Radio & TV Talk

By CeeCee

February 13, 2009 7:32 PM | Link to this

AMAZING.

Not ONE mention of this on 102.5 to alert WAMJ listeners, not ONE mention on their website…even though it’s been known for a MONTH.

There should have been a banner on their website, and liners on-air after every song.

Imagine the confusion of the uninformed Grown Folks listener who either tunes in to 102.5 Monday morning and hears Praise, or the Praise listener who tunes in Monday morning and hears Majic on 97.5.

If the listeners shut down their phone lines with complaint calls, it’ll be richly deserved. Total incompetence on the part of management.If I was the receptionist, I’d call in sick Monday.

By michele

February 13, 2009 9:30 PM | Link to this

I agree. The move almost seems kind of desperate and silly. I like the new 107.5 but it is confusing to it’s listeners.

By CeeCee

February 14, 2009 12:38 AM | Link to this

What’s added to the confusion is if Majic is set to simulcast WAMJ, then why have them running now as two SEPARATE stations?

I like WAMJ’s format now, apart from the talk, but what will I hear Sunday night? What’s on 102.5 right now moved to 107.5, or what’s on 107.5 right now shared with 97.5??

WAMJ at 102.5, and the “new” (soon to be)WAMJ at 107.5 are TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT STATIONS.

WHY basically start a whole separate station, then have to do away with one of the two once they begin to simulcast? Or if the new WAMJ will be a wholesale change from the old WAMJ, then what’s the point of “moving” it, other than Harvey & Baisden?

I’ve NEVER seen or heard of anything like this being done so confusingly or haphazzardly. I’ve been listening to radio all my life, and am a broadcaster myself, but it couldn’t make LESS sense.

By CeeCee

February 14, 2009 1:22 AM | Link to this

Oh, now here’s the kicker…just heard BOTH station IDs at the top of the hour..102.5 and 107.5 BOTH are calling themselves Majic, even though they’re DIFFERENT stations, and a fairly recent development for 102.5…just in time to start calling itself “Praise 102.5” come Sunday night.

To have read all about the changes to come, to totally comprehend what was reported…..and then STILL be confused is absolutely jaw-dropping.

Whoever’s running this transition brings to mind an old Chili’s slogan from a few years back…”Monuments of Inefficiency.”

By randall andrews

February 14, 2009 9:04 AM | Link to this

I think the whole simulcast is not really needed….. just do away with 97.5 all together or turn it into a strictly talk station and move warren ballentine and al sharpton there. To the person who said there hasn’t been any advertisement of the new station… ahh yes there has. On BOTH 102.5 and 97.5. On 97.5 Yolanda Adams is advertising the change “praise 97.5 is moving on up… to the new praise 102.5” and coco brother made a huge announcement regarding the move on friday night before the end of his show… and on what’s currently 102.5 grown folks radio… there’s an advertisement that’s calling them “majic” so I think the listeners will be ok as far as station changes.

By randall andrews

February 14, 2009 9:05 AM | Link to this

I think the whole simulcast is not really needed….. just do away with 97.5 all together or turn it into a strictly talk station and move warren ballentine and al sharpton there. To the person who said there hasn’t been any advertisement of the new station… ahh yes there has. On BOTH 102.5 and 97.5. On 97.5 Yolanda Adams is advertising the change “praise 97.5 is moving on up… to the new praise 102.5” and coco brother made a huge announcement regarding the move on friday night before the end of his show… and on what’s currently 102.5 grown folks radio… there’s an advertisement that’s calling them “majic” so I think the listeners will be ok as far as station changes.

By CeeCee

February 14, 2009 10:27 AM | Link to this

Randal:

Thanks for the info.

I listen during short trips in my car, but I listen for longer streaks online. There are no commercials aired online, so maybe I’ve missed it…but there is STILL no mention of it online whatsoever, and there should be liners running between songs. This is HUGE, and there is no such thing as overkill with a thing like this, especially during this relatively short time frame. (Compare it to the perpetual crawls across the bottom of our TV screens about the digital switch.)

I saw two TV networks switch stations in Detroit some years back, and they hammered it for MONTHS on the air, so that the listeners would not be confused.

In this situation, unless you’ve READ about it, you might STILL not fully understand the scope of these changes. It’s straight up musical chairs.

I’d be willing to bet that they will still get angry calls Monday morning.

By The Plan

February 14, 2009 11:35 PM | Link to this

Radio One could buy any one of a number of marginal ATL AMs, such as 1010, 1080, 1100, 1260, 1310, 1480 or 1550, as an outlet for their Talk programming…and, oh yeah, PROMOTE it! Al Sharpton not having an audience in Atlanta? Get real!

By E Floyd

February 15, 2009 1:56 AM | Link to this

Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine are on XM channel 169 and on AM 1280 in Macon. Of course the Macon station’s signal won’t reach more than a mile outside of town but whenever I listen to either of these men it seemed most of the calls came from Atlanta. So what is this about low ratings? Sounds like Bull to me.

By E Floyd in Macon area

February 15, 2009 2:10 AM | Link to this

What would really be nice is if ANY of the weak FM 102.5, 107.5 and 97.5 stations in the Atlanta area and here in “middle Georgia” (which is less than 100 air miles apart) would cease broadcasting. Then have one area give up a frequency and the other be allowed to boost their power and give the listeners in each area and possibly both areas and all points in between a good station with a good clear signal heard everywhere.

Atlanta’s 104.7 is a good example as they have loyal listeners in middle Georgia. Back in the day, V-103 was popular in Macon too.

One of the problems with so many stations is their inability to be heard inside many buildings or in the fringe areas of town because of their weak signals.

By www.GeInsider.com

February 15, 2009 12:10 PM | Link to this

Check it out.

By CeeCee

February 15, 2009 2:51 PM | Link to this

DOesn’t surprise me. Apart frm the past politcal season, I just wasn’t interested in chatter on a perfectly good FM signal. Should be on AM. Couldn’t stand Kiss for long stretches because of the 24/7 ballads & chick music. No midday mix, no traffic mix, nothing but ballads around the clock.

Now why Kiss insisted on NOT playing any contemporary adult R&B and leaving themselves open to a station like Majic will be another source of puzzlement for years to come…

By CeeCee

February 15, 2009 2:52 PM | Link to this

Doesn’t surprise me. Apart from the past politcal season, I just wasn’t interested in chatter on a perfectly good FM signal in the middle of the day. Should be on AM.

And I couldn’t stand Kiss for long stretches because of the 24/7 ballads & chick music. No midday mix, no traffic mix, nothing but ballads around the clock, even on Friday nights.

Now why Kiss insisted on NOT playing any contemporary adult R&B and leaving themselves open to a station like Majic will be another source of puzzlement for years to come…

By CeeCee

February 15, 2009 10:45 PM | Link to this

Just caught the big switch at 10pm.

102.5’s station ID was “WPZE, Praise 102.5,” and a few minutes later, they played a station liner, identifying them as “Praise 97.5.”

Hope that receptionist has some sick days…

By marvin

February 16, 2009 10:51 AM | Link to this

Thank goodness Warren Valentine and Al Sharpton are off the air. Now if we can get rid of Si-man who screams his head off. “Go Latasha, its yo birfday. LOL

By Wanda B.

February 16, 2009 11:58 AM | Link to this

You can also find the Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine on-line back-to-back at:

http://www.syndication1.com/

Monique also has a show which comes on at 3:00

By keepmeinformed

February 16, 2009 12:02 PM | Link to this

I will be contacting Grown Folks Radio 102.5 to complain about the change. Some of us older educated listeners enjoy Warren Ballentine and Al Sharpton. We dont want to listen to music but rather be informed and now that was taken away. Going forward I will no longer listen to 102.5 until the talk show format has returned!!!

By CeeCee

February 16, 2009 12:53 PM | Link to this

I’ve read the comments about boycotts and intetnts to complain.

Don’t waste your time.

These changes are set in stone, and will not be reveresed, which makes the way that the were so poorly handled all the more puzzling.

By AJC reader

February 16, 2009 1:08 PM | Link to this

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

By Karl

February 16, 2009 1:37 PM | Link to this

I like dem french fried potaters…..

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…….

By Lorraine

February 16, 2009 1:51 PM | Link to this

The only good thing about this confusing switch is that 107.5 will add some variety to to Atlanta radio, now we don’t have to rely on V103 or Kiss FM.

By CeeCee

February 16, 2009 2:39 PM | Link to this

For anyone confused, here’s a recap: (All involved stations are owned by Radio One.)

WJZZ (107.5) went away.

Majic replaced it AND Grown Folks Radio, (102.5) with the grown folks DJs eventually moving to Majic.

Then Praise 97.5 moved to Grown Folks old spot, 102.5.

Then Majic began simulcasting 107.5 along with Praise’s old spot, 97.5.

And Radio One almost WENT OUT OF IT’S WAY TO NOT MAKE THIS CLEA.

There was NEVER an anouncement…even a HINT on Grown Folks Radio, up until the moment it went away at 10pm last night, and I was listening.

You would think that they would have told their listeners to go over to 105.5 to catch Harvey, Baisde, Si-Man, etc, and that they would have clearly explained the move to their Praise listeners. They didn’t. I listened to them all.

The ONLY station that came CLOSE to explaining this was the one that probablu needed to explain it the LEAST…and that was Majic…and they were boasting of a simulcast with 97.5…while THAT station was STILL Praise.

Unbelievable.

By CeeCee

February 16, 2009 3:06 PM | Link to this

Just heard a liner for DJ Red Alert, promoting his Sunday night broadcast from Hairstons.

I heard this on Majic 107.5/97.5….but it clearly said, “here on Grown Folks Radio, Atlanta’s 102.5.”

This came about 60 seconds after a liner from Yolanda Adams mentioning that she’d moved up the dial to 102.5.

By DumbMeDown

February 16, 2009 9:16 PM | Link to this

Who wants to be inspired, motivated or even informed by the likes of Warren Ballentine and Rev Al Sharpton? This is Atlanta, people!—the land of strip clubs and girls making it clap. We need to dumb it down. Why would anyone in their right mind want to be educated on current events when they can be dancing? MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC PLEEAASE. Oh, and they say midday ratings are low. Well of course. Most people get a chance to listen to the radio while commuting to or from work, hence the peak in ratings. These are some of the same people who don’t always get a chance to listen to the radio at work due to the POOR reception from 102.5, Einstein! Why don’t the “powers that be” give these guys (Warren and the Rev.) a chance on the newer stations with stronger signals? But you DID. Yes you DID. You DUMBED IT DOWN. You must be very proud of you accomplishments!!! I was once proud of Radio 1.

By DumbMeDown

February 16, 2009 9:19 PM | Link to this

Who wants to be inspired, motivated or even informed by the likes of Warren Ballentine and Rev Al Sharpton? This is Atlanta, people!—the land of strip clubs and girls making it clap. We need to dumb it down. Why would anyone in their right mind want to be educated on current events when they can be dancing? MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC PLEEAASE. Oh, and they say midday ratings are low. Well of course. Most people get a chance to listen to the radio while commuting to or from work, hence the peak in ratings. These are some of the same people who don’t always get a chance to listen to the radio at work due to the POOR reception from 102.5, Einstein! Why don’t the “powers that be” give these guys (Warren and the Rev.) a chance on the newer stations with stronger signals? But you DID. Yes you DID. You DUMBED IT DOWN. You must be very proud of you accomplishments!!! I was once proud of Radio 1.

By nurseshelvia

February 16, 2009 9:36 PM | Link to this

So, I am minding my business, listening to 102.5 in the middle of the second hour of The Warren Ballentine Show, and was informed that Carol Blackmon was returning to Grown Folks Radio. I immediately began to wonder where they would place her as the programming was full. It hit me, that they were trying to be slick and kill Warren’s and Rev’s show. I am deeply disappointed as a person that finds most of the music playing today ridiculous. I am so tired of the money, hos, and clothers mantra that I could regurgitate. I mean really, if you want substanace, then what. I listened online vis my Centro cell phone since the signal was so p** and did not pick up in office buildings. I can tell you that I was FORCED to listen to others because the signal was stronger. I had gotten my entire family listening, even in Macon and this just make me want to pluck out all of my pubic hairs. I am sick of people making these major decisions without though or pause for their customers. OBTW, you just lost one. Not just radio, but TV as well. I will not support a station, radio or televison, that does not have a format that I agree with. Thanks Cathy Hughes

By BK

February 17, 2009 7:48 AM | Link to this

Management needs to remember one thing this year, Communicate and Clarify. WTF

By KP

February 17, 2009 10:14 AM | Link to this

I think the only reason Balentine and Sharpton were removed from the radio station was because their following was growing and politics are in play. They were educating the black community and you know Atlanta can’t have that happen! I am really p** off and now have nothing to listen to at work. What about those people who can’t stream satellite radio and can only listen the “old way?” The “powers that be” are trying to cut off our communication and only keep shows/programs that are not educational and talk about things that are detrimental to our community. I am really disappointed. and what amazes me is how slick and undercover they were when they did it.

By BK

February 17, 2009 11:48 AM | Link to this

Management needs to remember one thing this year, Communicate and Clarify.

By Marhorie J. Gales

February 18, 2009 11:29 AM | Link to this

We will all understand if your lives were in danger. Because other than that , if you are over 18 you must know that those stations were needed,and the white power structure new as well. They give us NOT any credit for thinking and felt a need to stop the communication.

By C. Hendrickson

February 19, 2009 10:52 AM | Link to this

I miss the total line-up at 102.5….. Harvey, Ballantine, Sharpton, and Baisden. Even though, I went to work during Ballantine and Sharpton, I still listened when I would travel to all of my other offices. 102.5 signal is weak, and that is why I could not listen to it while at work. If the signal was as strong as the “People’s station” in Atlanta, alot of listeners would be listening to Ballantine and Sharpton. RadioOne knew the signal was very weak in Atlanta and they knew that most listeners would be at work during Ballantine and Sharpton shows. How could you listen to 104.1 in the office and could not pick up 102.5? This was so frustrating. We need Ballantine and Sharpton also. Now that the election is over, Atlanta listeners can only listen to Bortz, Hannerty, Rush, and Savage; what a bunch of conservative jerks. Where is the balance? This was not rocket science, just the same thing being done to Black radio, but being done this time by our own black folks. No way, am I going to listen!!!!!

By Mildred Pope

February 19, 2009 7:33 PM | Link to this

I was shocked when I tuned in to Michael Baisden and all I heard was gospel music! Don’t get me wrong, I like gospel but I wanted to hear Michael Baisden! I wondered if I missed the announcement or something because something as momentous as moving Michael Baisden to another station had to be all over the news!! I can’t believe that whoever made this decision didn’t think enough of the listeners to inform them!!

By CeeCee

February 22, 2009 2:15 AM | Link to this

So the dust has settled, I guess.

Inspite of Radio One’s extraordinarily poor handling of these format changes, and their p** poor job of communicating this with their listeners, I can say that I am glad that WAMJ is back where it started, and where it belongs, at 102.5. (Or at least it’ll be WAMJ again once the FCC grants the call letter change…it’s still WJZZ, but the 97.5 call letters have already been changed from WPZE to WUMJ.)

By Cee

February 25, 2009 11:14 AM | Link to this

Inspite of Radio One’s extraordinarily poor handling of these format changes, and their p** poor job of communicating this with their listeners, I can say that I am glad that WAMJ is back where it started, and where it belongs, at 107.5. (Or at least it’ll be WAMJ again once the FCC grants the call letter change…it’s still WJZZ, but the 97.5 call letters have already been changed from WPZE to WUMJ.)

By Bosssmannn247

February 27, 2009 7:36 PM | Link to this

Radio 1, you boneheads, how much did they pay you to sell out your listeners and treat us with such disrespect.

By JayLove

March 7, 2009 3:59 PM | Link to this

Being that Radio 1 has 2 stations why not play music on 1 and talk on the other,I really enjoyed hearing about the state of black america and the politics that has effected us all. I love old school music however it does not educate me.