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Radio monkeys on the way to WGST
By Ed Anger
Weekly World News
copyright 2007
ATLANTA — In a move that could sink or save the station, WGST powers-that-be have decided to think "outside the box" and try something new.
With the station ratings at an all-time low, station management has decided to cut all "in studio" staff. They will continue to air syndicated talk shows hosts since they are approximately 1/4 the price of having someone local and interesting.
Now WGST will have actual monkeys inside the studio to push buttons and other details when a "live" personality is needed. The monkeys are currently being trained at an undisclosed location in Atlanta and should be ready to have their test runs within a few weeks, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
"This is admittedly risky, but the powers-that-be actually think they can pull this off," the inside source said. "The monkeys will even be able to answer the phones and as long as the caller doesn't go into too much detail, the radio monkeys will be able to handle whatever crisis arises."
WGST has had serious revenue and ratings problems dating back to 1997 when the disastrous Plant Radio scheme was launched and ended up nearly killing the station. Only personalities like Tom "The King" Hughes and Kim "The Kimmer" Peterson were able to keep the station afloat. Recently, however, Clear Channel suits decided to ax Hughes and the Kimmer in favor of less expensive shows. Randy and Spiff were ushed in to run the morning show only because they were under contract from when 94.9's format was killed. "They are getting paid so we might as well get them to do something other than to sit at home," the WGST insider source said of management's thinking on the new morning show which recently drew a 0.01 ratings.
Repeated attempts to contact the station manager of WGST from 1997 who ushered in Plant Radio were not successful. This station manager fired veteran, award-winning news journalists, including Hughes and Dennis O'Hare, only to go on maternity leavae a few weeks later never to return. She has not worked in radio since.
WGST dates back to the early 1900s in Atlanta radio and at one time was a powerful news force.
By Ed Anger
Weekly World News
copyright 2007
ATLANTA — In a move that could sink or save the station, WGST powers-that-be have decided to think "outside the box" and try something new.
With the station ratings at an all-time low, station management has decided to cut all "in studio" staff. They will continue to air syndicated talk shows hosts since they are approximately 1/4 the price of having someone local and interesting.
Now WGST will have actual monkeys inside the studio to push buttons and other details when a "live" personality is needed. The monkeys are currently being trained at an undisclosed location in Atlanta and should be ready to have their test runs within a few weeks, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
"This is admittedly risky, but the powers-that-be actually think they can pull this off," the inside source said. "The monkeys will even be able to answer the phones and as long as the caller doesn't go into too much detail, the radio monkeys will be able to handle whatever crisis arises."
WGST has had serious revenue and ratings problems dating back to 1997 when the disastrous Plant Radio scheme was launched and ended up nearly killing the station. Only personalities like Tom "The King" Hughes and Kim "The Kimmer" Peterson were able to keep the station afloat. Recently, however, Clear Channel suits decided to ax Hughes and the Kimmer in favor of less expensive shows. Randy and Spiff were ushed in to run the morning show only because they were under contract from when 94.9's format was killed. "They are getting paid so we might as well get them to do something other than to sit at home," the WGST insider source said of management's thinking on the new morning show which recently drew a 0.01 ratings.
Repeated attempts to contact the station manager of WGST from 1997 who ushered in Plant Radio were not successful. This station manager fired veteran, award-winning news journalists, including Hughes and Dennis O'Hare, only to go on maternity leavae a few weeks later never to return. She has not worked in radio since.
WGST dates back to the early 1900s in Atlanta radio and at one time was a powerful news force.
