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WGST

Re: Farewell WGST

WOW!!! WGST let go three future nationally syndicated hosts? I almost forgot.
Great decision making there,rofl
 
Re: WGST - The Changes Are Starting?

I don't understand how those numbers can sound favorable to WGST. For many years, with different radios, different cars, WGST consistantly never comes in well enough to keep the radio tuned to it as I'm driving around the Metro area for me. WSB is always there with a clear signal even going far outside of Atlanta, I even used to listen to WSB in North Carolina. As for Clark Howard doing well here, alot of his sucsess is because there's no other talk station that can be picked up well in Atlanta, if you want to listen to talk radio without static or breaking up, you listen to WSB. If that weren't the case then in other markets where Clark is on at the same time as Rush, is he winning in ratings?
 
Re: WGST - The Changes Are Starting?

Art Sutton said:
KJCB said:
Maher is wrong. If it were true Rush would have ratings nowhere. His ratings suck because he's up against Boortz and Howard and on a crappy station. His ratings are also mediocre (compared to other news or N/T stations) in San Fran, Boston, and Cincinnati
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Rush has always been on WGST long before Clear Channel owned the station and they owned Premiere. Also there isn't a time of the year that his program doesn't air when WGST is on full 50KW.WGST's 2 mvm contour (considered the listenable AM signal inside buildings) covers 14,791.8 square kilometers and 3,884,482 people. WSB's 2 mvm covers 11,306.1 sq KM and 3,822,962.

So, when they are on 50,000 watts, WGST actually has a bigger signal than WSB.

For Rush, it's not a case of signal.

Folks who would listen to Rush are listening to Clark Howard, don't think so. There is something else going on.
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Art:

I think the problem Rush is having is his message.

To many conservatives, President Bush turned out to be a high spending liberal Republican that failed to utilize his Republican congress to as conservative folks would have liked. For example, he failed to reform Social Security and was weak on immigration. Rush, with the power of his microphone, is sometimes perceived as a Presidential excuse maker. In many ways, Sean Hannity is looked upon in the same way.

Locally in Atlanta, I have heard many conservative folks say that they are very disappointed that Rush did not get involved in heavy promotion of John Linder’s Fair Tax legislation.

I suggest that what is happening is many of Rush’s previously loyal listeners are listening less frequently because he is sometimes perceived as a political mouth piece as opposed to an innovative talk show host. However, I don’t see them necessarily dialing in to Clark Howard either. It will be interesting to see what Rush’s numbers are a year from now.
 
Re: WGST - The Changes Are Starting?

The problem with WGST, of course, is its nighttime signal. I can't see how they could have trouble in the daytime.

WGST must lower power at night to protect the primary station on the frequency, KFI.

KFI is also owned by Clear Channel.

I have to wonder if they ever thought of taking KFI directional at night to give WGST more elbow room.

It's been done before -- that's the reason WBT and KFAB are directional toward each other, as are
WTIC and KRLD.
 
Re: WGST - The Changes Are Starting?

That's been proposed before, but it won't happen, because KFI is hugely successful and WGST... isn't. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't skywave contour protections be eased when HD takes up more bandwidth and makes DXing impossible in many cases?

As to these constant revelations that Rush's message is the problem, the last time I checked, there was an eight figure number of people listening to right wing talk every week, and while Rush and Hannity's numbers have been down in some places, listenership really isn't eroding much if at all.
 
Re: Farewell WGST

WGST beat WSB in the ratings in several ratings books and ran neck and neck with them for several years in the early and mid-90's with the Braves, Rush, Hannity and the Kimmer. And we did it without the FM for a some of that time.

This was both in the 12 plus and 25-54 categories.

WSB starting to pull ahead in 1996 a year after the Braves left WGST and returned to WSB.

Things started to go downhill.
 
Re: Farewell WGST

radiofriend1 said:
DashRiprock said:
radiofriend1 said:
some good people may have worked at WGST but it has never EVER been a great station nor a successful station

lets keep it in perspective gang
Click to expand...

I disagree with you. I was a GST listener for almost 20 years and I have a pretty good perspective. They had a really good run in the 90's, especially with the FM simulcast. Ever hear of Neal Boortz or Clark Howard?
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i am sure u think they were great and that is fine. but ratings-wise they never really gave wsb a run for their money
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I am in complete agreement with you Radiofriend1 about the current WGST. It was not good radio and no threat whatsoever for WSB. However; I strongly disagree that WGST was never good radio. The reason it was not good radio in recent years was because of poor management decisions over the past several years. Tom Hughes and Kimmer were both at WGST in 1994 (I believe it was?) when WGST actually beat WSB in one book. I believe WGST had a 7.1 12+ and WSB had a 6.9. This is when WGST had the Braves the first time before the baseball strike. Planet Radio was a huge mistake and drove away a lot of listeners. A lot of that audience was recovered over time and then they brought in Management folks that didn't have a clue about news/talk. They brought in more redneck rockers just like themselves and the downward spiral accelarated. The reason Kimmer and Tom Hughes did not do good radio over the last year or two was they took away or drove away key staff and did zero to promote them. Denny on the other hand had no business being in Atlanta to start with. He's a great guy, but his buddy Mike Wheeler should have never moved him here from Toledo. He was much better off being a big fish in a small pond and is not top 10 market material.
 
Re: Farewell WGST

WGST never great? You weren't listening in the late 70's and 80's. It was so much better than Jim and John (Which One's The Big One?) there was no comparison. It was smarter than NPR. With folks like Bob Coxe, Denis O'Hayer, Forrest Sawyer, Ted Vidgosky, Don Dornberg, Tammy Lloyd, Dale Russell, etc, Atlanta radio was never better. They usually beat WSB on hot news. I'd argue that even into the 90's it was good, but the early years of NewsRadio 92 was without a doubt great. BTW: if you ever get a chance to talk to Bob Coxe at a party, he's the funniest person I've ever known.
 
Re: Farewell WGST

Fortunately, I had the foresight to buy XM 2 years ago.
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Why would you do that since you have a distaste for CC? Didn't you know Clear Channel is a major stockholder of XM? If you're going to go satellite, at least go Sirius. ;)
 
Re: Paradigm Shift at WGST

AGREED! Although sad, WGST can never hope to compete against WSB.
WSB has the greatest signal. Nuff said. WGKA although not a signal
like WSB could probably do better, since you can get it really well
during the day. WGST's audio sounds like a phone feed. It's really
too bad about the job loss's, but somewhere Tom, Denny, Kimmer
will find jobs.
 
Re: Farewell WGST

OgOgglby said:
WGST never great? You weren't listening in the late 70's and 80's. It was so much better than Jim and John (Which One's The Big One?) there was no comparison. It was smarter than NPR. With folks like Bob Coxe, Denis O'Hayer, Forrest Sawyer, Ted Vidgosky, Don Dornberg, Tammy Lloyd, Dale Russell, etc, Atlanta radio was never better. They usually beat WSB on hot news. I'd argue that even into the 90's it was good, but the early years of NewsRadio 92 was without a doubt great. BTW: if you ever get a chance to talk to Bob Coxe at a party, he's the funniest person I've ever known.
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but the 70s and 80s is ancient history for the purposes of this conversation.

and they NEVER beat WSB in the ratings (save for 1 trend or 2 from 25 yrs ago).

again, u used to love it-that's great. but wgst was NEVER EVER a radio station on the same success level as wsb
 
Re: Farewell WGST

radiofriend1 said:
again, u used to love it-that's great. but wgst was NEVER EVER a radio station on the same success level as wsb
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Cannot disagree . . . However, WGST was enough competition to change the stodgy old thinking of the late great Elmo Ellis and put WSB on the road to what it is today.
 
Re: Farewell WGST

Fortunately, I had the foresight to buy XM 2 years ago.
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Brilliant! Find your local radio on satellite, absolutely the most brilliant thing I have ever heard. Well done, well done indeed.
 
Re: Farewell WGST

It is [EDIT] like this radiofriend who are the [EDIT]! Probably thinks the world began with Toucher and whoever!
GST was big in the mid 80's to mid 90's..Made SB change from the sorry ass stuff they had on the air with that signal.
It was the FIRST Atlanta station to have the big national sound in newsradio and not the Jim and John crap that passed for local radio.
Not relevant? You are correct radionofriend. You are not!
And by the way, Kimmer couldn't carry Tom Hughes' jock!
And by the way, GST was fine until twits like Mikey Rosebud and Nitty Zittack got a hold of the GM's whatchamacallit and started programming the station.


[EDIT-namecalling]
 
Re: Farewell WGST

70sdj said:
It is [EDIT] like this radiofriend who are the [EDIT]! Probably thinks the world began with Toucher and whoever!
GST was big in the mid 80's to mid 90's..Made SB change from the sorry ass stuff they had on the air with that signal.
It was the FIRST Atlanta station to have the big national sound in newsradio and not the Jim and John crap that passed for local radio.
Not relevant? You are correct radionofriend. You are not!
And by the way, Kimmer couldn't carry Tom Hughes' jock!
And by the way, GST was fine until twits like Mikey Rosebud and Nitty Zittack got a hold of the GM's whatchamacallit and started programming the station.


[EDIT-namecalling]
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it is funny how all the big wgst supporters' criteria for success this personality and that personality, this guy and that gal.

RATINGS and REVENUE. they are, in the end,THE measuring sticks. and wsb flogged wgst since forever
 
Re: WGST - The Changes Are Starting?

Seeing how there is no local programming on WGST now, and everybody is thinking that 105.3 will go Spanish, I've got an idea, especially concerning the night time signal. Shut the trasmitter down at night (to save CC a couple of bucks on power) and let 640AM from Cuba DX in at night? And them simulcast it on 105.3! ;)

There, you've got your spanish. Nobody will know the difference anyway. It's not like anybody could pick-up WGST outside I-285 at night anyway.  ;D
 
Re: WGST - The Changes Are Starting?

As noted, during the daytime, WGST is as good if not better than WSB, coverage wise in metro Atlanta. It's ironic but I have an easier time inside the AJC building getting GST than WSB.
 
Re: WGST - The Changes Are Starting?

rodneyho said:
As noted, during the daytime, WGST is as good if not better than WSB, coverage wise in metro Atlanta. It's ironic but I have an easier time inside the AJC building getting GST than WSB.
Click to expand...

The WGST transmitter is closer to the AJC building than WSB-AM.
 
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