WNIC

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WNIC

Broadcast area	Detroit
Branding	"100.3 WNIC"
Slogan	The Best Variety of Yesterday and Today
First air date	1950
Frequency	100.3 (MHz)
Format	Adult Contemporary
ERP	32,000 watts
Former callsigns	WKMH (1950 - 1963) WKNR (1963 - 1971) WNIC (1971 - )
Owner	Clear Channel Broadcasting
Website	http://www.wnic.com/

WNIC is an American adult contemporary radio station based in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting at 100.3 MHz FM. WNIC's studios and offices are located in Farmington Hills, MI. WNIC's transmitter is located near Schoolcraft and Livernois Avenue in the City of Detroit on the near west side. WNIC broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 32,000 watts from an antenna 600 feet in height. It's main competitors include WMGC, WDRQ, and WDVD.

1 History of WNIC
2 Current Station Rating
3 Current Station On-air Lineup
4 External Links

[edit] History of WNIC

[edit] Early stages of WNIC (1950 - 1969)

WNIC went on the air around 1950 as WKMH-FM, sister to WKMH-AM 1310. Both stations were, and still are, licensed to Dearborn, Michigan. WKMH-AM became top-40 rock-station WKNR, "Keener 13," in 1963. After several years of chiefly simulcasting "Keener", 100.3 – now WKNR-FM – adopted a progressive rock format. WKNR-FM's Russ Gibb is credited with helping to spread the "Paul McCartney is dead" rumor in 1969.

[edit] Change (1969 - 2001)

WKNR-FM switched format to an early form of adult contemporary known as "Stereo Island" in 1971, and then to beautiful music as WNIC the following year following the sale of both the AM and FM, which began simulcasting each other 100%. The WNIC calls were meant to denote the station's "NICe" music. In 1976, WNIC adopted a more up-tempo sound called "Rock 'n' Easy" and has been successful with that AC format ever since. WNIC scored its first number-one placing in the monthly Arbitron ratings in Detroit in 1998, although the station's ratings have since dropped, due largely to competition from Greater Media-owned WMGC (Magic 105.1, formerly classical WQRS) and also CBS Radio-owned smooth-jazz WVMV (V98.7). The ratings drop was also blamed on the departure of popular morning show host Jim Harper to WMGC.

[edit] WNIC Today (2001 - )

WNIC's on-air slogan is "The Best Variety of Yesterday and Today", featuring mostly 1970s disco and 1980s pop on the station's "Flashback Weekends". Alan Almond, host of the nighttime love-song dedication show "Pillow Talk," has been a fixture on Detroit radio for nearly a quarter-century (though not all of that time was at WNIC). In 2003, Almond was suddenly fired and replaced with syndicated host Glenn Hollis, whose "After Hours" show originated from WASH-FM in Washington, DC. WNIC re-hired Almond in the fall of 2005, and "Pillow Talk" returned to the airwaves of 100.3 FM.

Chuck Gaidica, longtime meteorologist for WDIV-TV (Channel 4), used to be the host of the morning show, but went back to doing weather full-time for Channel 4 (he can still be heard on the WNIC morning show doing the weather forecasts). Former afternoon personality Chris Edmonds now hosts the morning show. Today the station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. AM 1310, now liberal-talk station WDTW, is still co-owned.

WNIC, an AC station, currently plays "oldies" (such as Rod Stewart and Elton John) along with today's hits; hence, Today's Hits and Yesterday's Favorites (though its playlist of currents is quite small and the station is very slow to add new music). The artists, mainly pop and rock, of today's hits include Kelly Clarkson, John Mayer, the Fray, Snow Patrol, Natasha Bedingfield, Rob Thomas, Beyonce, KT Tunstall, and Avril Lavigne. The playlist is very similar to that of WMGC.

WNIC also features "Flashback Weekends", where they start playing only "oldies" (songs older than 20 years old, with a special emphasis on disco). It starts at 5:00 p.m. on every Friday, with exception of the holiday season, and ends at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Like most Adult Contemporary stations owned by Clear Channel, WNIC plays continuous Christmas music from before Thanksgiving through Christmas Day.

WNIC also features "AC Ballads and Love Songs" on its secondary HD Radio channel, dubbed "100.3% Love Songs."

[edit] Current Station Rating

As of the Fall 2006 Arbitron Radio Rating, WNIC surged in ratings to rank as the second most popular station in Detroit. This surge in ratings was primarily due to WNIC's continuous Christmas music program from early November through Christmas Day.

**Magic 105.1 Arbitron Radio Ratings** (Fall 2006)
Winter 2006	Spring 2006	Summer 2006	Fall 2006
4.1	3.7	3.4	6.5

[edit] Current Station On-air Lineup

**100.3 WNIC weekday on-air lineup** (February 2007)
On-air personality	Time
Mary Schmidt	12:00 a.m. — 5:00 a.m.
The Breakfast Club with Chris Edmonds, Lisa Barry, Dave Lockhart, and Chuck Gaidica	5:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.
Theresa Lucas	9:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.
Kevin O'Neill	2:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.
Alan Almond's Pillowtalk	7:00 p.m. — 12:00 a.m.