WGPR

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WGPR

City of license	Detroit, Michigan
Broadcast area	[1]
Branding	The Rhythm
First air date	December 6, 1961
Frequency	107.5 MHz
Format	Smooth Jazz / Soft Urban Adult Contemporary
Power	50,000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	Grosse Pointe Radio Where God's Power Radiates
Owner	International F. & A.M. Masons, Inc.
Website	http://www.wgprdetroit.com/

WGPR is a U.S. radio station founded December 6, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan. It operates on 107.5 MHz.

It is owned by the International Free & Accepted Modern Masons, Inc.. It was the first full-time FM stereo radio station in Michigan, and was a pioneer black-owned broadcaster. WGPR has featured an R&B format throughout its history, and is currently known as "The Rhythm 107-5," featuring a mix of Urban Adult Contemporary hits and Smooth Jazz. Saturdays are "Old School" Saturdays, featuring a wide variety of R&B, soul and dance-oriented oldies (see below), Sundays are devoted to gospel programming, and the station also features traditional jazz on weekend overnights.

Because WGPR sometimes plays Smooth Jazz, it competes with smooth jazz WVMV as well as urban AC stations WMXD and WDMK.

In 1975, WGPR was granted an Federal Communications Commission license to broadcast television on channel 62, becoming the first black-owned television station in the United States. Its first newscast, "Big City News," was anchored by Amyre Porter, Doug Morrison and Sharon Crews. The TV Station was sold to CBS and became the Detroit CBS affiliate in 1994, and was later renamed WWJ-TV.

The Electrifyin' Mojo was heard on WGPR-FM during the early 1980s. The station also used the on-air identifier "G107.5" for a time during the 1980s.

In 2007, radio legend John Mason joined the on-air staff, syndicating his morning show on 107.5. The show can be heard from 5:00 until 10:00 in the morning.

The current (late-January 2007) "Rhythm 107-5" weekday on-air lineup is as follows:

Mornings: Mason in the Morning
Middays: Maxine Michaels
Afternoon Drive: Cliff Coleman
Evenings: D. Brown

[edit] Programs

Deep space was a Saturday late night/early morning radio show on WGPR. The show was hosted by DJ Mink and featured mixes from Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Eddie Fowlkes and others.
Old School Saturday is more ambiguous than the typical schedule. Genres played on OSS are disco, funk, 1980's electronic music, dance music, Motown Sound, urban oldies, 1970's R&B. This program has been prone to technical errors. These errors include skipping CDs, a song ending midway through and sometimes accidental but simultaneous mix-in of multiple song tracks.