WDTK

Last updated
WDTK
WDTKThePatriotLogo.svg
Broadcast area Metro Detroit
Frequency 1400 kHz
BrandingFM 101.5 & AM 1400 The Patriot
Programming
Format Conservative talk radio
Network Townhall Radio News
Affiliations Salem Radio Network
Premiere Networks
Wayne State University Sports
Ownership
Owner
WLQV
History
First air date
November 1925;98 years ago (1925-11)
Former call signs
WMBC (1925–39)
WJLB (1939–80)
WMZK (1980–82)
WQBH (1982–2004)
Call sign meaning
"Detroit talk"
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 68641
Class C
Power 1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates
 42°24′22″N83°6′44″W / 42.40611°N 83.11222°W / 42.40611; -83.11222
Translator(s) 101.5 W268CN (Detroit)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website www.patriotdetroit.com

WDTK (1400 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, and known as "The Patriot." It broadcasts a conservative talk radio format and is owned by Salem Communications. The studios and offices are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale, Michigan, shared with sister station 1500 WLQV.

Contents

WDTK transmits with 1,000 watts non-directional. The transmitter is on Midland Street near Hamilton Avenue in Highland Park, Michigan. [2] Programming is also heard on 99-watt FM translator W268CN on 101.5 MHz in Detroit. [3]

Programming

Most of WDTK's weekday schedule is from the co-owned Salem Radio Network's line up of talk shows: Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Charlie Kirk, Sebastian Gorka and Brandon Tatum. A local show is hosted by Darryl Wood. WDTK also carries The Sean Hannity Show from Premiere Networks.

On weekends, WDTK features shows on money, health, the outdoors and travel. Syndicated weekend hosts include Gordon Deal, Eric Metaxas and Rudy Maxa. Wayne State University football and basketball games are also broadcast on WDTK. Most hours begin with an update from Townhall Radio News.

History

WMBC

The station began in November 1925 on 1170 kHz as WMBC. The call sign stood for the station's original owners, the Michigan Broadcast Company. WMBC's frequency changed to 1230 in 1927 and to 1420 in 1930. WMBC was an early outlet for religious programming and gospel music in Detroit.

It was also the home of conservative radio commentator Jerry Buckley, who was shot dead in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel in 1930 after successfully campaigning for a mayoral recall election in which then-mayor Charles Bowles lost.

WJLB

WMBC's callsign was changed to WJLB in 1939 after the station was acquired by John Lord Booth (who renamed the station for himself). In 1941, with the enactment of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), the station moved to its current home of 1400 kHz. Being a small independent station, WJLB relied on brokered programming to pay the bills.

Many of the paid shows were ethnic. This included many programs targeted toward Detroit's African-American community. One of WJLB's most popular programs during its early years was the Interracial Goodwill Hour, a jazz and R&B show hosted by later Cleveland radio legend Bill Randle.

By the 1960s, WJLB had competition for Detroit's black audience in the form of 1440 AM WCHB and later 107.5 FM WGPR. At that point, WJLB evolved into a mostly R&B and soul music station, using the slogan "Tiger Radio" for a time in the late 1960s. Perhaps WJLB's most well-known personality in the 1960s and 1970s was Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg. She was one of the first successful female air personalities in Detroit, best known for her trademark line, "I betcha!" On the evening of July 23, 1967 Steinberg got the station to cancel its regular programing and let her do a broadcast encouraging people to stop rioting. [4] In the early 1970s, Steinberg led the WJLB air staff in protesting the fact that the station employed no African-Americans outside of the air personalities.

WMZK and WQBH

In 1980, in response to the growing popularity of FM radio, WJLB 1400 switched call signs and formats with its ethnic sister station, WMZK-FM 97.9. WJLB-FM began broadcasting an urban contemporary format and has been among top-rated station in Detroit. However, WJLB-FM dropped Steinberg's show. Meanwhile, the AM station took the callsign WMZK and its ethnic format.

Martha Jean the Queen found herself without a radio home until 1982, when a Steinberg-led group, the TXZ Corporation, purchased WMZJ 1400 AM. The callsign was switched to WQBH (standing for the Queen Broadcasts Here). WQBH took on a full-service format of R&B and urban gospel music, along with African-American oriented talk which would continue for over two decades. With backing from the Michigan National Bank, Steinberg took full ownership of WQBH (as "Queen's Broadcasting Corporation") in 1997. After Steinberg's death in January 2000, ownership of the station reverted to a consortium of her three daughters and the Order of the Fisherman Ministry. WQBH continued to air broadcasts of Steinberg's past programs after her death.

WDTK

In March 2004, Salem Communications announced that it would be acquiring WQBH from the Steinberg family for $4.75 million. The sale was finalized in May, and in September, Salem changed WQBH's call sign to WDTK, which stands for Detroit TalK. It flipped the station to the current conservative talk format, using Salem Radio Network syndicated shows.

In late July 2012, WDTK added an FM translator. W224CC broadcast on 92.7 MHz, signing on with 99 watts of power.

In the Fall of 2014 the Patriot began covering the "Detroit Catholic High School League Game of the Week." Jeremy Otto and Sean Baligian called the action. In 2015, the station added an afternoon drive time show hosted by Brendan Johnson. Darryl Wood later replaced Johnson.

On November 18, 2016, WDTK stopped broadcasting on its FM translator on 92.7 MHz. It switched to a new translator in Oak Park, W268CN, on 101.5 MHz. The former translator on 92.7 remains on the air, but was repurposed as a repeater for sister station WLQV. The translator on 101.5 is on the same frequency as Toledo station WRVF. The two station's signals overlap in some suburbs south of Detroit.

Further reading

See also

Related Research Articles

WGPR is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan, broadcasting an urban contemporary radio format. Owned by the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons, its studios and offices are on East Jefferson Avenue on Detroit's lower eastside.

WJLB is a commercial radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts an urban contemporary radio format. Its studios are on Halsted Road in Farmington Hills. In morning drive time, WJLB carries the syndicated Breakfast Club from co-owned WWPR-FM New York City.

KCRO is a commercial AM radio station in Omaha, Nebraska. KCRO is owned by Hickory Radio and airs a Christian talk and teaching radio format. The studios are located on Burt Street, while the transmitter is located behind Roncalli Catholic High School near Sorensen Parkway in Northwest Omaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJMK (AM)</span> Oldies radio station in Bridgeport–Saginaw, Michigan

WJMK is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format, serving the Saginaw/Bay City, Michigan market from its transmitter in Bridgeport, its city of license. WJMK is owned by Northern States Broadcasting. WJMK broadcasts with a power of 5,000 watts daytime, 1,100 watts at night, directed towards the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNZK</span> Radio station in Dearborn Heights, Michigan

WNZK is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area. It is owned by the Birach Broadcasting Corporation and airs an ethnic radio format. The programming is brokered, where hosts pay for their time and may advertise their clients' goods and services during their shows. It broadcasts in a variety of languages, including Arabic and several from Eastern Europe. WNZK identifies itself as "Station of the Nations."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLQV</span> Radio station in Detroit, Michigan

WLQV is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. It uses paid brokered programming where hosts buy time on the station and may seek donations to their ministries during their programs. Religious leaders heard on WLQV include David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Alistair Begg, Jim Daly, Tony Evans and Charles Stanley. The studios are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale, Michigan.

WMUZ-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It is owned by Crawford Broadcasting and is known as The Light. Most hours, WMUZ-FM has a Contemporary Christian music format. In late mornings and during the evening, WMUZ-FM carries Christian talk and teaching shows from religious leaders including Jim Daly, Joyce Meyer, James Dobson, J. Vernon McGee and John MacArthur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCHB</span> Radio station in Royal Oak, Michigan

WCHB is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Royal Oak, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area. It broadcasts an urban gospel radio format and is owned by Crawford Broadcasting. The station is a reporter to Billboard's Nielsen/BDS Gospel airplay panel. The radio studios and offices are shared with co-owned WMUZ, WMUZ-FM and WRDT, on Radio Plaza in Ferndale, Michigan.

WDMK is a commercial FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, it broadcasts an urban adult contemporary format. The studios and offices are on Radio Plaza in Ferndale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WINA</span> Radio station in Charlottesville, Virginia

WINA is a news/talk/sports formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. WINA is owned and operated by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Charlottesville Radio Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMUZ (AM)</span> Radio station in Michigan, United States

WMUZ is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Taylor, Michigan, and serving the Metro Detroit radio market. Owned by Crawford Broadcasting, the station has a Christian talk and teaching format. Religious hosts heard on WMUZ include David Jeremiah, Joyce Meyer, Alistair Begg, Chuck Swindoll and Adrian Rogers. The studios and offices are located near Burt Road and Capitol Avenue in the Weatherby section of Detroit.

WPOL is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Gospel music radio format. Licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the station is owned by Truth Broadcasting Corporation. In Winston-Salem and nearby communities, WPOL can also be heard on an FM translator at 103.5 MHz, for listeners who prefer FM radio. It is also simulcast on sister station 1400 kHz WKEW in Greensboro, North Carolina. WPOL competes its triad coverage in High Point, North Carolina on 102.5 MHz.

WSAG is a radio station licensed to Linwood, Michigan and broadcasting at 104.1 mHz, providing a rimshot service to the Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland markets. The station is simulcasted with AM sister station WSAM at 1400 kHz in Saginaw, Michigan, and are collectively known as The Bay, in reference to their close proximity to the Saginaw Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDEE-FM</span> Radio station in Michigan

WDEE-FM is a radio station licensed to Reed City, Michigan, with studios in Big Rapids. The station plays the Classic Hits from 1955 through 2006.

WJIM is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts a news/talk format. It is also the flagship station of the Michigan Talk Network. Studios and offices are on Pinetree Road in Lansing.

WKAV is a Christian adult contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. WKAV is owned and operated by Monticello Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTEM</span> Radio station in Temple, Texas

KTEM is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Temple, Texas. It serves the Killeen-Temple area with a talk radio format. KTEM is owned by Townsquare Media, through licensee Townsquare Media Killeen-Temple License, LLC. Its studios and offices are on Moody Lane in Temple.

WORL is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Orlando, Florida, United States. It serves Central Florida, including the Greater Orlando radio market. It airs a conservative talk radio format and is known as "AM 950 and FM 94.9 The Answer." WORL is owned by the Salem Media Group with studios and offices on Lake View Drive in Altamonte Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDXU</span> Radio station in St. George, Utah

KDXU is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to St. George, Utah, the station is owned by Townsquare Media. The studios are on Ridgeview Drive in St. George.

Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg was an influential African-American radio broadcaster and later was also the pastor of her own church.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WDTK". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WDTK
  3. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/W268CN
  4. ↑ Sidney Fine, Violence in the Model City: The Cavanagh Administration, Race Reliations, and the Detroit Riot of 1967 (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1989), p. 184
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.