep going through focus groups trying to figure out what they’re “supposed” to be. A DET jock may give them some cred yet, yo.
posted by Dave on March 6th, 2006 at 12:35 amYet, an all-news station with mind-destroying fund raisers every two weeks and a current criminal investigation blows 107.1 away in ratings?
posted by leighton on March 6th, 2006 at 2:59 amWell, leighton, this is Ann Arbor, where NPR is required listening for all residents. You DO listen to NPR, don’t you? Uh-oh, looks like you’ll be getting a visit from the suede/denim secret police.
posted by J on March 6th, 2006 at 9:24 amWow, I hadn’t heard Martin Bandyke landed that spot as DJ. I am pretty happy about that…I’ve really missed him on WDET. I guess I will have to give this station a listen (unless there are too many ads or he has to play lame “hits” too as corporate policy.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 6th, 2006 at 9:26 amDon’t they theoretically have a local music show too? It’s weird, but I could swear they do… Just not one that I ever, ever, ever listen to.
posted by js on March 7th, 2006 at 1:21 pmYeah, I seem to remember hearing a local music show - perhaps Sunday night? I’m glad they’re adding at least some pretense of being an Ann Arbor radio station - after they bought the station, it seemed like they tried heading down a no-local-anything path for a while.
posted by Lisa on March 7th, 2006 at 5:42 pmThis further proves my theory, Ann arbor is not the manhattan of the midwest, but it tries to be the Soho of the midwest.
posted by Joe on March 7th, 2006 at 11:45 pmWhaaa…? You mean we HAVE to listen to NPR? And all this time I’ve been thinking it was WCBN…
Saint-Etienne, sure … but have they played Herman Düne yet?
posted by Daniel on March 8th, 2006 at 5:59 pmi luv npr
posted by kARL on July 21st, 2006 at 6:14 pm