TV/radio briefs: 97.7/Other Side of the River is back, TBS's 'The Last O.G' ratings, Weather Channel charm offensive
Posted Thursday, April 5, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Rock station 97.7/The Other Side of the River, which had been off the FM dial due to damage from a January ice storm, is back on the air.
"We're Back!!!" the station's Facebook page announced yesterday. "After a long engineering re-fit, Atlanta's Alternative Edge (with Gladiators Hockey & Gwinnett Stripers Baseball) is crankin' out the '80's & '90's Classics!"
The station, which can be heard on the FM dial largely in Gwinnett County, is considered an edgier and more modern version of the main station 97.1/The River. It has been available over that time period on the 97.1 HD3 signal if you have HD Radio and online via apps and the website.
The Other Side of the River and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group.
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Tracy Morgan's "The Last O.G." debuted big for Atlanta-based TBS this week.
It drew 1.8 million overnight viewers, the biggest TBS scripted comedy debut in the network's history. And counting repeats, it drew collectively nearly 7 million people.
FX passed on the show in its pilot stage, according to Deadline.com.
Morgan's character is an ex-con released from a 15-year prison stint who finds the world completely changed and his girlfriend (starring rising star Tiffany Haddish) married to someone else.
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Atlanta-based The Weather Channel, two weeks removed from its purchase by Byron Allen's production company, is putting on a charm offensive.
It held a New York press breakfast where the networks programming chief Nora Zimmett bragged about how the network is "DVR proof" and noted how strong its ratings were in 2017 and the first quarter of 2018.
Its publicity arm also sent out a press release noting specific improvements:
- More "augmented reality" using a company called The Future Group. According to the network, "viewers will see towns and local street corners recreated in astonishing detail; meteorologically accurate tornadoes, hurricanes and the devastating effects of storm surge. They will look just as real as the images and video you see in the movies." It noted that the technology is used in the development of video games such as "Fortnite" and "Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire."
- The network is doubling its expenditures on original programming this year, including 85 hours of new programming such as "Killer Weather" about how weather has helped conceal and solve crimes and "Heroes and Survivors" showcasing how weather can bring out the very best in people, during the desperate life-threatening situations.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
