WDET 101.9 FM, Detroit’s nonprofit radio station, was named Public Radio Station of the Year during the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) Broadcast Excellence Awards ceremony held Saturday at MotorCity Casino’s Sound Board Theater.

WDET won several categories of awards including Station Excellence and Community Station of the Year and was awarded Station of the Year for the third time in the past four years within the Public Radio Group 2 category.

“It’s an honor to be a part of the MAB and the prestigious network of Michigan public media broadcasters,” said WDET General Manager Mary Zatina. “This year’s award recognition means even more to us given we were celebrating 75 years as Detroit’s Public Radio station and made significant schedule and programming changes based on listener and member data and their requests for what they wanted from us as we move into the future.”

Honors all around WDET

The MAB also honored WDET with nine additional awards, including the Station Excellence award for its 75th-year accomplishments submission, “best ofs” and “merits.”

“WDET has been telling Detroit’s most important stories since 1949, so it’s especially meaningful to be honored by MAB during this anniversary year,” said WDET Program Manager Adam Fox. “These awards recognize our excellence in news, music, and current affairs — and our ongoing commitment to serving Detroit with more local programming, and hosts who reflect and celebrate our community.”

• Station Excellence – Public Radio Group 2 (Large market category): “Bold Moves – 75 Years of Detroit Radio”, WDET Staff
• Best Membership Appeal: “WDET Farms”, WDET Production Staff
• Best Community Involvement: “MichMash Live”, Hernz Laguerre, Cheyna Roth, Zach Gorchow, Alethia Kasben
• Best Newscast: “WDET News 5:04 a.m. July 22, 2024”, Pat Batcheller
• Best Musical Programming: “In The Groove – Jack White World Premiere”, Ryan Patrick Hooper
• Merit Feature/Use of Medium: “Detroit Students Follow the Path of the Buffalo Soldiers in Yosemite”, Sascha Raiyn
• Merit Special Interest & Cultural Programming: “MichMash – Mackanac“, Cheyna Roth, Alethia Kasben, Hernz Laguerre
• Merit Musical Programming: “Modern Music Holiday Special”, Jon Moshier
• Merit Use of Multiplatform Media Promotional/Membership Materials: “Jack White Surprise Album Reveals Promotional Materials”, Ryan Patrick Hooper, Jenny Sherman, Dave Kim

I love being able to bring Spiritualized and The Rolling Stones together, plus a bunch of fresh releases from SHY FX, Lady Wray, Hannah Cohen, Nightmares on Wax, Moses Sumney and many more. That’s the pleasure of public radio! Genre doesn’t matter — good music does!

Plus, a bunch of your voicemails celebrating Aretha Franklin, who would’ve been 83 this week. Why not just turn it into Aretha Week on In The Groove? With your voicemails?! I’ve still got space for a few more — feel free to drop me a line on the groove hotline at 313-577-3414, and I’ll play it on air!

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for March 26, 2025

• “Risk It All (feat. Maverick Sabre) [Acoustic]” – SHY FX
• “High Tide or Low Tide (B is for Bob Mix)” – Bob Marley & The Wailers
• “Best For Us” – Lady Wray
• “Dusty” – Hannah Cohen
• “Typical (feat. Jordan Rakei) [Little Dragon’s Rick Ride Remix]” – Nightmares On Wax
• “You’re All I Need to Get By (Take 2)” – Aretha Franklin
• “Spirit In the Dark (Live February 7, 1971)” – Aretha Franklin
• “Spirit In the Dark (Reprise with Ray Charles) [Live February 7, 1971]” – Aretha Franklin
• “Miss Perfumado (4 Hero Remix)” – Cesária Evora
• “American Cars (Africanz on Marz West Coast Drive Rework)” – Sam
• “Hey Girl(s)” – Moses Sumney, Syd & Meshell Ndegeocello
• “The Other Lover” – Little Dragon & Moses Sumney
• “Retold” – Nate Smith
• “Liquid Sunshine” – John Cameron
• “I Say A Little Prayer” – Aretha Franklin
• “Inertia” – Samora Pinderhughes
• “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – Rolling Stones
• “I Think I’m in Love” – Spirtualized
• “Jealous Boy” – The Bug Club (In The Groove Pick of the Week)
• “It’s Amazing To Be Young” – Fontaines D.C.
• “Sonny The Strong” – Gaz Coombes
• “West Side” – Studio
• “Untitled” – Interpol
• “Plainsong” – Seefeel
• “Boxing Feat. King Krule (DJ Python Remix)” – Mount Kimbie
• “Spacelab” – Kraftwerk
• “Clear (Jose “Animal” Diaz Remix)” – Cybotron
• “Sharivari” – Dirtbombs
• “L.O.V.E. and You and I (Madlib Remix)” – Jazzanova

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.