What WRIF does

WRIF (101.1 FM) is a commercial rock music radio station licensed to and operating in the Detroit metropolitan area, owned by Beasley Media Group, LLC. The station delivers continuous rock music programming, local Detroit news, entertainment and concert information, and listener-engagement features such as contests and giveaways. Its primary on-air property is the Dave & Chuck the Freak morning show, with associated personalities and segments that anchor the station's brand as "WRIF Rocks Detroit."

The station's product surface is built on a traditional FM broadcast (101.1 MHz covering Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties) layered with digital distribution: a live audio stream on wrif.com, dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications, and a daily podcast plus a 24/7 "Dave & Chuck 24/7" audio channel distributed via the Art19 podcast network. The website also functions as a content hub for rock music news, local Detroit news (produced in partnership with the Detroit Newsroom), event coverage, and on-demand video ("Peep Show" series). All content appears to be produced by named editorial staff.

WRIF's revenue model is advertising-based. The station does not charge listeners; income is generated through on-air commercials, sponsorships, integrated marketing messages, and contest-driven promotions with local and regional partners. GTM is sales-led, monetizing the station's Detroit-metro audience of rock-music listeners (segmented as adults 18–54). Key commercial partners include anchor Detroit venues Pine Knob Music Theatre and The Fillmore Detroit, with secondary partnerships spanning local concert venues, attractions (Toledo Zoo), and brand sponsors (Michigan Auto Law). No listener pricing, subscription tiers, or advertiser rate-card data is publicly disclosed.

Name

WRIF

Legal name

WRIF (Beasley Media Group, LLC)

Website

https://wrif.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WRIF is a Detroit-metro commercial rock radio station (101.1 FM) owned by Beasley Media Group, delivering rock music programming, local news, contests, and venue partnerships to adult listeners aged 18–54 in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Revenue is generated through advertising and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial rock radio
• FM radio broadcasting
• Live audio streaming
• Radio advertising sales
• Music and entertainment podcasts

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferndale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Traditional advertising model where businesses pay to reach the station's audience through on-air commercials, sponsorships, and integrated marketing messages

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WRIF is a commercial FM rock radio station broadcasting at 101.1 MHz in the Detroit metropolitan area, owned by Beasley Media Group, LLC. It delivers continuous rock music programming, local news, entertainment content, and listener engagement via on-air broadcast, website live stream, mobile applications, and the Dave & Chuck the Freak podcast. Revenue is generated through on-air advertising and sponsorships sold to local and regional businesses.

Product overview

WRIF is a Detroit-based rock music radio station (101.1 FM) owned by Beasley Media Group. The station operates primarily as a traditional radio broadcast with a digital presence through its website and mobile applications. Its core offerings include a live radio stream, the Dave & Chuck 24/7 channel, and the Dave & Chuck the Freak podcast/show featuring entertainment and lifestyle content. The station also produces music news, local news, entertainment articles, and hosts various contests and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WRIF Live Radio Broadcast (101.1 FM)
• WRIF Mobile App Native mobile application available on iOS and Android that allows listeners to access the WRIF live stream, the Dave & Chuck 24/7 channel, and station content on mobile devices.
• WRIF Live Stream Continuous online live audio stream of the WRIF rock music broadcast accessible via the wrif.com website and mobile applications, allowing listeners to tune in outside the FM broadcast footprint.
• Dave & Chuck 24/7 Audio Channel 24/7 audio channel featuring continuous content from the Dave & Chuck the Freak show, accessible through the WRIF mobile application for around-the-clock listening.
• Dave & Chuck the Freak Podcast Daily on-demand podcast and show segments featuring entertainment news, lifestyle discussions, and humor content hosted by Dave and Chuck, distributed as full shows and clips via the website and Peep Show video series.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pine Knob Music TheatrecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Detroit-area concert venue for contest giveaways and ticket promotions. WRIF frequently offers contest giveaways for shows at Pine Knob including Motley Crue, The Black Crowes, and other rock acts.
• The Fillmore DetroitcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHistoric Detroit music venue partner for concert ticket giveaways and artist appearances.
• District 142 (Wyandotte)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal concert venue in Wyandotte, Michigan featured in concert ticket giveaways.
• Toledo ZoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for ticket giveaway contests to the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium.
• Michigan Auto LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm sponsoring the Motown Cruise giveaway contest.
• Detroit NewsroomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal news content partnership providing additional local news coverage for the Detroit area.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Townsquare Media: Mid-market-focused U.S. radio operator with rock and music-formatted stations, plus digital and live-event businesses; comparable to a scaled version of WRIF's station-level GTM and a benchmark for digital monetization strategies.
• iHeartMedia: The largest U.S. radio broadcaster, operating hundreds of FM stations including multiple rock formats in top markets; competes with WRIF for both ad budgets and digital audio share, and operates competing podcast and streaming platforms that overlap with WRIF's digital extensions.
• Audacy: Major U.S. radio operator with rock and music-format stations in Detroit and other large markets, plus a significant podcast network; competes with WRIF for both terrestrial ad share and digital audio/podcast listenership.
• SiriusXM: Satellite and streaming audio platform with multiple rock-music channels and an extensive on-demand podcast library; competes with WRIF for rock-music listener time and a share of in-car audio advertising that is core to WRIF's FM broadcasting franchise.
• Cumulus Media: Large diversified U.S. radio broadcaster with rock and music-formatted stations across multiple markets; competes for ad budgets at both the local Detroit and national-network level, and offers syndicated digital/podcast products.

Regional players

• WGTR (B-98.5 / other Chattanooga) / WLLZ (historical Detroit rock): Historical Detroit rock-radio brand and adjacent format stations in comparable mid-size Midwest markets; useful for understanding regional rock-format economics and listener behavior outside WRIF's primary DMA.

Direct peers

• WMMR (93.3 WMMR Philadelphia): Long-running active/classic rock station in a major U.S. market with established on-air personalities, contest-driven audience engagement, and digital streaming extensions — a close functional analog to WRIF's format and GTM motion.
• WXRT (93XRT Chicago): Heritage rock-format station in a top-three U.S. market with strong local news, listener events, and digital streaming — provides a benchmark for how established rock brands monetize live events, sponsorships, and digital extensions in a larger market than Detroit.
• KISW (99.9 KISW Seattle): Active rock station in another major U.S. metro with similar contest/event-based audience engagement and digital distribution; directly comparable to WRIF in format, brand posture, and revenue model.
• WCSX (94.7 WCSX): Classic rock station broadcasting in the same Detroit metropolitan market as WRIF; identical geographic footprint and directly competing for the same rock-music ad dollars and listener share within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/101wrif

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WRIF