WGPR
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| WGPR | |
 |
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| City of license | Detroit, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | [1] |
| Branding | The Rhythm |
| Frequency | 107.5 MHz |
| First air date | December 6, 1961 |
| Format | Smooth Jazz / Soft Urban Adult Contemporary |
| Power | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 123.5 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 70512 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Callsign meaning | Grosse Pointe Radio Where God's Power Radiates |
| Owner | International Free and Accepted Modern Masons (WGPR, Inc.) |
| Website | www.wgprdetroit.com |
WGPR ("The Rhythm 107-5") is a FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Owned by the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons, the station operates on 107.5 MHz.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early History
WGPR was founded on December 6, 1961. It was the first full-time FM stereo radio station in Michigan, and was a pioneer black-owned broadcaster. The station has featured some variation of R&B format for over 40 years, and was the first independently programmed FM urban/R&B station in the market. It is reported that the station's callsign meant, W'here God's Presence Reigns.
The Electrifyin' Mojo was heard on WGPR-FM during the early 1980s.
Once a top 10-rated station in the Detroit market, WGPR has suffered from diminished ratings over the past 20 years, largely due to the 1989 debut of Mix 92.3 WMXD. Nevertheless, the station has a loyal and devoted audience.
The station was co-owned with WGPR-TV channel 62, which the Freemason group established in 1975. This station, which would adopt the CBS affiliation in 1994 following WJBK's switch from CBS to Fox, was sold to CBS in 1995 and re-called WWJ-TV.
[edit] The Rhythm 107-5 Today
Today WGPR features a mix of Urban Adult Contemporary hits, Urban Oldies, and Smooth Jazz.
Saturdays are "Old School" Saturdays, featuring a wide variety of R&B, soul and dance-oriented oldies. Saturdays are called Old School Saturdays which is more ambiguous than the typical schedule. Genres played on OSS include disco, funk, 1980s electronic music, dance music, Motown Sound, urban oldies, and 1970s R&B. This program has been prone to technical errors. These errors include skipping CDs, varying volume levels between tracks, a song ending midway through and sometimes accidental but simultaneous mix-in of multiple song tracks. Sundays are devoted to gospel programming, and the station also features traditional jazz on weekend overnights.
Because WGPR sometimes plays Smooth Jazz, it competes with Smooth Jazz V98.7 as well as urban AC stations 92.3 WMXD and 105.9 WDMK.
[edit] Airstaff
The current weekday on-air lineup is as follows:
- Morning Show: Mason in the Morning - John Mason
- Mid-Days: Sylvia Simone
- Afternoon Drive: Cliff Coleman
- Nighttime: Dallas Keith
[edit] Current Station Rating
The Rhythm 107-5 currently ranks at #17 in the Detroit market according to the Spring 2008 Phase I ratings release.
| Spring 2006 | Summer 2006 | Fall 2006 | Winter 2007 | Spring 2007 | Summer 2007 | Fall 2007 | Winter 2008 | Spring 2008 Phase I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(#21) |
(#22) |
(#21) |
(#22) |
(#21) |
(#21) |
(#21) |
(#20) |
(#17) |
According to a preliminary Arbitron report released May 29, 2008
