Too Quiet

[kyscott]

It was new in 2004. They moved it from middle Georgia to Avondale Estates. I was hired away from Sunny 100/WCHK to run it. We started in the basement of the owners. Then we moved to Buford Highway with brand new talk studios, when we got the new tower. In 2006, they sold it to Joe Weber. He now broadcasts bird calls and ecclectic music over the frequency. The station hasn't shown up in the Arbitron since it was sold.

What are the call letters? Bird calls, huh? Surprised it hasn't shown up in the ratings, everything else does.

 

[JohnAllan]

It was new in 2004. They moved it from middle Georgia to Avondale Estates. I was hired away from Sunny 100/WCHK to run it. We started in the basement of the owners. Then we moved to Buford Highway with brand new talk studios, when we got the new tower. In 2006, they sold it to Joe Weber. He now broadcasts bird calls and ecclectic music over the frequency. The station hasn't shown up in the Arbitron since it was sold.

What are the call letters? Bird calls, huh? Surprised it hasn't shown up in the ratings, everything else does.

No, you don't understand. When I say ecclectic, I mean African Tribal Drums (world music) segued into the Beatles. I have always prided myself as being open minded about music. I like a LARGE variety, but even I can't stand listening! It is just a $12 million dollar toy for Weber. Rodney Ho from the AJC called it a 10,000 watt Ipod. I think that fits best.

Now, to answer your question, the old calls were WWAA, but I don't know if he kept them. He also owns another AM, WMLB.

 

[kyscott]

Well, if you have the money more power to you. I hope to be in that situation one day!

 

[JohnAllan]

Back to the topic at hand, any news from the Albany area? Who's doing what down there? Have all the stations been bought by one group yet?

 

[Hugh_Allegood]

Hey John

Havent heard from you in quite some time. Well as we all feared all of the radio stations in ABY are either owned by Cumulus or Clear Channel.
By the way where are you now? I got an email from R. Segers the other day and was really glad to hear from him.

 

[JohnAllan]

Hey Hugh!! What's shakin'?

I'm actually located in Ball Ground, GA. I run a recording studio/radio programming service out of here. I program (and do the afternoon show on) WNGM in Hiawassee (you can hear the stream at www.wngm1230.com ) and I also program WPGY in Ellijay (No stream, not on internet). We do agency commercials, jingles, and what not from the studio. And I have recorded everything from Classical to Heavy Metal in the studio (We are a Disc Makers studio partner). We also have some songs I've written (and recorded here) placed in some movies coming out soon. (We call that mailbox money! GO ASCAP!!) I also have a music publishing business (Panic Code Music ASCAP) for placing songs in movies, TV, Commercials, and video games. I have a couple of "staff writers". They find it easier to write lyrics for a title pawn business, or pizza parlor than I do. We also have a guitar amp/pa repair service (Digital Creative Networks) out of the same location. And Bob does engineering work and computer repairs under the DCN banner. Yes, multiple streams of income.

Well, that is my whole resume up to date. I know you did the tower install for 1690, what else are you doing??

 

[kyscott]

Hey Hugh!! What's shakin'?

I'm actually located in Ball Ground, GA.

Now THAT'S a name I haven't heard in a long time. I remember eating at this awesome BBQ joint up near there in the mid 80's.

I run a recording studio/radio programming service out of here. I program (and do the afternoon show on) WNGM in Hiawassee (you can hear the stream at www.wngm1230.com )

Cool, my first cousin just took the job of head football coach at Towns County High.

 

[johnr0626]

Hey kyscott,
When you talk about Macon radio, have you actually been around long enough to hear it. Just passing through doesn't qualify. There's some really good radio from some real vets. Is radio what it used to be, I think it still can be. When the Mother's Day tornados hit, WMAC and other Cumulus stations where on the air and reporting all that could be reported. The staff came together and did a great job.

I'm not sure if you're talking about formatics or signal quality, but when you get a chance to come listen for a while I think you'll find it as good as if not better than most markets of this size. Let us know when you're going to be here long enough to get an informed opinion and we'll treat you to lunch.

 

[kyscott]

I'm not sure if you're talking about formatics or signal quality, but when you get a chance to come listen for a while I think you'll find it as good as if not better than most markets of this size. Let us know when you're going to be here long enough to get an informed opinion and we'll treat you to lunch.

In an earlier post I said Stations in Macon sound over processed, over modulated and over pumped. Signal quality, I don't get into formats. I spent the week of Memorial Day in Dooly County and had time to listen a little bit more. Everybody is trying to be loud, and you can't "out loud" the next guy.

I'm always up for lunch, is Satterfield's BBQ still open?

 

[JohnAllan]

I run a recording studio/radio programming service out of here. I program (and do the afternoon show on) WNGM in Hiawassee (you can hear the stream at www.wngm1230.com )

Cool, my first cousin just took the job of head football coach at Towns County High.
[/quote]

Hey Scott, we broadcast Towns County Indians Football. When we first started, we sold sponsorships for 1st down, touchdown, and other "events" during the game. The first year, WE NEVER USED THE 1st DOWN OR THE TOUCHDOWN SPONSORSHIPS!! You should have heard the broadcasts. We have a GREAT local announcer that used to make it exciting to hear them lose!!

Anyway, we are so GLAD to have your first cousin, he's actually made it easy to sell sponsorships! They actually won some games last year.

Don't you just love "down home local" radio?

 

[kyscott]

Hey Scott, we broadcast Towns County Indians Football. When we first started, we sold sponsorships for 1st down, touchdown, and other "events" during the game. The first year, WE NEVER USED THE 1st DOWN OR THE TOUCHDOWN SPONSORSHIPS!! You should have heard the broadcasts. We have a GREAT local announcer that used to make it exciting to hear them lose!!

Anyway, we are so GLAD to have your first cousin, he's actually made it easy to sell sponsorships! They actually won some games last year.

Consider me his agent, and I'll take my 25% cut off the top! Kyle coached in Hawkinsville down in Pulaski county. He was looking for a challenge, I'd say he has it. I do high school officiating up here in Kentucky, I'd like to get down to see a game if his sometimes. Maybe I could sit up in the booth with your guys. ;D







Don't you just love "down home local" radio?
[/quote]

 

[JohnAllan]

Hey Scott, we broadcast Towns County Indians Football. When we first started, we sold sponsorships for 1st down, touchdown, and other "events" during the game. The first year, WE NEVER USED THE 1st DOWN OR THE TOUCHDOWN SPONSORSHIPS!! You should have heard the broadcasts. We have a GREAT local announcer that used to make it exciting to hear them lose!!

Anyway, we are so GLAD to have your first cousin, he's actually made it easy to sell sponsorships! They actually won some games last year.

Consider me his agent, and I'll take my 25% cut off the top! Kyle coached in Hawkinsville down in Pulaski county. He was looking for a challenge, I'd say he has it. I do high school officiating up here in Kentucky, I'd like to get down to see a game if his sometimes. Maybe I could sit up in the booth with your guys. ;D







Don't you just love "down home local" radio?

[/quote]

Hey Scott, don't give me a challenge and expect me to ignore it!! I'll set it up with my guys. They would LOVE to have an "official" on the mic with them. Ofcourse you would probably be defending officials everywhere ALL NIGHT! Actually, our announcer just won a Gabby for best sports show for "The Coaches Show" for Indians football. And I must say, both the coach and our guy do a great show.

 

[kyscott]

Hey Scott, don't give me a challenge and expect me to ignore it!! I'll set it up with my guys. They would LOVE to have an "official" on the mic with them. Ofcourse you would probably be defending officials everywhere ALL NIGHT! Actually, our announcer just won a Gabby for best sports show for "The Coaches Show" for Indians football. And I must say, both the coach and our guy do a great show.

If I ever get down to one of his games, I'll let you know....of course when they are playing, Kentucky is playing and I'm usually on a field up here Friday nights.

When I was at WCEH in Hawkinsville, I loved running the board for our Friday night game of the week. Our announcers were Tom Kirk and Jim Ball. Tom kept Jim from getting thrown in jail one night in Wilcox county after our feed went down. I called the sheriff's department there knowing they all have deputies at the games. I asked the dispatcher to radio one of her deputies and have him go up in the press box and tell Jim we lost the feed to dial back in (this was before cell phones). Took them over 45 minutes to get someone up there, and when he did go up there he was asking for "Jim Knight"! Jim went off on the deputies!!

I love small town radio!

 

[johnr0626]

Hello kyscott, sorry for the misunderstanding about your Macon radio comment. I thought surely an engineer wouldn't venture into programming. Yes to a couple of things. Yes Satterfield's is still open and that sounds good. And yes to over processing. We just backed off on one of our stations because it was hurting more than helping the sound. Good point.

 

[kyscott]

Hello kyscott, sorry for the misunderstanding about your Macon radio comment. I thought surely an engineer wouldn't venture into programming. Yes to a couple of things. Yes Satterfield's is still open and that sounds good. And yes to over processing. We just backed off on one of our stations because it was hurting more than helping the sound. Good point.

Not a problem. I am all for sweeting of the signal some, but some stations really squeeze that grape. Bob Orban told me years ago, there will always be a trade off between loudness and fidelity. Personally, I like to lean toward fidelity. The loudness wars are over, and we lost. A lot of the FM stations there in Macon would to well to back off of theirs, too.

 

[kturnerga]

Question for Diamondtwo; why are two radio stations (Mixedup 100.9) and CC's 102.5 trying to go virtually head to head with WPEZ? If either station had the brains of a gerbil they'd get some programming talent and air classic hits (what we used to call oldies) instead of mixing today's hits with yesterday's twenty songs. Just let me get hold of one of those stations and I'll have "Edmund Fitzgerald" and The Carpenters pouring into your ears- oh and some George Harrison and Olivia Newton-John.

And there won't be any of this "take the TV newscast and give them the audio feed" business either. I'll pipe in Georgia Radio News or ABC.

BTW I am converting over to your station as I am tired of hearing "Mony Mony," "Tainted Love" and "Young Turks" beat into the ground by those kindergarteners at Clear Channel. Their signal seems to be deteriorating of late.

I will say that XM may or may not be any better than the terrestrial radio stations and their razor-thin playlists. For a dollar a song I can fill up a ten-dollar MP3 player and hear what I want; for X dollars per month I could hear what THEY want me to hear on XM.

 

[DJ God!]

Hey Kyscott:

What years did you work at WCEH?

DJ GOD!

 

[DJ God!]

Kyscott:

Never mind I read your earlier post. I worked there from 1986 to 1989. I know they were running my sign on sign off cart for a few years after I left. I visited in 1992 late one night driving through. I really miss that station. Where's Jim and Tom at these days?

 

[kyscott]

Kyscott:

Never mind I read your earlier post. I worked there from 1986 to 1989. I know they were running my sign on sign off cart for a few years after I left. I visited in 1992 late one night driving through. I really miss that station. Where's Jim and Tom at these days?

We were there about the same time. I graduated from Dooly county in '85. Spent a year in Atlanta. Came back to help out at Vienna's AM in '86, Hawkinsville in 87, Ocilla in 88 then followed Charlie's advice and enrolled in South Ga Tech in 88.

I can't remember the last time I saw Jim. I think it was in the mid 90's when I did some contract work for WQIL. I stopped in at CEH on the way back to Warner Robins.

 

[jovialjay]

Last time I heard, Ball was working in sales for Cox Cable in Macon, and...you heard it here first...

Tom Kirk was teaching school in Gainesville, Georgia!

Not that this has anything to do with that, but reading about WAAC's formatic revolution (and seeing a picture of the new GM all decked out in his Superman shirt, looking like he's been on a two-week drunk), I just keep wondering when some station will convert to a "all monkey farts, all the time" format, and I won't even raise an eyebrow.

I'm just getting too damned old for this.

I'm still jovial,
His Jovial Jayness

Oh...and yes, firemen were safely back in the barn at two-ten AM!