To view or leave comments on this story, click HERE.
Yesterday, I tuned into WTCM NewsTalk 580 at 3 p.m. for my daily dose of “The Afternoon Drive,” the radio show that aired from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with Norm Jones and Bill Froehlich at the microphones. Imagine my dismay when I heard Sean Hannity in that time slot instead.
I called the radio station this morning to get the scoop, and learned that they’ve made a programming change. “Afternoon Drive” is out; Sean Hannity is in. Of course, I made it known that I wasn’t happy with the change.
Old Mission Gazette is Reader Supported.
Click Here to Keep the Gazette Going.
WTCM airs other local news programs in the morning. “The Ron Jolly Show” runs from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and “The Christal Frost Show” runs from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. But because of my work schedule – I’m self-employed and generally work into the night – I don’t listen to those morning shows.
But afternoons are when my husband Tim and I are out running errands in town, so we always tuned in for “The Afternoon Drive” to hear about local issues. That’s what we need – info on what’s happening right here in Traverse City and Northern Michigan. What we don’t need is another national radio show with yet more political commentary that we can get everywhere else.
And I loved the banter between Norm Jones and Bill Froehlich. They’re really fun and seemed more easygoing and easier-to-call than the morning shows. Like if you called them, you’d be talking to your fun-loving brother-in-law instead of a radio host.
We also loved the other hosts that filled in – Wendy Nienhouse, who has the best radio voice ever, Diane DeHaven, who’s not afraid to speak her mind about anything, and longtime radio host Colleen Wares.
Without “The Afternoon Drive,” how will we find out what’s going on with the Eighth Street debacle? The status of new nine-story buildings in Traverse City? Or what the Traverse City Commission is covering at their meetings? How will we know what’s going on without Tracy Kurtz’ movie and events roundup every Friday?
Tim and I were on “The Afternoon Drive” last August talking about “The 81” development out here on the Old Mission Peninsula, and we had a great time and hoped to go back and talk about other Old Mission issues.
Bring back “The Afternoon Drive,” WTCM! Please reconsider your programming decision to have yet another political commentary show on the air. We want local news and issues in that time slot!
I don’t see a general email for the station on their contact page, but call them and voice your concerns at the main office phone number, (231) 947-7675.
SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette
To keep the Gazette going, click here to make a donation.
To view or leave comments on this story, click HERE.
Please return to “The Afternoon Drive”! Pertinent local news and commentary. WTCM, I’m not happy with this switch. The local town’s folk love to hear Bill and Norm!
Thank you for the note! Completely agree.
The station’s contact form won’t work 🙁
UGH, more national crap on the radio. I guess I will listen to Jazz on WNMC instead. 🙁
Thanks for the note, Mike. I don’t see a general email for the station on their contact page, but call them and voice your concerns at the main office phone number, (231) 947-7675. (just added that info to the story)
I completely agree! I listen from 9am-noon for Ron&Christal then switch stations until 3pm when I would switch it back to The Afternoon Drive. I don’t care to listen to Rush, Hannity or Levin so I don’t but I will miss the Afternoon Drive. WTCM should have given the public the option to chime in on this as it is us the listeners who help keep them in business.
Yeah, that’s what my husband and I were just saying. WTCM gives no notice, no opportunity for listeners to voice opinions, no way for the hosts to let us know what’s going on. Just all of a sudden it’s there one day and gone the next!
I totally agree. We want Norm and Bill. I can get Hannity in the evening. I leave WTCM on all day while at my office and enjoy keeping up with local happenings.
It’s sad that propaganda-filled hate radio has taken root at this station.
Replacing viable, live local programming with satellite garbage and syndicated mishmosh has happened everywhere. The radio industry is probably nearing its last legs. Once there is internet audio in all cars, radio will be DOA unless it has a local connection.
And it sounds like this local connection has been kicked to the curb.
Spoken like a true, mind-numbed liberal. I say that not because I’m all that fond of the Sean Hannity program, but because you’re a Moron, Marty.
Whatever rock you crawled out from under is lonely, Bob. Go back.
Now that was a brilliant comeback. It’s tough being a mind-numbed liberal, isn’t it Marty?
Rocketman?? Really? What are you, seven? Does your mommy know where you are?
I agree, bring back Norm and Bill. We listened every day from the U.P.
Please return Afternoon drive asap!!!!
Thank God for Internet Radio !
Please continue to crush the progressives, and Democrats. After all look what that have done to our once beautiful Tragic City ! We need Norm & Bill to finish the job we started. TCGAYWATCH.ORG
Norm is a train wreck waiting to happen. No sensible person would think WTCM made the wrong decision.
Are you saying that if a train were about to wreck you wouldn’t stand there and watch it? I think not. And if you lived to tell about it, it would probably be the bright spot of your day. I’ve always liked Norm. He’s entertaining if nothing else, but I prefer him to go it alone without the inconvenience of Bill “Mr. As Well” Froehlich, or anyone else for that matter. Just turn him loose. Norm must be allowed to put his foot in his mouth occasionally. That’s just Norm being Norm.
The bigger problem here is the 10 to 12 noon slot. When Ron Jolly (an absolute Pro with a capital P) goes off at 10, so do I. Part of it is the programming. A BIG part. How often do we need to hear that we need a “professional” to tell us when to start withdrawing from our IRA? Are there really that many people around here going on cruises? And an hour of dentistry? It’s like pulling teeth, especially with THAT quack. Oh yeah, don’t forget to change the filter on your furnace…on your furnace…on your furnace…on your furnace. Enough already. And finally, I’m sorry but I just can’t take the ladies’ “chit chat”. Even Norm’s raunchy and stupid jokes would be a relief over the ladies’ chit chat.
Now, now, Missy.
NO The afternoon drive was nothing more than a regurgitation of everything that had been covered over and over all day.
I suggest putting Norm on solo, in his old morning spot in place of Crystal Frost. She is probably a fine young lady but NOT capable of carrying a show herself. Her music Mondays are a silly, inane chatter between two immature goofballs. When I used to listen to her, it was a good thing she had Colleen Wares there to carry her.
I listen to Ron, I switch to another station until noon, then I switch back for Rush and Hannity
Check out Norm’s new show. You can listen live online from 4 to 5p every weekday:
http://norm-jones.com/listen-to-norm.html
And each show is also posted as a podcast that you can listen to any time:
http://norm-jones.com/podcasts.html