Christian Radio in Atlanta

[tlyle]

Looking for comments about different Christian Radio formats in Atlanta. From a historical point of view, the format had it roots in Southern Gospel and inspirational music. In the 70's we saw the birth of contempory Christian music. Additionally most of these stations would carry preaching. I am specifically wanting comments related to music programming only and not preaching.

What stations over the years have had great formats? Do you remember any of the DJ's who worked those stations?

Here are some that I recall:

WSB AM 750 carried gospel music back in the early days including some gospel shows.

Love 86 WAEC in Atlanta - 1st contempory Christian station in ATL. Beth Bailey along with Jay Beatty back in the 80's in it's heyday

WVFJ 93.3 (now J93.3) Manchester, GA - 1st FM in the ATL market. It started out as a rimshot to ATL, but moved closer and started getting better with signal.

WWEV 91.5 Cumming, GA - Reached north GA very well.

 

[lilburncommunityradio]

I worked at WAEC back in the day. The music wasnt bad, Amy Grant was one of the artists I remember playing alot. Beth and Jay were really nice. Jay died a few years back from cancer. I really enjoyed that station more than I like the current FISH. That station is a joke..

 

[Biz Listener]

I only moved to Atlanta recently, so I don't know anything about the old stations. I do find that The Fish doesn't appeal to me very much. Whether a station is playing religious or secular music, it still needs to program good sounding songs. Just because the song's lyrics are appropriate, if the singing or the tune isn't very good, it's not much fun to listen to the song.

I find it really bothers me the way The Fish brags about being "safe". My kids are grown, but I don't think I'd like to have to explain to my little kids what the radio station means about it being "safe". If it's really safe, then that should be obvious. They shouldn't have to brag about it constantly.

 

[gr8oldies]

Sanitized for your protection?

 

[X-14]

I find it really bothers me the way The Fish brags about being "safe". My kids are grown, but I don't think I'd like to have to explain to my little kids what the radio station means about it being "safe". If it's really safe, then that should be obvious. They shouldn't have to brag about it constantly.

What an odd statement. Does it REALLY BOTHER you that they keep reminding their listeners that they are, in fact, 'safe' to listen to? Would it bother you if a rock station constantly said it was where you could 'get your rocks off' or if a jazz station constantly ran liners saying it was where you could find your 'smooth jazz'? Geeze, it's what they've built a subtantial listening audience on. And how is it 'bragging'?

BTW, If I had small kids, it wouldn't phase me one bit to tell them what is meant by it being a safe station to listen to.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I assume that most people who are interested in Christian radio, people who are interest in conversing about Christian radio.... are also familiar with the workings of church. It is my observation that a very large percentage of "church fights" are triggered by a dispute involving music of the church and the music program and it's personnel.

I am a pessimist. I assume any conversation like this about Christian Radio will degenerate into some kind of dispute, eventually, over the music. But I guess that is true of all kinds of radio.

Biz Listener and I sometimes find ourselves on opposite side of some conversations, but I side with him on observations about The Fish. Radio is a business and business, American style, thrives on being the best, the biggest, the fastest. Church and Christianity at it's heart thrive on the understanding of humility.

Anybody who tries to build any kind of business, not just radio, on being a Christian business finds themselves in a pickle. The business side says "brag, brag, brag". The religious side says: "humility, humility, humility. By their fruits you shall know them".

Trying to do Christian radio has all the drama of being a "high wire artist" out there walking the tight rope.

My kids are grown, also. I can't image raising children today and having half a dozen E.D. commercials in the evening news on TV. So, when your children hear that The Fish is safe, and ask what it means, you just tell them it means "no ED commercials".

 

[RoddyFreeman]

If it's really safe, then that should be obvious. They shouldn't have to brag about it constantly.

It's not about bragging. It's about marketing. Saying The Fish is safe for the family is no different than "Atlanta's #1 hit music station" or "the smoothest place on your radio."

 

[Biz Listener]

If it's really safe, then that should be obvious. They shouldn't have to brag about it constantly.

It's not about bragging. It's about marketing. Saying The Fish is safe for the family is no different than "Atlanta's #1 hit music station" or "the smoothest place on your radio."

Actually, most radio station bragging slogan's like "the smoothest place on your radio" are wishful thinking, presented using the logic that if you repeat BS long enough, people will start to believe it's true. Maybe it's because I'm cynical from having heard too many BS slogans over the years, but I've always felt that the truth should be self-evident. If a station has to keep bragging, it's because they're trying to fool people.

 

[trusty]

.....just speeches.....just words.....

 

[radioboy]

I believe WFOM 1230 in Marietta played contemporary Christian music for a few years during the 80s.

I worked for a station owner in Tallahassee who owned WFOM from 1986 to about 1991. Knowing this
gentleman's tastes, I'm sure he probably added in more preachers/talk.

I bought a lot of the CCM music from his Tallahassee station and a few old albums came from WFOM.
The Tallahassee station played some CCM until 2001.

 

[fortmill]

Strange nobody has said a word about the black gospel stations in ATL, including one which always out rates all the other gospel/Christian stations, by far.

 

[trusty]

Strange nobody has said a word about the black gospel stations in ATL, including one which always out rates all the other gospel/Christian stations, by far.

Yes, and WYZE/1480 and WIGO/1570 stream live.
WYZE
WIGO

 

[Biz Listener]

Yes, and WYZE/1480 and WIGO/1570 stream live.
WYZE
WIGO

But they're on AM. Does anyone actually listen to AM any more?

 

[trusty]

??? ??? Why does it matter if they're on AM? They're streaming.

 

[Biz Listener]

??? ??? Why does it matter if they're on AM? They're streaming.

Because I don't have the internet in my car. And if I'm at home, why would I bother with the radio when I have Comcast's music channels with no commercials or DJs to interrupt the music?

 

[trusty]

??? ??? Why does it matter if they're on AM? They're streaming.

Because I don't have the internet in my car. And if I'm at home, why would I bother with the radio when I have Comcast's music channels with no commercials or DJs to interrupt the music?

OK, but JUST IN CASE you, or anyone, were at home, online, and you wanted to hear Gospel music on a local station that you couldn't pick up very well, then those two stations do stream - even at night.

 

[Biz Listener]

??? ??? Why does it matter if they're on AM? They're streaming.

Because I don't have the internet in my car. And if I'm at home, why would I bother with the radio when I have Comcast's music channels with no commercials or DJs to interrupt the music?

OK, but JUST IN CASE you, or anyone, were at home, online, and you wanted to hear Gospel music on a local station that you couldn't pick up very well, then those two stations do stream - even at night.

If ever there was some wierd conjunction of the planets and all of those conditions were to somehow all come together, I'll bear that in mind.

One question. Does that "local" station broadcast local gospel singers actually singing live in the station's studio, or do they just play pretty much the same collection of nationally available gospel recordings that all gospel stations play?

 

[trusty]

??? ??? Why does it matter if they're on AM? They're streaming.

Because I don't have the internet in my car. And if I'm at home, why would I bother with the radio when I have Comcast's music channels with no commercials or DJs to interrupt the music?

OK, but JUST IN CASE you, or anyone, were at home, online, and you wanted to hear Gospel music on a local station that you couldn't pick up very well, then those two stations do stream - even at night.

If ever there was some wierd conjunction of the planets and all of those conditions were to somehow all come together, I'll bear that in mind.

One question. Does that "local" station broadcast local gospel singers actually singing live in the station's studio, or do they just play pretty much the same collection of nationally available gospel recordings that all gospel stations play?

I could tell you, but I really want to see the weird conjunction of the planets. ;D

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

One question. Does that "local" station broadcast local gospel singers actually singing live in the station's studio, or do they just play pretty much the same collection of nationally available gospel recordings that all gospel stations play?

You must devote a bit of time to listen to these two stations for a while. Check the program schedule on the website of WYZE.

Black Gospel Broadcasting (not to be confused with the style of playing records on Southern Gospel radio found in the white dominated communities of Appalachia) is an American Broadcasting Art Form. It is possible that very last surviving A.M. stations to turn in their licenses at some future date, and the very last A.M. stations to show up in audience surveys may be the Black Gospel stations.

 

[trusty]

You must devote a bit of time to listen to these two stations for a while. Check the program schedule on the website of WYZE.

No, not really. I just know they stream (if anyone is interested). WYZE's stream isn't that great, and I know they do a lot of teaching/preaching programs, but they also have music. WIGO has more music (and a better stream). There may be others, and - when I have time - I'll check their web pages and let you know.



(Anybody else want to read anything into my purely informational posts? )