Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2006 > May > 25
Thursday, May 25, 2006
5/26: Wally joins Whip on the Buzz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gary “Wally” Wallace, former 99X morniing producer and on-air talent who quit a few weeks back when the new owners told him not to talk, has temporarily joined Whip on rival rock station 105.3/The Buzz. Thursday morning, he apparently ripped into 99X and his tenure there.
“I wasn’t going crazy ranting and raving,” he told me Thursday evening. “I was just telling people what my experience was and the way things went down at the end there. And the way our show [at 99X] had been designed to fail from the beginning.” (Wally is still seeking a full time gig though it’s possible he might stay at the Buzz.) He likes Whip, who worked at 99X at nights until the Buzz came along. “I actually get along with this dude,” Wally said of Whip. “Over at 99X, I heard he was the anti-Christ.”
He talked about 99X some more Friday, including the classic line “I felt like I was in the front row for an abortion, my own abortion” when describing the Axel/Leslie show and asking listeners to come up with new slogans for that show (“Everything Effeminate” was one idea or “99X Alternative Lifestyle”). Wally promises some fresh non-99X-related content next Tuesday after Memorial Day.
I got a copy of what Wally & Whip talked about. Wally badmouthed his experience at the station as expected but tried to keep it above board. At one point, he said mocking the current 99X morning show was like beating up on the “kid with the helmet.” Whip made only a couple of Leslie Fram jokes, including one about dentures. (Whip constantly mocks Leslie for her age and once even handed out her cel phone number on the air, forcing her to change it.)
99xwatch captured this amusing screen grab of the 99X site promoting Wally here. Supposedly, someone hacked into the 99X site and this was posted for a little while Wednesday.
Whip and afternoon jock and PD Chris Williams are both former 99Xers hellbent on bringing 99X down. They even made 99Sux bumper stickers I’ve seen floating around town and dub it 99Sux on the air. Leslie told me a few days back that she blames Williams during his tenure as program director of 99X 2001-2004 for taking the station too young and alienating the older fans. The station, she said, has been struggling to bring those older listeners back and based on ratings, not doing too well on that front. Since 2004, 99X has had to face off against Dave FM and the Buzz, which Williams said wouldn’t even exist today if 99X hadn’t been so wishy washy about its direction.
So far, the Buzz in one year’s time has managed to match 99X’s slipping ratings, even beating 99X in 18 to 34 males.
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5/24: Ex-V-103er Toss Swaid joins the Beat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Night-time jock Toss Swaid, who was at V-103 from 2003 or so to 2005, left V-103 nearly a year ago when V-103 brought back Greg Street full time. He’ll be Saturday and Sunday afternoons, 2 to 6 p.m., live.
“I’ve got some other endeavors I’m not able to say,” Toss told me. He said he’s been playing a lot of poker and golf. “I wanted to have the best yard in my subdivision,” he joked.
“This is a perfect situation for me and 95.5,” he said. “They’re playing some fo the best music in Atlanta.”
Here’s the press release:
Where is Toss Swaid?… Moving to a new BEAT!
Off the golf course and finally away from the all night poker parties at his north Atlanta home. Former no.#1 rated V-103 personality Toss Swaid has come to terms with Cox Radio, for what seems to be the best agreement for both sides. Toss Swaid aka Mr. Nitelife has inked a two-day a week lucrative deal with 95.5 The Beat- Atlanta. Two days a week are the basic terms of the agreement, allowing Mr. Swaid to continue his outside endeavors which calls for plenty of traveling and 95.5 The Beat to keep its tight air staff in place. Toss Swaid will Debut This Memorial Day Weekend.
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5/26: Radio slogans part II
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
here are more. I didn’t want to overload you yesterday:
790 the Zone: No specific slogan
Underlying message from Andrew Saltzman, the GM: “We were at one point ‘790/The Zone, Atlanta’s sports leader.’ We thought it was much more important to have sports in the moniker so we’re ‘Sport radio 790/The Zone.’ In this day and age, people refer to radio stations by where they are on the dial.”
Dave FM: “Rock without rules,” transitioning to “Radio without rules”
Underlying message: “We aren’t tied down by a specific rock format. And this sounds vaguely rebellious and cool, too. Oh, and there’s alliteration.” In reality, the station is going broader to ‘radio without rules” so it’s not tied down by the music alone.
Praise 97.5: “Atlanta’s inspiration station.”
Underlying message: “This slogan rhymes! And it sounds lofty and noble, like the music.”
V-103: “Celebrating 30 years as the people’s station”
Underlying message: “We are the institution in town and we represent the African American community in the broadest sense.”
Hot 107.9: “Atlanta’s real hip-hop and R&B station”
Underlying message: “V-103 and the Beat are way too wimpy for us. We’re more genuine, more street savvy than our competitors.”
Smooth jazz 107.5: “Your trip-a-day giveaway station”
*Underlying message: “This is obviously a short-term slogan and is merely trying to entice folks to listen longer and show we’re generous.” *
Kiss 104.1 “Atlanta’s old-school R&B station”
Underlying message: “This is purely descriptive of our music compared to V-103 or 102.5.”
97.1 The River: not a specific one, using “best classic hits” and “52 minutes of music an hour”
Underlying message: “We’re new and we haven’t actually come up with a specific slogan yet. But by using the phrase classic hits rather than classic rock, we are implying a much narrower, hits-driven playlist. Plus we don’t play many commercials.”
99X: “Everything Alternative”
Underlying message: “We are trying to cover all our bases by playing some of the gold from our heyday in the ’90s and some new stuff. Dave FM is too soft and unfocused. The Buzz is too hard. We’re happily in the middle. And we’re not getting squeezed. Really!”
105.3/The Buzz: no slogan
Underlying message: PD Chris Williams said: “The name of the radio staiton is the brand. People know what we stand for by our attitude, our music and delivery.” He did introduce “I am 99X” in 1999 when he worked there. “It worked at the time. A slogan needs an emotional connection. We use ‘new rock revolution’ more than anything but it’s not something I’d brand and beat my chest about.”
