Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2008 > October > 29 > Entry
10/29: Sandra Golden leaving the Zone, Chuck Oliver interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sandra Golden’s last day is Thursday after four years with “Mayhem in the A.M.”
She is starting her own athlete/PR/imaging company Golden Media Inc. with www.goldentvimage.com upcoming as a Web site. “Waking up every day that early was getting tough for her,” said the Zone’s Steak Shapiro.
“Me and Nick may do the updates for now. But we’ll do an open search,” he added.
He noted that they had 11 full-time on-air staff and with Chuck Oliver out, that’s still 10 full timers.
“It’s going to be a great adventure for me,” she said. “I want to coach athletes off the field about media and image consulting.” She’s done some test runs with some athletes already confidentially. She has her own in-home studio.
“It was a lot of fun. I know this will sound corny, but I’ll be now laughing in the car instead on the air,” Golden said. “I miss MIke Bell. I’ve told them all that. They are very talented crew. We were a nice mix.”
She said she’s planning to bring in champagne on ice on her last day and requested coffee cake pancakes from IHOP. “This is celebration mode,” she said. “I wanted to set the tempo.” Expect the on-air farewell to start in earnest after 9 a.m.
By the way, she will stay on with CSS’s “Sports Night.”
-Chuck Oliver, who just left 790/The Zone after eight years, said he will be at the Fan but isn’t sure what he will do specifically. “I did have a contract with a noncompete but when it got within the 30-day window of that contract expiring, 790 offered multiple contract offers. I didn’t like the terms of any of them.”
He ended up working without a contract since Sept. 14 and without a contract, the non-compete clause lapsed. “We were both trying to come up with a deal” since Sept. 14, “but we couldn’t reach an agreement.” He was talking as recently as last Friday with the Zone but got a call from his agent Jamie Bendall that the Fan was interested.
He signed with 680 Monday. He went to the Zone that day and told Steak, “I’ll stay here as long as you want. I don’t want to leave with any bad taste.” Steak said, “As management, from point of view as an on-air guy. I don’t blame you a bit. You’ll be able to take that next step. I hate this. I wish we had been able to get a chance to match. We would have done it.”
Oliver said he felt the 680 deal was too good to pass up. “There were aspects of the contract the Zone could not match. Not just signal strength but 790 have almost no history of giving someone their own show. I would like my own show. There’s no promise of that happening at 680. But it could not happen at 790. 680 also has a stronger signal.”
Oliver, a college-football expert, said he loved his time at the Zone. “I do want to say specifically that Steak Shapiro as an on-air guy or management, he was nothing but great to me,” he said. “Some see him as abrasive. But he was awesome. Working at the Zone was a blast.”
“It’s better if this were Crips and Bloods,” he added. “The story is I worked with Chevy and got an offer from Ford.”
Comments
By BGibbs
October 29, 2008 4:38 PM | Link to this
Emm…hate to see Chuck leave 790, I just can’t listen to 680.
I guess it’s better than working at the fudge factory.
By Allen
October 29, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Can’t people see what is going on, the Zone is broke. They liked all of the talent they have had over the past few years but can’t afford to pay anyone. Oliver said they couldn’t match 680’s offer.
The hosts are doing the sports updates because it’s cheaper to not have to pay a news person. Duh! Has anyone noticed the shorter commercial breaks?
Chuck Smith, Matt Chernoff, Hometeam, David Hubbard and now Chuck Oliver. These were major components of the station that were just let go overnight.
Chuck Smith-Falcons liaison (albeit a bad hire)
Chernoff-Very opinionated-Long time personality, well rounded host
Hometeam-likable guy-Hawks postgame show, (flagship)
David Hubbard-smooth voice-Georgia Force Play by Play (flagship)
Chuck Oliver-College Expert, Football guru, Georgia force color man (flagship)
I wonder what the Force and Hawks think of these moves and I wonder what Ga Tech (flagship) thinks about Pollack on the Afternoon Show pumping up UGA?
I have cut back my 790 listening by 90%. XM is the way to go baby! 790 has gone cheap and it sounds like it. Kang I will be with you and not the Stews.
By baddest
October 29, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
Two class individuals…sorry to see them both go, but it appears they are off to greener pastures and I’m sure all fans of 790 wish them well..hope Chuck ends up with a show on 680 in a good time slot and has a great run there….
By El Profesor
October 29, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
Why is Mr. Oliver referred to as a “college football expert?” Who is it that designated him as such? Does he have some certification that qualifies him to claim expert status? Or did he meet someone at a bar one evening and, after what surely was scintillating conversation, learn that in Joey Bag of Donuts eyes, Mr. Oliver “sure knew alot about college football.” I know I’M an expert on just about everything, but I’ve got the MENSA scores to prove that. Mr. Oliver, on the other hand, cannot prove anything. Harumpf, I say. Harumpf.
By Simon
October 29, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
Sandra “The Hyena” Golden is leaving the Zone! Thank God!
She never added anything to the show, and her constant convulsive laughing was nauseating. Her snorts in the backgroud were just vile. I just wonder how many times she blew chunks all over the studio while in the middle of one of her seizures.
Thank goodness her husband has his own bar. I would drink too if I had to listen to that Cackling Jackal every day.
Bye Sandra, you won’t be missed.
By Beau Bock
October 29, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this
Steak,
Are you going to throw me out next? Its not like I’m costing you anything. I work for whatever is on the coffee cart when I drag my bag of bones in studio, but I’d really hate to lose my press pass as a member of the “working” media if you ax me.
By Brandon Adams
October 29, 2008 6:40 PM | Link to this
Steak,
Remember you can’t fire me. We have a deal. I get to keep my show as long as I don’t tell anyone what you and Sandy were doing in the supply closet last St. Patrick’s Day after the show was over.
Ooops!!!
By Willie Cellucci
October 29, 2008 6:49 PM | Link to this
Steak,
This is to advise that, given the financial troubles Big League Broadcasting is having, your bar tab at The Palm in the amount of $82,463.32 is due immediately.
Effective today all tabs by Big League Broadcasting must be paid same day.
I hope this doesn’t interfere with my award-winning golf show I co-host on the weekends. Its just business.
By Self Proclaimed Radio Expert
October 29, 2008 6:52 PM | Link to this
With Sandra leaving I guess it’s back to watching late night television and visiting youtube on a daily basis… sigh
By Kimberly Shapiro
October 29, 2008 7:01 PM | Link to this
Steak,
It’s Kimberly. I was at Spa Sydell and ever since they quit advertising I don’t get those gift certificates so I had to pay today. Well I gave them those credit cards you gave me and they ripped them up. Are things that bad at work? Are we going to be okay? Can you stop by here on your way home and settle the bill for me?
By radioguy
October 29, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this
I’ll miss Sandra. What a woman: beautiful, smart and funny. First Chuck, now Sandra. Bad week at the zone. Two of my favorites gone (and only two—Nick and Chris—left).
Unsolicited advice for Steak: *shut up once in a while and quit yelling *Move Mike Bell back to mornings. His talent is as a contributor, clearly not as a host.
By Bud
October 29, 2008 7:39 PM | Link to this
I’m sure all 8 of 790’s listeners are disappointed.
By Nnamath
October 29, 2008 8:00 PM | Link to this
In my quest to misspell at least one word every sentence - The Kang got pwned. I definitely do not lurve this move.
By Boring
October 29, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this
Atlanta sports radio is pathetic. First boring hosts that should be doing sports radio in Mobile or Greenville get fired from one station only to be hired by the other?
Can we PLEASE get an infusion of new talent here?
The only thing that is listenable is the new Fan 2 1340am. Jim Rome. Otherwise, give me the internet.
By Neil
October 29, 2008 10:14 PM | Link to this
Chuck Oliver is 100% right when he states: 790 have almost no history of giving someone their own show.
Chuck, about two years ago, who hosted a solo show at 7:00 pm? That’s right, it was you. In the words of da coach, “Who you crappin?”
By El Professor
October 29, 2008 11:58 PM | Link to this
I did not submit the other comment that has my name on it, up above. But, the imposter does raise a good point. I’m not a member of Mensa, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Special note to Decadent: Will you marry me?
By Steak Fan
October 30, 2008 6:26 AM | Link to this
Steak you don’t have the guts to read this comment on the air!
By baloney
October 30, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
1 Sandra Golden offered NOTHING to the Zone except a phony laugh track. 2 Chuck Oliver a college football EXPERT? Please. He lost all credibility right off the bat when he talked about a player that would be drafted when said player was only a junior with zero intention of leaving early. That player? Will Overstreet. 3 Mike Bell is as phony as a $3 bill. All he offers is some flap about some piece of a** he claims to have had. He has nothing at all to say. 4Dimino has run his course. He thinks he knows what is going on in each players,coach,or GM’s mind. “I’ll tell you what they’re doing”.He’s pretty much a bag of wind. 5 The signal is weaker than cat pee.To be a Thrashers,Tech,or Hawk station it would seem like you would have to have a signal strong enough to reach beyond the parking lot in the evening or in the morning.It makes no sense that they have some of the so-called best talent in the hours that the signal was the weakest. 6 The Stews.What can you say? They are the most overhyped personality since Mike Vick or Donovan McNabb. 7 Summary,790 will be gone by first qtr. next year.By Rusty Pecker
October 30, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this
Good for Chuckles. 790 is a sinking ship & Oliver knew it. 790 should have canned the 2 Live Whos instead. They are a disgrace to their race and all radio broadcasters in general.
By Dimino
October 30, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
Ahhhh Mush!
By Matt Edgar
October 30, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
You’re all fired, the Stews are taking over the station. The 2 bruthas will be on 24/7!
By Tim
October 30, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
How could you let a guy work without a contract? 680 keeps adding in a bad economy, 790 is subtracting. Not hard to see that money is an issue.
By Crude
October 30, 2008 10:11 AM | Link to this
As a former loyal listener of 790, I welcome these firings/layoffs/whatever you want to call them. Sandra was GOD AWFUL. By the way, you’re supposed to know “what guys want” HINT: Guys don’t give two craps about Hollywood gossip. Just file that in the back of your mind under “DUH”, Tubesteak. Chuck got on my nerves almost as much as the 2 Jive Stewpids. The way that he phrases every statement as a question? It’s annoying when a 12 yr old girl does it? And it’s annoying when a 40 plus yr old man does it?
So, now there is just one more to go. You can keep the 2 Jive Stewpids, I find other things to listen to at those hours. But, now it’s time FOR STEAK TO GO. GET THE FARK OFF THE AIR YOU FARKING NITWIT.
I’ve got no sympathy for 790 if they go under if Steak insists on being on the air. THAT is why you FAIL. HE is why you are despised in this city.
That is all.
By the emperor of ncaa football
October 30, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this
deatails of chucks contract were just released….
-free food for life from the applebee’s in tucker -riblets…whenever i please -game of the week must always come from conference usa (or the mwac if a better match up presents itself) -i want my own personal fudge making machine in my office…help me remember where i came from -ABSOLUTELY NO NAME THAT CHUCK TUNE OR WIN CHUCK’S DINNER
em…that is all!
By John Calvin
October 30, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Good gosh people… lookup Matthew 7:3. Sorry Steak, it’s in the New Testament… hehe just kidding.
By Chuck Deskins
October 30, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this
Wow! This Stake Shapiro character is making me look like a genius! Thank you fat, bald, annoying windbag. P.S. I fired the Kimmer you know.
By cheapseats
October 30, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
OH NOES!!!!!
By RTibbs
October 30, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
For those keeping count it is still 9 local hosts on 790 and now 6 on the Fan plus more local weekend programming on the Zone.
Chuck Oliiver is a liar when he said they have no history of giving hosts their own show. He had his own The King and his Court on at 7:00 and Dimino had his own solo show for a coupple of years so I guess a former English teacher does not understand what history means. 680 the Fan though has no history with regards to that.
Plus they already said Sandra will be replaced and Mike Bell said the other day the Afternoon Saloon will also be adding an update person as early as next week. 680 does have a long history of using hosts for updates. I believe Perry still does updates? I hear him all the time during Cowherd but I guess they are not being cheap using a host to do updates though.
By Stewhater
October 30, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
Dear Steak, Alot of white men live in Atlanta. They don’t want to listen to 2 guys who try to alienate them every segment. I tried to listen for the sports talk and grew tired of being insulted. Therefore, I changed the station. Dimino is so painful to listen to I can’t describe it. Bell should be back on mornings. Wish I knew the right formula for you because I know you’re trying to put out a good product.
By Gary
October 30, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this
I love it every time someone leaves the zone it is the end for 790 or 790 is going downhill. Look they continue to be on the air, most of the people that were there 10 years ago, Steak, Beau Bock, Nick, Dimino, Mike Bell, and Jeff Woolverton are still there and they are beating 680 in the mornings and pretty much tied in the afternoons. No one said 680 was going downhill when Max Howell or Jamie Dukes left. And no one talks about how Rude is like Steak and pretty much just likes to hear himself talk. Plus if Steak is a blowhard, then John Kincaid is the king of blowhards. So what if you don’t like the Stews or Brandon and Woolvy. Those are two time slots that sports talk could never win in this region because it belongs to two men - Boortz and Howard. 790 has local guys talking about local teams. 680 has ESPN programming I can hear on XM radio any time of the day. And enough about the signal already. I live in Cumming and can hear 790 from 7am to 7:30pm and recently worked and lived near the Rome area and was pulling 790 in from there at the same times without issues. That doesn’t sound like a weak signal to me. Plus has no one ever heard of streaming audio??? You can pretty much do that in the office now and most service cars are equipment with laptops so if the radio doesn’t pick up, then stream it. If you don’t like 790 that’s fine, but obviously you still listen to critique the shows and the personalities. One more thing, RTibbs is right. Chuck once had his own show and bombed. Dimino had his own show and bombed. 790 does give you a chance, but if you suck at it, don’t blame them if you don’t get another one.
By the fan man
October 30, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this
How obnoxious is the cha cha himself, Steak Shapiro.. Come on man, I know you like to eat a lot and all of the time, but give us a break and do not eat-stuff your face on air like you did this morning during Sandra’s goodbye-YEA eating your FREE Goldberg’s and I do stress FREE-you never seem to pay for food if not the deli than Stat’s CHA CHA!!
By Dan
October 30, 2008 4:38 PM | Link to this
So lots of you dislike 790. You seem to know an awful lot about a station you claim to hate. You must listen more than you admit. The Fan blows. You want a real party? Go to a 790 remote. They know how to treat their listeners. And personally, I’ve had the pleasure of running into many of the Zone personalities about town on numerous occassions. Great guys, all of them. So go, enjoy your lame Fan. Reminisce about the Dawgs when they won way back in the early ’80s. I’ll take the Zone any day - in fact, EVERY day - of the week.
By The Zone Sucks
October 30, 2008 5:09 PM | Link to this
Period. The only people it appeals to are clearly the lowest common denominator (I.e. double digit IQ’s).
By Randall Bloomquist - WGST PD
October 30, 2008 8:34 PM | Link to this
I have a single digit IQ. Will this appeal to me?
By Gary and Dan R U Serious?
October 31, 2008 1:10 AM | Link to this
I went to the pigskin poloosa (pa-loser)….there were 100 people there at best. What a waste of my time.
I went to their football party 2 years ago and the fire Marshall nearly shut it down b/c of the crowd.
And Gary if you can hear 790’s signal in Cumming at 7:30pm, you must work for NASA at night.
Chuck Oliver didn’t suck and he got canned, Hometeam Brandon Leak didn’t suck, and he got canned, Matt Chernoff did not suck and he got canned, Carlos Medina…and if you think 790 has anything better than 680’s Cowherd you must own zone stock!
Steak sucks and he is on everyday
680 should put Chernoff, Kang and Hometeam back together.
By 790 The "dead" Zone
October 31, 2008 2:17 AM | Link to this
Too much arrogance, narcissim (Shapiro), and an I-know-everything mentality infused amongst the on-air personalities to listen anymore. These same quailities, IMO, are what will ultimately lead to 790’s downfall.
As a Tech fan it’s a disgrace to hear spots promoting 790 as the “Home of the Yellow Jackets” while announcing the biggest hire for the station is a former UGA player (who’s mocks the Yellow Jackets); very classy 790, and D. Pollack. And then there’s Brandon Adams (another GA grad) who tries, and usually succeeds, EVERY shift to talk about the Bulldogs.
From a marketing standpoint I have to say, with the utmost sarcasism, WOW, great job with the pigskin pallosa last year(2007).
Let’s see … 790, the voice of the Yellow Jackets, promotes a drunkfest on a Saturday when GT is (at Grant Field) playing the 8pm game vs. Matt Ryan & Boston College on national TV. Meanwhile, the PGA Championship is taking place at Eastlake, AND GA is also playing a HOME game! Nice going 790! And YES, the following week both GT & GA were away, and the PGA was concluded with PGA Championship the week before.
Mike Bell, talks WAAAAAY too much about getting drunk, and womanizing. Nick C, DO NOT stop taking the medication…or else you’ll snap, and do/say something irreparable. Shapiro, a NARCISSIST - quite possibly the worst quality a human being could possess. Eliminating Shapiro as an on-air prescence might help 790. Beau, How has this guy stayed employeed so long in Atlanta?? Sandra, Simply not good.
790 is supposed to put out a product that is easy for people to listen to. Not a product that is SO easy to tune away from…….
By Rusty Pecker
October 31, 2008 7:16 AM | Link to this
790 the Zone sucks! Steak and the 2 Live stus are unlistenable. The stews cry and complain about racism the whole dang show. They appeal to the loser, b******* producing, lazy, low income wastes of flesh who populate this city and make it so unpleasant to live and work in. LOSERS!
By gregg
October 31, 2008 8:17 AM | Link to this
The number of departures and line- up chnages in the past year is concerning. Sounds like 790 is experiencing a decline. Sad fact is that 680 has not done much to steal listeners. Local sports talk in Atlanta is horrible.
By Bell Curve
October 31, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this
Shapiro has got to be the the part owner of 790, because if he was on his “own” he would be canned. Horrible. Shapiro can “make” it in the ATL for two reasons… it’s a punk town full of transplants, and he is his own self-promoting blow-hard who doesn’t have the “moxey” to get rid of a major problem- himself! I know what real guys want… and Shapiro is not the answer. Does he relish becoming the Howard Cosell of radio?
By Who's Next
October 31, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this
Why does 790 continue to switch the hosts!
I listen when i can, but not like I used to. It seems like every year there is something new. Not smart.
By Michael
October 31, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
I started listening to 680 when Jamie Dukes was there and realized the punishment I endured listening to Nick Cellini talking about how much of a bad*ss he was and Steak talking about how rich he was. Oy vey. It’s great to get Chuck Oliver to 680 since he was good when I listened to 790. Plus, of course, The Dan Patrick Show and the antenna.
By Who's next
October 31, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
Why does 790 continue to switch the hosts!
By What??
October 31, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, Chuck. You should now that coming from Auburn!!
By Jerome
October 31, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
The zone need to get rid of the stews. They make us look bad to white folks. They sound ignorant and never talk about sports. I hate to see chuck leave. And I hated to see hometeam leave. He was great.
By Gary
November 1, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
Hey Gary and Dan R U Serious? Yes I am serious and no I don’t work for NASA. I can hear 790 in Cumming at about 7am every morning and 7:30pm at night. Heck I can still hear it when I was in Rome at 7:30am and pm. If you don’t believe me, then take a trip up here and I will be glad to spend the gas money and show you. Now I didn’t say anything on the Zone was better than Cowherd, just that if I wanted to listen to ESPN and their blowhards then I would tune it to XM radio. Don’t need 680 for that. Also for the record, Oliver did not get canned, he took an offer from 680 that he liked and 790 couldn’t match.
Also to echo Dan, you guys calling for their demise sure do know a lot about the station to critique it.
And to “dead” Zone, yes the big hire was David Pollack because the zone is promoting being the home of Football and Pollack was crucial. Also if you actually listened to the zone you would know that they promote GT all the time. Wes Durham and the coaches are on just about every day and Pollack has been nothing but classy towards the Jackets which is much more than I would be to them. He is also predicting you can beat FSU and make a run at the ACC Championship. That doesn’t sound like bashing to me.
By Gary and Dan R U Serious?
November 2, 2008 1:01 AM | Link to this
I liked the zone years ago…it was fun…I attended a lot of the events because they were fun. now it’s not so much fun I don’t listen as much.
I don’t hate the Zone or Pollack, could care less about either of them. It’s just not good radio any more. Go Terps.
By Jacket fan08
November 3, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this
There are some very angry folks out there over Sports Radio!? Listen to who you want to. 790 has always been entertaining, If you think Buck and Kincade is good radio then I would love to see your SAT scores. Chernoff is fine no great shakes somewhat entertaining but his dream is clearly TV and not radio. Chuck Oliver is a good guy but I don’t see changing stations for him I just don’t get the anger.
By JohnJoeBob
November 5, 2008 5:05 PM | Link to this
Anybody beside me wonder what the FCC rules are concerning a saloon you own and the amount of time you spend plugging it? Steak owns the saloon, the station, and thinks the whole staff should spend 55 minutes of every hour plugging the damn bar. How about giving us some good on air talent (miss you chuck) and sports talk (mike enough of your horny boy stories—40 and no serious relationship, i don’t care). You almost make buck & kincaid sound good.
By Ball Hawk
November 6, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this
790 is a joke! Steak is a joke, he was much funnier back in the day when he was full of the white powder. Woverton is an idiot who has a short man complex. Good luck King smart move!
By KingOfAllMedia
November 6, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this
Both of these stations have problems. My african-american friends cannot stand the two live stews. Neither can I. Buck & Kincade are bad. The afternoon saloon is awful. Why hire David Pollack? 790’s signal is weak. I could not pickup the Seminole game at 5:35pm on Saturday. I predict one of these stations will fold in by January when the ratings come out. The lone survivor will be crushed by a corporate station that will buy another AM station or switch format. Bottom line, both of these stations will be gone in six months. All hail Clear Channel radio and Cox radio!!!
By Bull
November 14, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this
790 The Zone—-just what we need 3 Yankees down here talking Southern Sports. Go back home! And take your carrots with you…
By Suey Pig
November 14, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
Nick Cellini’s a midget…sit up in that chair. I don’t know why he’s always looking at the newspaper—-I know he can’t read.
By Ryder
November 16, 2008 10:12 PM | Link to this
I hope Chuck gets a nice slot with some good support. He has alot of knowledge to support pure college football show. But from his previous show, I think he’ll always need someone else to talk with. His solo show was murder. Plenty of dead air between his points. When he was with Bell I actually thought Chuck was pretty funny at times. I often laughed out loud.At 7pm it felt like a 2am paranormal happenings show.
Being a New Yorker at heart, I don’t think this region will support the deep sports talk, nothing but sports talk, that you can find up north. When I visit New York I can turn on a few local sports stations and the Yankee talk is 24/7, call after call, and with passion. No celebrity updates, no news on rappers, no Steak letting us know he eats out every night. Philly and Boston is the same.
I think the Braves could have had that radio experience once, during the 91 run. Thats why I think we get the sports mixed with “fun and games” in this region. As with Chuck’s “no nonsense” show, not enough folks will call in to that format.
If Chuck knew North Eastern baseball, football, or hockey, as well as he knows college football he’d be in demand up north. And his line would always be busy.
By The Memphis Mack
November 18, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this
Chuck Oliver, Mike Bell, and Home had/has more talent than anyone at the station. Have a great one Kang!!!!