This is what "Good Neighbor Radio" is all about

[Braswell]

For many a year, my hometown station, Statesboro's WWNS, was known as "Southeast Georgia's Good Neighbor", or, more simply, "Good Neighbor Radio"...and it was.

These days, all across the fruited plain, there seems to be very few radio good neighbors. That said, I'm pleased to relate the following story.

Art Sutton, a frequent poster on these boards, heads up Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting, group owner of 13 small market stations in Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina and Northeast Georgia.

Week before last, Art set a very ambitious goal for his little group of stations...raising $100,000.00 for victims of Hurricane Katrina, and all of it ONE day, which was this past Saturday.

I wish I could tell you that Art and his folks hit their goal, but I can't. They SURPASSED it! $116,220.00 in LESS than 12 hours! I know of one listener that brought 10 one-hundred dollar bills into one of the stations...that's right, $1,000.00 in CA$H! Talk about good neighbors.

Oh, I know...thousands of stations have raised MUCH more than a pitiful hundred and sixteen thousand, so what's the big deal?

The populations of Georgia-Carolina's markets range from to 2,081 to 9,225...micro-markets, to be sure. Many of these markets are not necessarily economic boom towns, so raising this kind money of IS a big deal. Especially so, when you factor in all the many fund-raising requests that have bombarded the populace.

Listen...that's not all. The top three stations in contributions, were all AM STATIONS! AM radio is NOT dead in Georgia-Carolina country.

I'm mighty proud to call Art Sutton a friend and fellow broadcaster...a damn good broadcaster, I might add. I have to include "Tug" and Tom in my kudos. Also, Sean, Ron and all the others I've not yet had the pleasure of meeting. All of them do radio right, and this event proves it.

Three cheers to the all the "Good Neighbors" at Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting. <P ID="signature">______________
Jay Braswell - Moderator
Atlanta/North Florida/South Carolina/Georgia Boards</P>

 

[ricksegers]

Art's a good friend. We've known each other longer than we both would probably care to admit since we come from the same hometown. He certainly is the kind of broadcaster we should all strive to be whether in a city of millions or a city of hundreds.
Congratulations Art to all the staff..

Rick Segers

 

[artsutton]

> Art's a good friend. We've known each other longer than we
> both would probably care to admit since we come from the
> same hometown. He certainly is the kind of broadcaster we
> should all strive to be whether in a city of millions or a
> city of hundreds.
> Congratulations Art to all the staff..
>
> Rick Segers
>

Rick is the guy who can be blamed for teaching me the ropes of this business. I got my first radio "job" at WOGA in Sylvester, GA where Rick was the Operations Manager. He taught me to how to run the "board." First time I sat down to officially say something as an announcer, I had left the mic boom several feet above my head..so no one heard what that extremely nervous 15 year old had to say. Then there was the time not long afterwards, when I decided to sneak in a song from Grease(yes that was a popular movie at the time) into our "Town and Country" music format and some old lady called up raising all kinds of hell about it. We had a Sparta board and all you had to do to put someone on the air was press a button on the console. Yep, her hell raising went out over the air while the song was playing. Scott Williams, another part-time announcer at Wonderful WOe GA", now an air force pilot, and the brother of WALB-TV News Director Rick Williams, ran in the station reached over and depressed the button... saying "see ya later" as he ran back out. I felt this . tall at the time. Lots of good memories in the old bank building at 112 North Isabella Street. We were one of the few stations in the nation with a bank vault..good place to look up the sales folks if they didn't make quota. In our case, perhaps a better place to look up our owner.

Thanks Rick.

 

[radionut987]

> For many a year, my hometown station, Statesboro's WWNS, was
> known as "Southeast Georgia's Good Neighbor", or, more
> simply, "Good Neighbor Radio"...and it was.
>
> These days, all across the fruited plain, there seems to be
> very few radio good neighbors. That said, I'm pleased to
> relate the following story.
>
> Art Sutton, a frequent poster on these boards, heads up
> Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting, group owner of 13 small
> market stations in Western North Carolina, Upstate South
> Carolina and Northeast Georgia.
>
> Week before last, Art set a very ambitious goal for his
> little group of stations...raising $100,000.00 for victims
> of Hurricane Katrina, and all of it ONE day, which was this
> past Saturday.
>
> I wish I could tell you that Art and his folks hit their
> goal, but I can't. They SURPASSED it! $116,220.00 in LESS
> than 12 hours! I know of one listener that brought 10
> one-hundred dollar bills into one of the stations...that's
> right, $1,000.00 in CA$H! Talk about good neighbors.
>
> Oh, I know...thousands of stations have raised MUCH more
> than a pitiful hundred and sixteen thousand, so what's the
> big deal?
>
> The populations of Georgia-Carolina's markets range from to
> 2,081 to 9,225...micro-markets, to be sure. Many of these
> markets are not necessarily economic boom towns, so raising
> this kind money of IS a big deal. Especially so, when you
> factor in all the many fund-raising requests that have
> bombarded the populace.
>
> Listen...that's not all. The top three stations in
> contributions, were all AM STATIONS! AM radio is NOT dead in
> Georgia-Carolina country.
>
> I'm mighty proud to call Art Sutton a friend and fellow
> broadcaster...a damn good broadcaster, I might add. I have
> to include "Tug" and Tom in my kudos. Also, Sean, Ron and
> all the others I've not yet had the pleasure of meeting. All
> of them do radio right, and this event proves it.
>
> Three cheers to the all the "Good Neighbors" at
> Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting.

Wow! An effort like that is proof that "hometown radio" can thrive in this era of consolidation.

 

[taylorengineer]

> > Art's a good friend. We've known each other longer than we
>
> > both would probably care to admit since we come from the
> > same hometown. He certainly is the kind of broadcaster we
> > should all strive to be whether in a city of millions or a
>
> > city of hundreds.
> > Congratulations Art to all the staff..
> >
> > Rick Segers
> >
>
> Rick is the guy who can be blamed for teaching me the ropes
> of this business. I got my first radio "job" at WOGA in
> Sylvester, GA where Rick was the Operations Manager. He
> taught me to how to run the "board." First time I sat down
> to officially say something as an announcer, I had left the
> mic boom several feet above my head..so no one heard what
> that extremely nervous 15 year old had to say. Then there
> was the time not long afterwards, when I decided to sneak in
> a song from Grease(yes that was a popular movie at the time)
> into our "Town and Country" music format and some old lady
> called up raising all kinds of hell about it. We had a
> Sparta board and all you had to do to put someone on the air
> was press a button on the console. Yep, her hell raising
> went out over the air while the song was playing. Scott
> Williams, another part-time announcer at Wonderful WOe GA",
> now an air force pilot, and the brother of WALB-TV News
> Director Rick Williams, ran in the station reached over and
> depressed the button... saying "see ya later" as he ran back
> out. I felt this . tall at the time. Lots of good memories
> in the old bank building at 112 North Isabella Street. We
> were one of the few stations in the nation with a bank
> vault..good place to look up the sales folks if they didn't
> make quota. In our case, perhaps a better place to look up
> our owner.
>
> Thanks Rick.
>
I don't know Art Sutton, but his respose above tells much!
Not one "humble" word of self-congratulation for a fantastic fundraising effort....just another "thank you" to someone else.
Nice to see a "good guy" running things.....

 

[Braswell]

Update

> $116,220.00

Even though time was up, the listeners just wouldn't stop. By Monday morning, the total had jumped to $121,362.00. Something tells me that the numbers will keep on keepin' on. <P ID="signature">______________
Jay Braswell - Moderator
Atlanta/North Florida/South Carolina/Georgia Boards</P>

 

[thebroker]

Re: Update

Just further testament to the fact that Art is a damned good broadcaster.

Compare this to another station in Western NC, which will go unnamed, who refused to help a local restaurant out with a hurricane relief day remote without a hefty fee.

It is my sincere hope that the broadcasters of tomorrow are as community-minded as Art. If so, radio will continue to be a viable medium for years to come.