WRIF
Encyclopedia
WRIF — branded 101 WRIF: The RIFF — is a commercial active rock
radio station
licensed by the FCC to operate in Detroit, Michigan
serving surrounding Metro Detroit
. The station is currently owned by Greater Boston Radio, Inc. WRIF is a grandfathered Class B station with a signal equivalent to 92,000 watts at 500 ft. As such, the signal can be heard as far as Flint
; Port Huron
; Jackson
; Chatham-Kent and Lambton County
, Ontario
; northern Toledo
; and occasionally as far south as Delaware, Ohio
. The station transmitter is located in the Detroit suburb
of Southfield
near the intersection of Ten Mile and Northwestern Highway. WRIF transmits its signal from the same tower as WXYZ-TV
Channel 7.
format, then later went to a rock-based Top 40 approach called "Boss 101," which featured mostly harder rock hits with little to no pop or soul product. Then in 1970, the station's then-owner, ABC
made WXYZ-FM an affiliate of the "Love" network, a nationally syndicated underground rock format from ABC that predated today's satellite-fed radio formats (another "Love" affiliate was sister WLS-FM in Chicago). WXYZ-FM hired at least one local jock for this format - Arthur Penhallow
.
WRIF was a pioneer in the album-oriented rock
format, utilizing many elements of progressive rock
radio while maintaining a tight, Top-40 style play list. Other ABC stations with a similar sound included WPLJ
in New York and WDVE
in Pittsburgh. WRIF was not a pure rocker in its early years - you could hear such artists as KC & The Sunshine Band and the Bee Gees
alongside Alice Cooper
, Traffic
, and the Allman Brothers. After 1975, WRIF dropped most of the pop artists to concentrate on rock, but they would play a pop or disco
song if it were extremely popular. "Stayin' Alive," for example, got many spins on WRIF in 1977-78.
The 1980s was probably the decade that saw the most change in the Detroit radio dial. Among other changes a new rocker was installed at 98.7, WLLZ "Detroits Wheels" and it proved so popular that it took out two other Detroit rock stations. 106.7 WWWW
went country in 1980, and WABX
as we knew it was gone in 1983 when it switched to a CHR
format called "Hot Rock" and then went adult contemporary as WCLS. But WRIF soldiered on, even though it was sold twice in the 1980s and its rock format was on the chopping block more than once (rumors persisted in the late '80s that the station was to switch to an urban contemporary
format, especially after the debut of classic rock WCSX
in 1987, but it did not). In May 2006, WRIF outlasted yet another rock station but with a twist. 106.7 "The Drive" switched to country (this time as "106.7 The Fox") just as it did back in 1980 when it was known as "W4".
The station served as a backdrop for the Kevin Costner film The Upside of Anger
.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996
allowed one company to own more than one station on the same band in the same market for the first time, and Greater Media
, who already owned Detroit's classic rocker 94.7 WCSX
, wasted no time purchasing WRIF. They own the station to this day.
," "Beer Frame," "I Can't Drive .25
," and "Bars
," and lampooning Meet the Press with "Meet the Bruiser." Despite WRIF's playing of disco songs, JJ and the Morning Crew created DREAD: Detroit Rockers Engaged in the Abolition of Disco. Johnson would go on to along tenure co-hosting a popular morning show on sister station WCSX
.
In 1991, WRIF hired a new morning team from Phoenix, AZ - Drew & Zip. Zip was gone by 1994 and was replaced by local personality Mike Clark. Drew and Mike
went on to become the #1 rated morning show in Detroit. In September 2007 Drew Lane left WRIF for an indefinite length of time to take care of his girlfriend who had been diagnosed with breast cancer
. In April 2008, it was announced that Drew would not be returning to WRIF. The show was then renamed "Mike In The Morning" and was hosted by Clark, Marc Fellhauer, and features Trudi Daniels with the "WRIF Rock & Roll Radio News," and Jamie Samuelsen reporting the local sports. On July 13, 2009 Drew Lane returned to the morning airwaves of WRIF to once again team up with Mike Clark.
The show's name is once again "Drew and Mike In The Morning," sometimes referred to as "The Drew and Mike Show," but is mostly just shortend to "Drew and Mike." Lane now does sports news for the show, as well. Fellhauer, Daniels, and Mike Wolters still remain with the show.
, and includes a wide variety of modern rock and classic hard rock.
In 2007, the station was named Active Rock
station of the year in a top 25 market award by Radio & Records magazine
. Other nominees included WIYY
in Baltimore, WAAF
in Boston, KBPI
in Denver, WMMR
in Philadelphia, and KISW in Seattle.
WRIF's HD Radio
multicast signal is called "RIFF2" and features a modern spin on the old progressive-rock format, with a mixture of underground alternative rock and metal and local Detroit artists.
with Drew Lane, Mike Clark, Trudi Daniels, Mike Wolters and Mark Fellhauer. During the workday it's Anne Carlini. On the ride home it's Meltdown and "Rock Girl" STACY with three "Rock Girl Updates" at 2:00, 5:00 and 8:00 featuring daily entertainment and rock news. Wrapping up the day is Screamin Scott Randall on nights and Allen "Slayer" Beck on overnights.
Weekends/Fill-ins include Suzy Cole, Ron Crichton, Geri Gerardi, Hightower, Kristy Lee, Juline Jordan, and Peter Werbe
.
The syndicated radio show Chop Shop originates from WRIF and airs on Sunday mornings. Other shows that air on WRIF during the weekend include the nationally syndicated Dee Snyder-hosted The House of Hair, The sideshow countdown hosted by Nikki Sixx and Kerri Kasem it comes on Sunday nights 9:00-11:00, and Nightcall, hosted by Peter Werbe and Juline Jordan. Nightcall can be heard live on Sunday nights and are streamed on WRIF's website.
WRIF's Program Director is Mark Pennington.
, Ozzy Osbourne
and OZZFEST
, Motley Crue
, ZZ Top
, Alice Cooper
, Kid Rock
, Disturbed, YES
, Journey
, KISS
, Santana
,
REO Speedwagon
, Triumph
, U2
, Huey Lewis and the News
, Loverboy
, Aerosmith
, Bruce Springsteen
, the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop
, Guns N' Roses
, AC/DC
, Korn
, Linkin Park
, Velvet Revolver
, The Romantics
and David Bowie
. WRIF has also made stickers for appearances by comedians George Carlin
& Rodney Dangerfield
and the rock festival Lollapalooza
. Stickers have also been made for non-concert events such as the Drew and Mike
radio show, Harleyfest, former DJ Arthur Penhallow
's famous saying, "BABY!", as well as the major Detroit sports teams - the Detroit Pistons
, Tigers
, Red Wings
, and Lions
. Since nearly all of them are the same basic size and design (an oval with flat top and bottom with the same size border ring), they are highly collectable.
Since 1971 over 700 different stickers have been made.
Due to complaints of vandalism, WRIF has switched from stickers to window clings.
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed by the FCC to operate in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
serving surrounding Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
. The station is currently owned by Greater Boston Radio, Inc. WRIF is a grandfathered Class B station with a signal equivalent to 92,000 watts at 500 ft. As such, the signal can be heard as far as Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
; Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
; Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
; Chatham-Kent and Lambton County
Lambton County, Ontario
Lambton County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county is located in Southwestern Ontario. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which flows into the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
; northern Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
; and occasionally as far south as Delaware, Ohio
Delaware, Ohio
The City of Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County in the United States state of Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area...
. The station transmitter is located in the Detroit suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Southfield
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
near the intersection of Ten Mile and Northwestern Highway. WRIF transmits its signal from the same tower as WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV, channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Detroit, Michigan, USA. WXYZ-TV is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and is the media company's largest-market TV station property...
Channel 7.
WXYZ-FM
101.1 FM signed on in 1948 as WXYZ-FM Detroit. For most of the station's early years, the station was simply a simulcast of WXYZ-AM 1270 (now WXYT-AM). That changed in 1966 when the FCC decreed separate programming for at least half of the broadcast day on FM stations that had previously been simulcasts of their AM sisters. WXYZ-FM separated programming and aired first a MOR/adult standardsAdult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
format, then later went to a rock-based Top 40 approach called "Boss 101," which featured mostly harder rock hits with little to no pop or soul product. Then in 1970, the station's then-owner, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
made WXYZ-FM an affiliate of the "Love" network, a nationally syndicated underground rock format from ABC that predated today's satellite-fed radio formats (another "Love" affiliate was sister WLS-FM in Chicago). WXYZ-FM hired at least one local jock for this format - Arthur Penhallow
Arthur Penhallow
Arthur Penhallow is a radio presenter in Detroit, Michigan who hosted afternoons on active rock station WRIF from 1970-2009. On March 30, 2009, WRIF owner Greater Media announced that the station and Penhallow had been unable to come to terms on a new contract. Penhallow was born in Honolulu, Hawaii...
.
101 WRIF
On February 14, 1971, the station changed its call letters to WRIF. ABC had originally applied for WDAI (for Detroit Auto Industry) for WXYZ-FM but the FCC assigned those to WLS-FM instead. The WRIF calls were originally requested for WABC-FM in New York.WRIF was a pioneer in the album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
format, utilizing many elements of progressive rock
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
radio while maintaining a tight, Top-40 style play list. Other ABC stations with a similar sound included WPLJ
WPLJ
WPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
in New York and WDVE
WDVE
WDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side...
in Pittsburgh. WRIF was not a pure rocker in its early years - you could hear such artists as KC & The Sunshine Band and the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
alongside Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
, and the Allman Brothers. After 1975, WRIF dropped most of the pop artists to concentrate on rock, but they would play a pop or disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
song if it were extremely popular. "Stayin' Alive," for example, got many spins on WRIF in 1977-78.
The 1980s was probably the decade that saw the most change in the Detroit radio dial. Among other changes a new rocker was installed at 98.7, WLLZ "Detroits Wheels" and it proved so popular that it took out two other Detroit rock stations. 106.7 WWWW
WDTW-FM
WDTW-FM is a classic rock formatted radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WDTW-FM is licensed for HD Radio operations; its secondary channel carries Clear Channel's "Pride Radio" format, which features music geared toward the LGBT audience...
went country in 1980, and WABX
WYCD
WYCD is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is the only country music station in the Detroit area. WYCD's offices and studios are located on Woodward Heights . near Interstate 75 in Ferndale, Michigan...
as we knew it was gone in 1983 when it switched to a CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format called "Hot Rock" and then went adult contemporary as WCLS. But WRIF soldiered on, even though it was sold twice in the 1980s and its rock format was on the chopping block more than once (rumors persisted in the late '80s that the station was to switch to an urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
format, especially after the debut of classic rock WCSX
WCSX
WCSX is a Detroit-based FM radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. WCSX's transmitter is located in suburban Oakland County in Royal Oak Township near the intersection of 8 Mile Rd. and Wyoming Avenue. WCSX transmits its signal from an antenna 951 feet in height with an effective radiated...
in 1987, but it did not). In May 2006, WRIF outlasted yet another rock station but with a twist. 106.7 "The Drive" switched to country (this time as "106.7 The Fox") just as it did back in 1980 when it was known as "W4".
The station served as a backdrop for the Kevin Costner film The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Binder and set in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan...
.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. This Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, was a major stepping stone towards the future of telecommunications, since this was the...
allowed one company to own more than one station on the same band in the same market for the first time, and Greater Media
Greater Media
Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, is an American media company that specializes in radio stations. The markets where they own radio stations include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey...
, who already owned Detroit's classic rocker 94.7 WCSX
WCSX
WCSX is a Detroit-based FM radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. WCSX's transmitter is located in suburban Oakland County in Royal Oak Township near the intersection of 8 Mile Rd. and Wyoming Avenue. WCSX transmits its signal from an antenna 951 feet in height with an effective radiated...
, wasted no time purchasing WRIF. They own the station to this day.
Morning Crews
The 1980s saw the Morning Crew—Jim Johnson ("JJ") and Dick The Bruiser (AKA George Baier)—in their prime, spoofing songs with hits such as "96 Beers96 Tears
"96 Tears" is a popular song recorded by ? in 1966. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and on the RPM 100 in Canada and is ranked #210 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-History:...
," "Beer Frame," "I Can't Drive .25
I Can't Drive 55
"I Can't Drive 55" was the lead single and first track from Sammy Hagar's eighth studio album VOA in 1984. Perpetuated by a very successful music video, it became a concert staple that continued throughout Sammy's tours as a member of Van Halen....
," and "Bars
Cars (song)
Fear Factory, an American industrial metal band, recorded a version of "Cars" and released it as the second single from their third studio album, Obsolete. The song was only included as a bonus track on the limited edition digipak re-release of Obsolete and would be instrumental in breaking Fear...
," and lampooning Meet the Press with "Meet the Bruiser." Despite WRIF's playing of disco songs, JJ and the Morning Crew created DREAD: Detroit Rockers Engaged in the Abolition of Disco. Johnson would go on to along tenure co-hosting a popular morning show on sister station WCSX
WCSX
WCSX is a Detroit-based FM radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. WCSX's transmitter is located in suburban Oakland County in Royal Oak Township near the intersection of 8 Mile Rd. and Wyoming Avenue. WCSX transmits its signal from an antenna 951 feet in height with an effective radiated...
.
In 1991, WRIF hired a new morning team from Phoenix, AZ - Drew & Zip. Zip was gone by 1994 and was replaced by local personality Mike Clark. Drew and Mike
Drew and Mike
Drew and Mike is a weekday morning drive radio show hosted by Drew Lane and Mike Clark on WRIF, 101.1 FM in Southfield, near Detroit, Michigan. The show was regularly the top rated show in the Detroit market for over 10 years until Drew Lane's departure, easily winning the time slot. The show had...
went on to become the #1 rated morning show in Detroit. In September 2007 Drew Lane left WRIF for an indefinite length of time to take care of his girlfriend who had been diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. In April 2008, it was announced that Drew would not be returning to WRIF. The show was then renamed "Mike In The Morning" and was hosted by Clark, Marc Fellhauer, and features Trudi Daniels with the "WRIF Rock & Roll Radio News," and Jamie Samuelsen reporting the local sports. On July 13, 2009 Drew Lane returned to the morning airwaves of WRIF to once again team up with Mike Clark.
The show's name is once again "Drew and Mike In The Morning," sometimes referred to as "The Drew and Mike Show," but is mostly just shortend to "Drew and Mike." Lane now does sports news for the show, as well. Fellhauer, Daniels, and Mike Wolters still remain with the show.
WRIF Today
In the November 2010 PPM rating release, WRIF ranks as the #11 (PPM rated) radio station in the Detroit market. WRIF's format, according to Arbitron, is Active RockActive rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
, and includes a wide variety of modern rock and classic hard rock.
In 2007, the station was named Active Rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
station of the year in a top 25 market award by Radio & Records magazine
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
. Other nominees included WIYY
WIYY
WIYY is a radio station in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, owned by the Hearst Corporation. WIYY broadcasts an Mainstream Rock format that mixes music popular in the modern rock, heavy metal and classic rock genres...
in Baltimore, WAAF
WAAF (FM)
WAAF is a Boston, Massachusetts, area commercial Album Oriented Rock/Active rock radio station that mixes music that is popular in the modern rock, heavy metal and classic rock genres....
in Boston, KBPI
KBPI
KBPI is an active rock radio station based in Denver, Colorado. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 100 kW and has a transmitter in Boulder, Colorado...
in Denver, WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
in Philadelphia, and KISW in Seattle.
WRIF's HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
multicast signal is called "RIFF2" and features a modern spin on the old progressive-rock format, with a mixture of underground alternative rock and metal and local Detroit artists.
Airstaff
The current lineup (as of July 13, 2009) Starting out the day on the morning drive is Drew and MikeDrew and Mike
Drew and Mike is a weekday morning drive radio show hosted by Drew Lane and Mike Clark on WRIF, 101.1 FM in Southfield, near Detroit, Michigan. The show was regularly the top rated show in the Detroit market for over 10 years until Drew Lane's departure, easily winning the time slot. The show had...
with Drew Lane, Mike Clark, Trudi Daniels, Mike Wolters and Mark Fellhauer. During the workday it's Anne Carlini. On the ride home it's Meltdown and "Rock Girl" STACY with three "Rock Girl Updates" at 2:00, 5:00 and 8:00 featuring daily entertainment and rock news. Wrapping up the day is Screamin Scott Randall on nights and Allen "Slayer" Beck on overnights.
Weekends/Fill-ins include Suzy Cole, Ron Crichton, Geri Gerardi, Hightower, Kristy Lee, Juline Jordan, and Peter Werbe
Peter Werbe
Peter Werbe is a radio talk show host and political activist. He hosts Nightcall Sunday nights on Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM. Werbe's tenure, having commenced in 1970, makes him one of the longest broadcasting talk show hosts in radio history.-Nightcall:...
.
The syndicated radio show Chop Shop originates from WRIF and airs on Sunday mornings. Other shows that air on WRIF during the weekend include the nationally syndicated Dee Snyder-hosted The House of Hair, The sideshow countdown hosted by Nikki Sixx and Kerri Kasem it comes on Sunday nights 9:00-11:00, and Nightcall, hosted by Peter Werbe and Juline Jordan. Nightcall can be heard live on Sunday nights and are streamed on WRIF's website.
WRIF's Program Director is Mark Pennington.
The Stickers
The WRIF stickers are almost as iconic as the station itself. The stickers are given out at many of the station's sponsored events. Many are unique to that event. Stickers have been made for bands including: MetallicaMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and OZZFEST
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
, Motley Crue
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
, Disturbed, YES
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
, KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
,
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
, Triumph
Triumph (band)
Triumph is a Canadian hard rock power trio that was popular in the late 1970s through the 1980s. Eight of the band's albums were certified gold or higher, and Triumph was nominated for multiple Juno Awards, including Group of the Year Award in 1979, 1985, 1986 and 1987.Like their fellow Canadians...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
, Loverboy
Loverboy
Loverboy is a Canadian rock group formed in 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout the 1980s, the band accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, earning four multi-platinum albums and selling millions of records...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
, Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
, The Romantics
The Romantics
The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. WRIF has also made stickers for appearances by comedians George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
& Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
and the rock festival Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
. Stickers have also been made for non-concert events such as the Drew and Mike
Drew and Mike
Drew and Mike is a weekday morning drive radio show hosted by Drew Lane and Mike Clark on WRIF, 101.1 FM in Southfield, near Detroit, Michigan. The show was regularly the top rated show in the Detroit market for over 10 years until Drew Lane's departure, easily winning the time slot. The show had...
radio show, Harleyfest, former DJ Arthur Penhallow
Arthur Penhallow
Arthur Penhallow is a radio presenter in Detroit, Michigan who hosted afternoons on active rock station WRIF from 1970-2009. On March 30, 2009, WRIF owner Greater Media announced that the station and Penhallow had been unable to come to terms on a new contract. Penhallow was born in Honolulu, Hawaii...
's famous saying, "BABY!", as well as the major Detroit sports teams - the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, and Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. Since nearly all of them are the same basic size and design (an oval with flat top and bottom with the same size border ring), they are highly collectable.
Since 1971 over 700 different stickers have been made.
Due to complaints of vandalism, WRIF has switched from stickers to window clings.