The namesake hosts of "Drew & Mike," the highest-rated duo on Detroit radio, are leaving their home station of WRIF. Apparently no one at WRIF got that memo.
When media reports began to trickle in with rumors of Drew Lane and Mike Clark's departure — and the added rumor of them being replaced by "Dave and Chuck the Freak" from 89x across the river in Windsor — there was skepticism, but none more pointed than staffers working with Drew & Mike themselves. Look no further than newscaster Trudi Daniels' tweet to Crain's Detroit Business' media reporter Bill Shea after he broke the news:
If Daniels, who delivers news for WRIF, didn't know WRIF had some news of its own, then that says something about the behind-the-scenes dealings of Greater Media Detroit, which owns the station.
Surely the "Drew & Mike" team deserved better considering their time on the air (19 years, save a two-year hiatus for Lane) and their stature in the market. And usually media staffs learning of their co-workers' demise is a story relegated to big media like Gannett or the Tribune company, and not the local radio market.
While we know "Drew & Mike" comes to an end next week, still yet to be announced is whether "Dave & Chuck the Freak" are taking their place. Sources are telling Shea at Crain's that it's a done deal, but other outlets are still in the woods.
(H/T to Real Life Husband!)