When will WGST-AM finally be put out of its` misery?

[GoodTimesandGreatOldies]

This once proud Atlanta landmark is now a all-canned automated mess. Why doesn`t Cheap Channel just sell it to someone who respects its`s proud history in Atlanta? Why don`t they return the WGST call letters and News format to FM?

 

[jabba17]

Let's see...

1) WGST now has a local morning host. They would have a local afternoon host right now if some bozo at CC had planned ahead and/or read their K with Dave Ramsey. That should change, when, the end of the month?

2) There was a recent thread about putting WGST back on FM. The only question is what to blow up to do that. Bull is finally doing well and is beating Kicks* (!) in some demos. Project does really good in its target demos, especially as their closest competition (Rock 100.5) struggles. That leaves Patron and Wild, both of which are struggling (Wild is still in the format-fine-tune mode). We could talk all day about which would be better for WGST--105.3 or 105.7 + 96.7.

3) WGST is becoming more vocal about their HD-3 simul on 94.9.

I think that CC is finally getting serious about WGST, but their hands are tied in some respects.

*As an aside, country on 101.5 is the longest running format on a commercial frequency in ATL (WBIE before Kicks). That would be a feat for Bull to knock that off.

 

[Talk_Dude]

The same question could be asked about the entire AM frequency band.

HD has the potential to replace all of the channels on the AM band. HD's isn't catching on, yet, but if they'd announce that the AM band was being shut down on December 31, 2012, that would give HD the boost it needs to take off.

So, instead of worrying about one dying station on a dying frequency band, why not concentrate on the entire band?

 

[amlover]

I listen to WGST on HD-2 all the time. 640 am nah!

 

[jabba17]

The same question could be asked about the entire AM frequency band.

HD has the potential to replace all of the channels on the AM band. HD's isn't catching on, yet, but if they'd announce that the AM band was being shut down on December 31, 2012, that would give HD the boost it needs to take off.

So, instead of worrying about one dying station on a dying frequency band, why not concentrate on the entire band?

If I were the king of the FCC, I would give TV channels 5 and 6 to FM radio, with priority given to migrating AM stations to this new band. I would then divide the AM band into clear (max power 100kW or even more) and local channels (1000 or 2500W max) with only local ownership for the locals. All stations would have to broadcast at night--no more daytimers, and no more regional channels. I'd pull the plug on HD on the AM band.

 

[GoodTimesandGreatOldies]

Thanks for the updates about WGST!!! I have been away from Atlanta awhile and didn`t know about the recent changes. One will have to admit that in the past 14 or so years, it had been alot of decline for WGST (remember Planet Radio?). Now, that they are getting live hosts back, it is a good sign. A poster said something about a new afternoon host coming soon. It isn`t "The Kimmer" Kim Peterson is it? What ever became of him? Is he still living? Still in Atlanta?

 

[livingfruitvirus]

Thanks for the updates about WGST!!! I have been away from Atlanta awhile and didn`t know about the recent changes. One will have to admit that in the past 14 or so years, it had been alot of decline for WGST (remember Planet Radio?). Now, that they are getting live hosts back, it is a good sign. A poster said something about a new afternoon host coming soon. It isn`t "The Kimmer" Kim Peterson is it? What ever became of him? Is he still living? Still in Atlanta?

The new afternoon host is TRN syndicated talker Rusty Humphries. His show on WGST will be a local Atlanta show, separate from his TRN show. I'll bet it pays better too.

 

[jimbo722]

Rusty started on Monday.

 

[caller10]

Only in WGST land would a Dave Ramsey prefer midnight-3am on 750 WSB over nights on WGST because of WSB's "broader reach". Maybe this includes a weekend daytime replay for Ramsey, and nights is no prize on WGST because of Braves baseball, and that you basically can't hear News Monster 640 GST at nights anyway OTP, can you?

http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/...wsb-radio-micahel-savage-off/?cxntlid=thbz_hm

 

[Rusty Muck]

HD's isn't catching on, yet, but if they'd announce that the AM band was being shut down on December 31, 2012, that would give HD the boost it needs to take off.

So, instead of worrying about one dying station on a dying frequency band, why not concentrate on the entire band?

The mistake has always been the forcing of hybrid HD broadcasting on the AM band. Seriously, when 99.9999999999999999998% of the listening public don't have an HD radio (in spite of the endless - and badly done - PSAs thrust on most CC stations) a station like WGST simply sounds like crap and nothing else.

WGST's failure was in aborting the FM simulcast back in 2000. Had they not done so, who knows? The station might not have lured mercenaries like Bloomquist to destroy the place after all.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Thanks for the updates about WGST!!! I have been away from Atlanta awhile and didn`t know about the recent changes. One will have to admit that in the past 14 or so years, it had been alot of decline for WGST (remember Planet Radio?). Now, that they are getting live hosts back, it is a good sign. A poster said something about a new afternoon host coming soon. It isn`t "The Kimmer" Kim Peterson is it? What ever became of him? Is he still living? Still in Atlanta?

The Kimmer was invited as a guest on Rusty Humphries' first complete show in afternoon drive on Monday... to finally pass the proverbial torch.

 

[RTibbs]

It looks like we have our first nominee for most ill-informed thread of the year. It starts with a blasting of GST about being all canned when they now have live and local shows in both drivetime parts. If you don't listen why I even start a thread. Then the post continues on about why Ramsey would want off of GST anyway with all the Braves interuptions. Memo to supposed Atlanta listeners. The Braves were not on GST this year. They were 680 the Fan and Rock 100.5.

 

[caller10]

It looks like we have our first nominee for most ill-informed thread of the year. It starts with a blasting of GST about being all canned when they now have live and local shows in both drivetime parts. If you don't listen why I even start a thread. Then the post continues on about why Ramsey would want off of GST anyway with all the Braves interuptions. Memo to supposed Atlanta listeners. The Braves were not on GST this year. They were 680 the Fan and Rock 100.5.

My bad, my mistake on Braves on 640. But I stick to the premise of my post, that for Ramsey overnights on 750 is better than nights on 640 ... or perhaps Dave is aiming for a better daypart long-term.

 

[RTibbs]

It looks like we have our first nominee for most ill-informed thread of the year. It starts with a blasting of GST about being all canned when they now have live and local shows in both drivetime parts. If you don't listen why I even start a thread. Then the post continues on about why Ramsey would want off of GST anyway with all the Braves interuptions. Memo to supposed Atlanta listeners. The Braves were not on GST this year. They were 680 the Fan and Rock 100.5.

My bad, my mistake on Braves on 640. But I stick to the premise of my post, that for Ramsey overnights on 750 is better than nights on 640 ... or perhaps Dave is aiming for a better daypart long-term.

I don't disagree with that part of your argument.

 

[amisdead]

My bad, my mistake on Braves on 640. But I stick to the premise of my post, that for Ramsey overnights on 750 is better than nights on 640 ... or perhaps Dave is aiming for a better daypart long-term.

Maybe when Clark finally runs for office.

 

[caller10]

My bad, my mistake on Braves on 640. But I stick to the premise of my post, that for Ramsey overnights on 750 is better than nights on 640 ... or perhaps Dave is aiming for a better daypart long-term.

Maybe when Clark finally runs for office.

Dave's no Clark. Ramsey is all about self-promotion basically as a profit center and selling services through his "ELPs" (Endorsed Local Providers) ... I have not quite figured out brand Clark Howard's business model out, but I judge Clark to be way way way more altruistic and inclusive. One potential WSB opportunity for Ramsey is if WSB ran him as a vacation fill in for Clark, but that's been Ilyce Glink's role and I hope that doesn't change.

 

[jabba17]

My bad, my mistake on Braves on 640. But I stick to the premise of my post, that for Ramsey overnights on 750 is better than nights on 640 ... or perhaps Dave is aiming for a better daypart long-term.

Maybe when Clark finally runs for office.

Dave's no Clark. Ramsey is all about self-promotion basically as a profit center and selling services through his "ELPs" (Endorsed Local Providers) ... I have not quite figured out brand Clark Howard's business model out, but I judge Clark to be way way way more altruistic and inclusive. One potential WSB opportunity for Ramsey is if WSB ran him as a vacation fill in for Clark, but that's been Ilyce Glink's role and I hope that doesn't change.

I like how Clark NEVER does paid endorsements...one time he said that if someone he did a paid endorsement for turned out crappy, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Clark Howard's business model? Sell his show for lots of money, and sell books for lots of money, but don't whine if someone buys a used copy. Pretty simple to me.

 

[nightmanager]

GST's FM problem is that they'd have to kill something doing better than they are just to have a shot at maybe doing better than the AM. Pretty much my old Mr. Microphone does better than the AM.

I am surprised they haven't thought about doing a split FM: music during the day and flip it to a WGST simul around dusk. Get the evening drive during the winter at least.

Keep it on for morning drive and flip back to music during the day.

A weird hybrid but at least it would test the waters and look like they were trying.

FWIW, I wandered down the radio aisle at Frys last weekend and didn't see one radio that jumped out and said HD to me. If somebody wants to, I dunno, actually sell HD radios, they ought to do an endcap display or have a showcase of different models and price points and put some effort into making it different from the $9.95 Coby clock radios. It's not just radio, it's HD radio. Differentiate. XM and Sirius did this years ago. Every Walmart and Magic Mart practically had a display for each satrad.

 

[caller10]

My bad, my mistake on Braves on 640. But I stick to the premise of my post, that for Ramsey overnights on 750 is better than nights on 640 ... or perhaps Dave is aiming for a better daypart long-term.

Maybe when Clark finally runs for office.

Dave's no Clark. Ramsey is all about self-promotion basically as a profit center and selling services through his "ELPs" (Endorsed Local Providers) ... I have not quite figured out brand Clark Howard's business model out, but I judge Clark to be way way way more altruistic and inclusive. One potential WSB opportunity for Ramsey is if WSB ran him as a vacation fill in for Clark, but that's been Ilyce Glink's role and I hope that doesn't change.

I like how Clark NEVER does paid endorsements...one time he said that if someone he did a paid endorsement for turned out crappy, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Clark Howard's business model? Sell his show for lots of money, and sell books for lots of money, but don't whine if someone buys a used copy. Pretty simple to me.

well, Dave's got the bigger house. He's doing pretty good for the overnight air personality of AM 750. Oh I'm sorry, I mean AM 750 and now 95.5FM News/Talk WSB.

Dave Ramsey’s New House: http://www.coolsprings.com/news/dave-ramseys-house/