News of the Detroit Lions switching flagship radio stations from WXYT-FM (97.1) to WJR-AM (760) probably doesn’t matter to anyone outside southeastern Michigan. Longtime Detroit sports fans remember when WJR was a sports powerhouse until losing Tigers broadcasts to 97.1 in 2000.
WJR was a sports powerhouse in Detroit for decades until losing Tigers and Red Wings broadcasts to 97.1 in 2000. Five years later, it lost University of Michigan football and basketball broadcasts as well. So getting the Lions back (WJR lost them in 1989) is a pretty big deal.
But what makes this a story outside of metro Detroit and worth attention from the rest of the country are allegations that the Lions made censorship demands on 97.1 while negotiating a new contract for radio broadcast rights. According to station management, refusal to do so is one reason why the Lions are bolting to WJR.
Here’s what CBS Detroit (which owns 97.1) said in a statement, via the Detroit News:
“CBS Radio and the Detroit Lions are parting ways. 97.1 The Ticket has served as the flagship station for the Lions for more than a decade. CBS Radio says it has been negotiating with the Lions a long time. It is sad to say goodbye, but in the end it came down to the integrity of CBS — the refusal to be censored in talking about the team and making honest assessments on the air about this team.”
The station runs local sports talk programming from 6 a.m. to at least 7 p.m. most weekdays, and much of that content tends to be critical toward the Lions, given the sad, losing history of that franchise. Not to mention the fact that the team is 2-7 this season, is a contender for the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick, and just blew up the front office by firing the club president and general manager.
However, the most outspoken critic of the Lions is afternoon drive-time host Mike Valenti, who has the top-rated sports talk radio show in the market. Valenti’s willingness to rip the Lions on the air and feed fan disgust is one of the reasons the show draws so many listeners.
But according to Valenti’s agent, the host was a deal-breaker in negotiations between the Lions and CBS Detroit.
Mort Meisner, agent for 97.1 FM personality Mike Valenti, says the #Lions demanded Valenti’s firing as part of WXYT contract negotiations.
— Bill Shea (@Bill_Shea19) November 20, 2015
If #Lions demanded Valenti’s firing as part of contract talks with 97.1, that phone call lasted about half a second. Ratings champ stays. — Tony Paul (@TonyPaul1984) November 20, 2015
As you would expect, the Lions deny those accusations and say this was a business decision. There’s always the possibility that CBS Detroit is trying to save face after losing the radio rights to Detroit’s most popular sports team.
But in an era when professional and college teams increasingly seek to control their own message, hiring their own writers and breaking news through official outlets, and eliminating the traditional media middleman, it’s not so implausible to believe that Valenti’s name came up during discussions with CBS Detroit about continuing to broadcast Lions games.
In the meantime, Detroit sports talk radio listeners should have some entertaining radio at 2 p.m. ET. If you’re interested, 97.1 FM streams online.
Hearing that Mike Valenti will be a must-listen when his show kicks off at 2 p.m. “He’s going to bring it,” source says, of #Lions saga.
— Tony Paul (@TonyPaul1984) November 20, 2015
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