Radio Detroit's 99.5 WYCD

WYCD (99.5 FM, "Detroit's 99.5 WYCD") is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is the only country music station in the Detroit area. WYCD's offices and studios are located on Woodward Heights (9 1/2 Mile Rd). near Interstate 75 in Ferndale, Michigan. WYCD's transmitter is located in Royal Oak Township in Oakland County off Wyoming Avenue just north of the Detroit city limits.



99.5 WYCDOriginal logo used during "Young Country"

(1993-1998)A few months later on May 28, 1993, at 3pm, the station dropped the talk format in favor of "Young Country 99.5". Part of the branding for this format included the logo for Young Country with red and blue lettering and some blue background and a star in the middle of the word "Young". Dr. Don Carpenter was one of the few airstaff that remained from the "Wow FM" format. WYCD positioned itself as a younger-leaning alternative to crosstown 106.7 W4 Country. The format kept its talk element and combined it with younger sounding country music and created "Morning Shows" all day that highlighted listener calls, tons of requests and fun jock talk. It was all a part of owner Alliance's "Young Country" concept that it had on the air in Dallas, Seattle and San Francisco. Although W4 Country typically had higher ratings with country than did WYCD, lack of advertiser revenue led W4 Country to switch to a classic-rock format in September 1999.

On February 16, 2001, WYCD dropped the "Young Country 99.5" positioner in favor of "Country 99.5". By late 2002, it seemed that the station had dropped its Country 99.5 positoner and rebranded itself as just 99.5 WYCD. In June 2009 in a way to symbolize where it is from, The station rebranded as Detroit's 99.5 WYCD.

With the country format all to itself in Detroit from 1999 to 2006, WYCD has consistently been a Top 10-rated station. In the spring of 2006, WYCD had its best ratings book ever when it tied for first place 12+ with hip-hop station FM98 WJLB.

The high ratings at WYCD are probably what led 106.7 The Drive to switch formats back to country in May 2006. After three years of competing in the format, 106.7 The Fox dropped country music for Rhythmic AC, due to low ratings, making WYCD once again the only country station in Detroit.

In 2007, WYCD was nominated for the top 25 markets Country music Radio & Records magazine station of the year award . Other nominees included WUSN Chicago, KYGO-FM Denver, KEEY-FM Minneapolis, WXTU Philadelphia, and KSON-FM San Diego.

Logo used from 2006-2009Detroit's 99.5 WYCD currently ranks at #3 (5.2) in the Detroit market according to the November 2010 PPM Rating release.