On the farm

[ricksegers]

There was a time when stations around Georgia in small more rural markets did a great deal of farm programming. You had agencies that did nothing but place ag related business. I once worked for a very small market station that did extensive ag programming and generated between thirty and fifty percent of monthly budgets from ag business. Is the ag business and programming still there in Georgia? Or has it gone the way of most local programming and small market stations for that matter?

 

[Bengalsfan]

I still hear Everett Griner's voice in my sleep!

 

[fussbudget]

Good question. In the 1960's and long before, even the major market stations had extensive ag programming. WSB-AM had a "farm news director". In the winter you could hear the big stations out of the midwest start their morning broadcasts with ag news and mid-day commodity reports. When I was a young un' way back in the dark ages, it was interesting to drive through south Georgia and listen to dozens of local stations thrive on farm programming. Who could forget "pork bellies"? Even when I started in radio in the mid 70's farm programming was still a big part of the broadcast day. One of my duties was to read the agricultural weather forecast.
Now that kind of information is widely available on the internet and local stations are mostly programming satellite services, with little local input. In Georgia at least, there aren't enough farmers to fill Turner Field on a good day. Don't get me wrong, agriculture is still big business in this state, just not as big as it once was. About the only farm news I'm hearing is produced by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation in Macon, distributed by GNN. Last I heard, Ev Griner was still active but in how many markets? In the major markets, WGN in Chicago still has daily ag news and commodity prices, maybe WHO in Des Moines. beyond that, I think it isn't a growing business.

 

[radioboy]

I believe I've heard AgriNet on a station out of Thomasville, Ga. within the past year.

 

[level42]

Yes, WPAX/WTUF in Thomasville still run AgNet every day. I do still hear some farm programming in smaller towns that are fortunate enough to have a locally programmed station, but it's certainly declined in the last 5-10 years.

 

[trevor2]

In Georgia at least, there aren't enough farmers to fill Turner Field on a good day. Don't get me wrong, agriculture is still big business in this state, just not as big as it once was. About the only farm news I'm hearing is produced by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation in Macon, distributed by GNN.

Here's a bit more info...

Georgia Farm Bureau operates the Georgia Farm Radio Network, with 46 affiliates across the state. It's been on the air since 1965, and is the only ag radio network in the state that doesn't buy any airtime from its affiliates in order to be carried. It is a cooperative effort with the Georgia News Network (Clear Channel). Georgia Farm Bureau also produces a weekly TV show, the Georgia Farm Monitor, that's been on the air since 1966. GFRN produces seven radio programs every weekday. Their website is http://www.gfrn.net

Agriculture is the number one industry in the state of Georgia. According to Georgia Farm Bureau, approximately one in six Georgians works in agriculture, forestry, or a related field. The Georgia Forestry Association says the state's forestry industry alone contributes $28.7 billion, along with 127,000 jobs, to the state's economy. Beef cattle are raised in every county in Georgia. We're the #1 state in the nation in the production of peanuts, chickens, pecans and watermelons.

According to the 2007 Ag Census (these are done every 5 years), there were 47,846 active farms in the state. These were run by 39,927 "principal operators", who declared that their primary occupation was farming. Another 48,088 persons were listed as "workers"... the hired help, so to speak. These numbers do not include family members who worked as farmers but who didn't technically own the farm. (http://www.agcensus.usda.gov)