Detroit Radio: WFDF Goes ESPN 24/7

Detroit's WFDF 910 AM Superstation talk-show radio station has undergone a sudden format change, according to an internal email obtained by The Detroit News.

All shows on the station — many of which were hosted by locals — have been canceled, and the station this has moved to all-sports programming with mostly syndicated content from ESPN Radio. There are plans to "hire at least one local host," Meisner said.

Under owner Kevin Adell, WFDF 910 AM Superstation employees were notified of the format change by email.

Here’s the email 910 AM Superstation hosts received informing them that they are “no longer allowed on the premises” due to a format change happening to the longtime Metro Detroit talk radio station. pic.twitter.com/FqDCFDdw30

— Sam Robinson (@samueljrob) August 12, 2023

When asked why the transition has happened, he said, it's a business decision."

Another email from Kevin Coles, station manager, to hosts posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Axios Detroit's Samuel Robinson reads: "Thank you for your time and contributions at WFDF 910 AM Superstation. We wish you the best of luck. All access passes have been revoked and you are no longer allowed on the premises. The guard has been notified not to give you entry."

Since November 2015, the station has been one of the few to focus on Black listeners in Metro Detroit and was described as "Detroit's urban talk radio station." It, however, wasn't included in the July ranking of Nielsen Media Research's top 30 stations in Detroit.

WFDF 910 AM (50Kw DA-2)

Hosts have included local politicians and Rev. Al Sharpton's syndicated show with ESPN Radio programming overnight.

Adell, who also owns the World Network religious cable TV station, bought WFDF in 2015 for $3 million. He has been in the headlines this year. The U.S. government in April sued Adell for millions of dollars in federal court, alleging he spent years failing to pay sums related to his late father’s estate.

A month later, Adell sold the MyNetworkTV-affiliated WADL-TV station in Clinton Township to the Mission Broadcasting Co. for $75 million.

The new sports format of 910 AM puts the station in competition with the likes of WXYT 97.1 FM, which was the third most-listened station in Detroit, according to Nielsen.