Today, opponents of the Georgia Public Broadcasting day-time takeover of 88.5/WRAS-FM is holding a rally at Hurt Park at 4 p.m. as students return to campus.
"Because the agreement between GSU President Mark Becker and GPB CEO Teya Ryan was announced during finals week at the end of the school year in May of this year, many students have not had the chance to voice their anger and frustration at this one-sided agreement which gives GPB everything they want, and gives GSU students nothing but empty promises in return," said Zachary Lancaster, president of Album 88 Alumni, in a press release. "We also want to point out to new students that one of the key reasons some of them chose GSU—a student-run radio station—has been largely given to a state government agency and will not broadcast student-created content for most of each day."
The press release also noted that Album 88 Alumni has obtained all necessary permits for the rally and fully intends the protest to be peaceful and orderly. Hurt Park is adjacent to the Georgia State University campus, and is located directly across the street from Dahlberg Hall, which houses Becker’s office.
GPB took over daytime operations of WRAS's FM airwaves in late June with news/talk programming. The students' music programming still airs in evenings and nights on 88.5 while an HD feed is provided during the day. Students, fans and alum are upset for many reasons, including the way the deal was done without their input and the loss of access to such a valuable FM signal for breaking new music. For NPR fans, this provides a daytime option on the FM dial while rival WABE-FM plays classical music.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Rhubarb Jones, who was last heard on Atlanta radio in 2008 when Cumulus blew up Eagle 106.7 in favor of oldies, is dabbling in radio again - in Montgomery, Ala. He started doing a 2 to 7 p.m. stint on Saturday, August 16. He plans to do that five-hour shift (sometimes live, sometimes pre-taped) for the near future.
Before Rhubarb came to Atlanta in 1985, he spent seven years in radio in Montgomery.
"It's just fun," he said. "It's weird hearing from listeners who remember me although I've been gone 30 years... I don't have a program director breathing down my neck. I'm not micromanaged."
What's cool about his gig is it's on a classic hits station Kool 95.5 that plays rock from the 1970s and 1980s. It's similar to the River in Atlanta. (You can listen via Tunein here.)
He can do the show from home, thanks to technology.
He said he did top 40 in the early 1970s so this format is not completely foreign to him. (He worked country for 33 years, including 23 years at Y106/Eagle 106.7 in Atlanta as a morning host.)
Rhubarb is now senior director of development for special projects and athletics as KSU creates its own football team. He taught for five years in the media department but is taking a hiatus from the classroom.
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This past Saturday, former news director and news anchor at Kiss 104.1 Marjorie Coley helped put together an event to raise awareness about fibroids at Stone Mountain Park. Some of her old media buddies showed up, including Carol Blackmon, Monica Pearson and Wanda Smith.
Coley said it was a fun-filled day of seminars, singing, and shopping for women, created by UFE and Fibroid Expert Dr. John Lipman, a leading fibroid expert. "I created the event to celebrate those women who are free from fibroids, thanks to the non-surgical procedure, UFE and to educate those women who are still suffering," he said in a press release. "The goal is to make sure women are getting the information they need to make informed decisions about their health while having fun at the same time. Women need to know there is an alternative to hysterectomy. UFE may be the answer for women suffering with symptomatic uterine fibroids."
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Jason Goff, former evening host on 92.9/The Game who was let go in April after 18 months at the sports talk station, has a new gig on SiriusXM's new Bleacher Report sports talk channel from 3 to 6 p.m.
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Former Star 94 morning show stars Steve McCoy & Vikki Locke, along with Tom Sullivan, reunited for a podcast test recently. McCoy on his Facebook page posted a two-minute video promo on August 16. The trio have not been together since the Star 94 days going back to 2007. Steve & Vikki reunited on B98.5 for a couple of years, then Vikki continued for three more years after that until 2013 when she voluntarily left.
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