The Infinite Dial

Since its launch 18 months ago, WRIF Detroit's younger targeted "Riff 2" has been one of the HD-2 multicast channels that best defines HD Radio's potential, both in the care-and-feeding that go into its execution, and in its willingness to target the younger listeners that most radio stations don't. Now, the station has announced that on Jan. 20-21, heritage rocker WRIF will be turned over to the newer station's format and airstaff for a "RIFF 2" weekend.

Using a special weekend to promote an HD-2 channel isn't new. WLTW (Lite 106.7) New York has been doing Classic Lite weekends for nearly a year. But it's not hard to find a way to package an all-oldies weekend (and WLTW had various reasons for wanting to do them that went beyond just promoting an HD-2 station). It's harder to find the right vehicle for going newer. (The last good one I heard was in 1982--yes, 1982--when WHUR Washington, D.C., counterprogrammed everybody's New Year's Day countdowns by playing new superstar releases.)