F
FloridaBear1776
Guest
Not an opportune time to post this with Wilma's aftermath, nonetheless...
I'm a bit fuzzy on the date, but it was about 20 years ago this month that the call letters WGBS disappeared from South Florida airwaves. I realize a lot of people have memories of WGBS' music format, but hardly anyone recalls WGBS' brief stint as a talker from 1983 to 1985.
"WGBS 710 News" was certainly well-produced. It had a bouncy jingle package, something rivals WNWS and WINZ couldn't boast at the time. Perhaps WIOD had one, I can't recall, but remember that they were still at least part-time a music station in the early 80s. GBS had a breezy news block presentation in drivetimes and at noon, and seemed to make an effort to cover news all over the state, not just in Miami, understandable with their 50 kW signal.
Yet WGBS never really made it as a talker. Perhaps that was because English talk had hit its zenith in Miami with the Mariel boatlift and racial disturbances in 1980, and was already sliding downhill. Maybe it was the Anglos moving out of Dade and away from 710's signal. Possibly WGBS' conversion to WAQI was the signal that began the decline of English talk in Miami to its present sorry state. But I think there were a few factors in WGBS' failure to thrive that were of its own making.
Chief among these was Jefferson-Pilot's determination to do "nice guy" talk.
They seemed to believe they were offering an alternative to the "abrasive" style led by Neil and copied by just about everyone else in the market, including Al Rantel and Steve Kane (still in their liberal phases). They never stopped to ask if anyone was looking for an alternative. Of course, Jeff-Pilot also bought WNWS after shedding 710 and, I believe, took that station into the toilet as well.
Their late-morning host, David Gold, was one of the pioneer conservative talkers, and would later enjoy a long tenure in Dallas working for Susquehanna, a company that had similar taboos about talk (except for its Miami O-and-O, WQBA). But he didn't get Miami or South Florida. The late Lee Fowler, I recall, was ops manager and sometime host.
Anyone else recall any talk hosts from GBS in this period? I think Bob Lassiter's first talk gig was a weekend slot on 710.
I'm a bit fuzzy on the date, but it was about 20 years ago this month that the call letters WGBS disappeared from South Florida airwaves. I realize a lot of people have memories of WGBS' music format, but hardly anyone recalls WGBS' brief stint as a talker from 1983 to 1985.
"WGBS 710 News" was certainly well-produced. It had a bouncy jingle package, something rivals WNWS and WINZ couldn't boast at the time. Perhaps WIOD had one, I can't recall, but remember that they were still at least part-time a music station in the early 80s. GBS had a breezy news block presentation in drivetimes and at noon, and seemed to make an effort to cover news all over the state, not just in Miami, understandable with their 50 kW signal.
Yet WGBS never really made it as a talker. Perhaps that was because English talk had hit its zenith in Miami with the Mariel boatlift and racial disturbances in 1980, and was already sliding downhill. Maybe it was the Anglos moving out of Dade and away from 710's signal. Possibly WGBS' conversion to WAQI was the signal that began the decline of English talk in Miami to its present sorry state. But I think there were a few factors in WGBS' failure to thrive that were of its own making.
Chief among these was Jefferson-Pilot's determination to do "nice guy" talk.
They seemed to believe they were offering an alternative to the "abrasive" style led by Neil and copied by just about everyone else in the market, including Al Rantel and Steve Kane (still in their liberal phases). They never stopped to ask if anyone was looking for an alternative. Of course, Jeff-Pilot also bought WNWS after shedding 710 and, I believe, took that station into the toilet as well.
Their late-morning host, David Gold, was one of the pioneer conservative talkers, and would later enjoy a long tenure in Dallas working for Susquehanna, a company that had similar taboos about talk (except for its Miami O-and-O, WQBA). But he didn't get Miami or South Florida. The late Lee Fowler, I recall, was ops manager and sometime host.
Anyone else recall any talk hosts from GBS in this period? I think Bob Lassiter's first talk gig was a weekend slot on 710.