Sad, the BG radio program "Arkansas Traveler" that was on WDET (101.9 FM) in Detroit on Saturdays from 3-6pm has been canceled, along with "Folks Like Us" and the suspension of syndicated radio programs like "Car Talk" and "Thisle and Shamrock." Seems that the NPR station is trying to stick with local programming and dividing it up between jazz, blues and freeform. Sometimes, even the public radio "just doesn't get it."

Matt--I had heard of these changes to NPR also. Really a bummer considering there are so few places on radio to listen to Bluegrass or Folk. Hopefully the people who do support these shows will let NPR know of their dissatisfaction.

Time for a little soapbox ...

Detroit radio has always had a "problem" dealing with Americana music. There's an audience there, but it is hard to motivate them. When I say Americana, I include BG, folk, traditional country, and roots-rock. I've been playing music under that umbrella around Detroit for 20 years, and while my projects would get raves in other towns, I couldn't get the local alt-weeklys or radio to pay attention. WDET's decision is a "bean counter" thing. They are going on the assumption that people interested in the syndicated programs like "Car Talk" and "Thisle & Shamrock" were not big in Detroit and will go to Ann Arbor's NPR station for the shows. Morevoer, they probably assume that the fans of "Folks Like Us" and "Arkansas Traveler" were not many, and the contributing supporters would rather have more jazz and blues.

The big unfortunate thing is that the Saturday morning programming of those two shows was the ONLY programming of that type that was clear and available to a large listening area. There are other programs, like "Daybreak in Dixie" on Sunday morning, but that is from a college station in Windsor, and barely reaches 5 miles from the river border. Two stations that have consistent traditional programming are smaller-powered AM stations, and are out of the immediate Detroit area (WSDS in Ypsilanti, and WCXI in Flint/Fenton).

Add to that the alt-weeklys could have had a great story regarding this change in format, but have not even mentioned it. So many listeners have found out through listening, but are taking no action because they aren't aware who to contact.

I plan to do some e-mailing and voicing, but I'm not sure how far that will get.

In the meantime, I hope Sherri is having fun in Louisville.

Matt Merta
Boomba Records
Member of the Americana Music Association
Member of SPBGMA