I suppose it is a combination of signal strength with the money to outlast all competitors. I find today to be a pretty sad day in Atlanta -- not that GST's "Morning Drive" was necessarily compelling radio, I just happened to find that it met most of my requirements for a morning drive show -- a little humor, a little politics together with local news, weather & sports. I tried a half-dozen stations on the way in this morning -- they were either all music, all attempts at humor (I'm obviously getting old), or based somewhere else. I'm certain that WSB's ratings will go up even more now, since they are pretty much all that is left. Unfortunately, with no competition, there will be no incentive to improve.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Sad day in Atlanta... WSB-AM wins by default
- Thread starter hail2theorange
- Start date
I don't know if you can pick it up, but try 550 WDUN
Thanks, but unfortunately, WDUN doesn't work too well in the I-75 corridor. I had done some web searching last week and found 550 to look promising, just doesn't have the signal.BoomerPower99 said:
The morning show (Bill and Joel) is very good
Are you taliking about the Radio Hall of Fame? I rec'd an email from FairTax asking for a vote for Boortz. I went to the site and voted for others in every category possible. Try Bill Bennett on WGKA 920 AM, 6-9 a.m. The focus is conservative, national with candor, intelligence, and good will. You won't have to suffer through BS about what pissed him off over the weekend and endless teases about what's coming up next. You won't have to listen to him hawk garage doors, security systems, painting companies, plumbers, electricians, ad infinitem. His callers are remarkable, of a variety of different views, but all are required to maintain the aforementioned "candor, intelligence, and goodwill". Only one of the characteristics of Neal's show that made me grow weary was the abuse he'd heap upon stupid callers...I get nothing from that sort of exchange and don't believe it elevates the quality of dialogue.
I don't want a syndicated show during my morning drive -- I want local issues discussed, and as much as I want the government to keep their fingers out of the pie, I think the AM stations in Atlanta are doing a disservice to their listeners by airing nothing but this nationwide banter. I want to hear conversations with local representatives and senators about local issues. I still remember the day when they shut down the 10th street bridge over the connector and how many people got caught because they didn't know about it -- that is the fault of these profiteering, syndicated stations that should have to turn their licenses over to someone that wants to speak to Atlantans. I listen to Medved on the drive home, only because I already know that I shouldn't use a credit card to finance my lifestyle and Hannity is just too much of a party line mouthpiece without an original thought.NewsTalkJunkie said:
BoomerPower99 said:
It indeed is a GOOD show. However, in the last couple of years they have wrapped themselves in the cloak that clothes so much of talk radio.... inter-mingled with all the localsim, the variety of people on the phone, the hosts have begun making it plain that you probably don't belong in our gracious little family if your political thinking is not flat-out right-wing conservative. That "Southern Gravy" finally got so thick and sticky I quit listening. Which means I just plain quit listening to the radio in the morning.
I'm not looking for a liberal program. What ever happened to radio without political gravy of some sort slathered all over it?
hail2theorange said:
I hear you and feel your pain. WSB, however, takes too long to get to the point, interrupts with too many advertisements, so is not on my radar screen at all (except on weekends, esp. Sunday morning). I watch The Georgia Gang Sunday mornings on local Fox station and get the rest of my local needs from the internet (can't stand watching local news on TV anymore). I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment that the stations are doing a disservice to local citizens and agree with another that communicating with the stations' GM might be helpful... Hard to understand why Atlanta has become such a wasteland.
Problem with Bennett is he's got the same political theme going every day. He's a smart guy but once you hear him you've heard him. But we could say the same thing about Sean Hannity I guess. I think the point of the beginning post before this became a plug for other radio stations is "WSB wins by default."
WGKA has a good signal. Summer time has longer full power hours for WGST as well. So blaming the signal isn't a good excuse. While insiders and other fans post glowing reviews on this board truth is WSB keeps winning because the audience seems to like what they have more than what the other news talk stations have.
There is nothing new about WGKA or WGST. Until somebody shows rating growth, it is what it is. You guys seem to discount the fact news junkies are pretty loyal and don't fall for gimmicks, overstated claims or smoke and mirrors. WGKA doesn't do local news. If the AP had a glitch one morning WGST wouldn't either. The public knows WSB has the resources, people, and the depth They've proved themselves with breaking news and severe weather. You can't promo a station to victory with claims that are exaggerated like a used car dealer. The public has a good B S detector on this because these ratings aren't moving much and maybe the truth in black and white is hard to accept. You want in depth news, WABE has a bigger audience than WGKA and WGST combined by a long shot. THEY are the serious news junkies not sucked in by entertainers posing as talk show hosts.
WGKA has a good signal. Summer time has longer full power hours for WGST as well. So blaming the signal isn't a good excuse. While insiders and other fans post glowing reviews on this board truth is WSB keeps winning because the audience seems to like what they have more than what the other news talk stations have.
There is nothing new about WGKA or WGST. Until somebody shows rating growth, it is what it is. You guys seem to discount the fact news junkies are pretty loyal and don't fall for gimmicks, overstated claims or smoke and mirrors. WGKA doesn't do local news. If the AP had a glitch one morning WGST wouldn't either. The public knows WSB has the resources, people, and the depth They've proved themselves with breaking news and severe weather. You can't promo a station to victory with claims that are exaggerated like a used car dealer. The public has a good B S detector on this because these ratings aren't moving much and maybe the truth in black and white is hard to accept. You want in depth news, WABE has a bigger audience than WGKA and WGST combined by a long shot. THEY are the serious news junkies not sucked in by entertainers posing as talk show hosts.
While I agree with much of what you said, there is some that I disagree with... I think the signal does have a significant effect. If I leave my house in NE Cobb at 7am, in midwinter, I can't get a clear signal from GST until 7:30. If I change the station to WSB, it is doubtful that I would switch back to GST for the last 15 minutes of my commute. Same thing on the way home -- if I lose my signal, I'll change to FM, SB or XM. That means when I start the car the next morning, it is sitting on whatever I changed it to -- yes, I know I can change it, but human nature likes routine. Similarly, if I get used to one station in the winter, it is unlikely that I'm going to change when the days get longer.onetake said:
As for Bennett, Hannity, etc -- I see absolutely no reason to let any of their advertising hit my ears -- if they don't have local content, I don't want to hear them peddling local vendors. I cannot imagine Sean Hannity flying to Atlanta from New York City to get his Rolex serviced.
As for WSB, I agree they seem to have hit the recipe for good ratings -- that doesn't make them good, it simply makes them smart. McDonalds sells more hamburgers than anyone else -- that doesn't mean they sell the best hamburger or they have the best chefs in the kitchen.
The only thing that will put a dent in the WSB armor is a news station on a 24/7 city grade signal, and there is nothing on AM that fits the bill.
I'm not talking about an FM talker either, I'm talking about a news-heavy station with an all-news format in morning and afternoon drive, with local issues talk in middays and evenings.
And during those local shows, the newscasts should be as long or as short as needed, depending on what's happening, and not deliveredthisfastwhereyoucan'tunderstandwhatthey'resaying just so they can rejoin the prattlings of a national host on time. No sports, unless it's NFL on Sundays only, when news/talk listening is down anyway.
What FMs are struggling right now? Better yet, what station group would invest in a local format?
Yeah, that's what I thought. WSB wins...until 2025 at least.
I'm not talking about an FM talker either, I'm talking about a news-heavy station with an all-news format in morning and afternoon drive, with local issues talk in middays and evenings.
And during those local shows, the newscasts should be as long or as short as needed, depending on what's happening, and not deliveredthisfastwhereyoucan'tunderstandwhatthey'resaying just so they can rejoin the prattlings of a national host on time. No sports, unless it's NFL on Sundays only, when news/talk listening is down anyway.
What FMs are struggling right now? Better yet, what station group would invest in a local format?
Yeah, that's what I thought. WSB wins...until 2025 at least.
<snip>
[/quote]
While I agree with much of what you said, there is some that I disagree with... I think the signal does have a significant effect. If I leave my house in NE Cobb at 7am, in midwinter, I can't get a clear signal from GST until 7:30.
I hear you. Let me clarify. You're referring to weaker signals in the winter. I actually was referring to the fact the summer period has longer listening hours, I am looking at details of the July Arbitron numbers indicating flat or no growth and was saying if neither of those two stations can be competition for WSB now, they certainly won't be either on the illustration you use for winter.
With all the back and forth on how great or not so great all these news talk stations are, each has been doing this format now for years and years. It's like if it hasn't got an audience by now, it's not going to this year, or next or the next. To read anybody say any different is probably an employee spining the truth praying he'll still have a job by Christmas.
[/quote]
While I agree with much of what you said, there is some that I disagree with... I think the signal does have a significant effect. If I leave my house in NE Cobb at 7am, in midwinter, I can't get a clear signal from GST until 7:30.
I hear you. Let me clarify. You're referring to weaker signals in the winter. I actually was referring to the fact the summer period has longer listening hours, I am looking at details of the July Arbitron numbers indicating flat or no growth and was saying if neither of those two stations can be competition for WSB now, they certainly won't be either on the illustration you use for winter.
With all the back and forth on how great or not so great all these news talk stations are, each has been doing this format now for years and years. It's like if it hasn't got an audience by now, it's not going to this year, or next or the next. To read anybody say any different is probably an employee spining the truth praying he'll still have a job by Christmas.
WSB will continue to rule the roost as long as no other AM has a decent night signal. Period. Nobody is going to invest in a station (hire a news staff, etc.) unless that can be overcome.
Being able to go full power longer during the summer doesn't matter. Most folks aren't aware of what the rules are for day and night power, and the first or second time they have to tune into a weak night signal (if they can pick it up to begin with), they're gone.
Being able to go full power longer during the summer doesn't matter. Most folks aren't aware of what the rules are for day and night power, and the first or second time they have to tune into a weak night signal (if they can pick it up to begin with), they're gone.
- Status