About Rock 104.9 Detroit

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Rock 104.9 Detroit was founded in 2014 by veteran broadcaster, engineer, and media personality Dan Stevens-Harrell, better known to listeners across Michigan radio as Dan (Dano) Stevens.

Long before Rock 104.9 existed as a digital station, Dan began his broadcasting career in Northern Michigan at Oldies 107.5 WCCW in Traverse City while still attending Traverse City High School in 1989. What started as a high school radio class quickly became a lifelong obsession with broadcasting, audio engineering, production, and live radio.

In the years that followed, Dan worked across multiple Michigan radio markets, building a reputation for high-energy programming, strong production, technical engineering, and authentic on-air personality-driven radio. His early years included WKPK 106.7 "The Peak" in Northern Michigan before returning to Traverse City to help build the region's nightclub and entertainment scene, engineering and designing one of the area's first large-capacity modern dance clubs before eventually returning full-time to radio.

Dan later joined Northern Michigan stations including 94.3 The Fox FM WFCX and 92.5 WFDX before eventually taking over operations and morning programming responsibilities at 106.7 WSRT in Traverse City. His work and on-air presence reached listeners across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula through affiliate relationships and regional broadcasting partnerships.

That exposure led to an opportunity in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where Dan became station manager and chief operator of WTIQ AM in Manistique while simultaneously serving as the afternoon drive personality for heritage CHR station Magic 97 WGLQ in Escanaba. During this period, Dan became a recognizable radio personality throughout the region, hosting concerts, interviewing national rock artists, and helping shape the station's identity during one of its strongest eras.

After later returning to Traverse City and spending time working in electrical engineering and technical operations, Dan again found himself pulled back toward broadcasting. Additional radio and media work followed at WLDR in Traverse City, where he handled nearly every operational role inside the station including morning host, chief operator, production manager, programming, sales management, and studio operations.

In 2010, Dan moved to Grand Rapids to join Regent Broadcasting, working on-air across multiple flagship stations including 97.9 WGRD, Channel 95.7 WLHT, and 98.7 WFGR. During this period, he also worked in television news operations at FOX 17 WXMI Grand Rapids as a writer, webmaster, digital manager, and news content producer, balancing both radio and television responsibilities simultaneously.

Dan later continued his radio career nationally, including work at legendary rock station 98 KUPD in Phoenix, Arizona, and later at 94.5 The Buzz KTBZ-FM in Houston, Texas.

After decades inside traditional broadcasting, Dan returned home to Detroit with a vision of building something independent - a station focused entirely on personality-driven rock radio without corporate playlists, automated algorithms, or outside ownership controlling the format.

That vision became Rock 104.9 Detroit.

Built from the ground up as an independent digital rock station, Rock 104.9 combines modern streaming technology, custom-built broadcast infrastructure, live personalities, engineered audio processing, mobile app streaming, and Detroit rock attitude into a platform designed for listeners who missed the authenticity and energy of real rock radio.

Today, Rock 104.9 Detroit streams worldwide through its website, mobile app, and multiple radio directory platforms while continuing to serve listeners across Detroit, Traverse City, and beyond. The station focuses on modern rock, alternative, grunge, punk, nu-metal, hard rock, and the rebellious spirit that originally made rock radio powerful.

More than a decade after its launch, Rock 104.9 Detroit remains independently owned, engineered, programmed, and operated by the same broadcaster who built it from scratch - driven by Detroit grit, a passion for radio, and the belief that great rock stations should still sound alive.