This Friday marks the two-year anniversary of 92.9/The Game. It was the first full-signal Atlanta FM sports talk station and proudly proclaimed from day one that it would be 24/7 live and local.
But the station struggled out of the gate. It lacked big name local personalities or any local team affiliations. Ratings were anemic. On-air hosts came and went. Money flew out the window.
Program director Terry Foxx from day one said this was going to be a marathon, not a sprint, that everyone just needed patience. CBS, the owner, was committing to this format in multiple markets, seeing potential big revenue potential, especially with political talk ratings on the decline. The numbers, Foxx said, would come around.
Maybe that time is now. In recent months, the Game has finally begun to find its mojo. In July, management smartly hired local favorite Mike Bell from the embers of 790/The Zone and placed him with Carl Dukes. In August, the station picked up Atlanta Falcons games. In September, the Game hit its strongest ratings numbers to date, closing the gap somewhat with market leader 680/The Fan.
"We've made great strides in the ratings," Foxx said. "The fans are liking our content."
The station last month ranked 19th overall with a 1.7 share and a 1.9 share among 25 to 54 year olds just as the college football season was getting into gear. Because rival 680/The Fan does not subscribe to Nielsen Audio ratings, I cannot reveal its numbers but I can say it still beats the Game, combining its AM signal with an inferior FM at 93.7. (790/The Zone is now a non-factor with a 0.4 share.)
Sports stations tend to see a rise in ratings when football season starts but that 1.7 share is nearly double the 0.9 the station pulled in the same month in 2013. Perhaps the arrival of Bell has drawn disaffected Zone listeners. Maybe the Falcons (despite a sinking season) are giving people a chance to sample the station for the first time.
Clearly, the line up is far more streamlined than it used to be. When the station started, there were 12 personalities spread over 24 hours of the weekdays (plus several weekend talkers.). The morning show had three on-air hosts as did the drive-time show, while mid-days and evenings had two each. There were two solo late-night talkers.
Today, there are eight personalities covering 21 of the 24 hours. (Right now, the station is still touts "live and local" but it airs repeats from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.). Five on-air staff remain from the original 12:
- Randy Cross, former NFL lineman, who has remained in mornings since day one
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
- Jamie Dukes, a former NFL center and survivor in mid-days. He is one of the most popular hosts on the show, based on ratings and was a morning host with 680/The Fan.
- Carl Dukes (unrelated to Jamie), drive-time host, who came from Houston. He has been a mainstay in the afternoons.
- Rick Kamla, started in mornings, now in mid days with Dukes. He is also an NBA TV commentator.
- Mitch Evans, late night denizen who has never been given a shot with a day-time slot despite the market's familiarity with him. He has been on Atlanta radio covering sports for more than 16 years, with stops at WGST and 680/The Fan.
Over the past two years, three women have arrived and left in short order ( C.J. Simpson and Kristen Ledlow in mornings, Rachel Baribeau in afternoons.) It's an all-male line up right now.
Jason Bailey came on with great fanfare last year in the mornings but lasted just a year. Mid-day host Jerome Jurenovich left after just six months. Kordell Stewart, who may have had one of the pricier contracts, was let go five months ago. A year ago, Mac McDonald departed the evening show, followed by Jason Goff six months later. Jim Murray lasted a year in the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. slot but moved on a year ago.
In May, the station added Mark Zinno at night and Marc James in the mornings to replace Bailey. Both are outsiders hired presumably from the bosses in New York.
The station also added the Atlanta Hawks in May, 2013, though given how low the Hawks are on the sports totem pole in Atlanta right now, it's hard to say that's a major benefit.
Until Bell came along, the station had generally avoided hiring anyone from the Zone, which is now all syndicated. Even though the 2 Live Stews have been available, the station chose not to pick them up. Ditto with Nick Cellini. They were unable to draw either Chris Dimino or Steak Shapiro to the fold. (Both left the Zone last year and ended up at the Fan.)
"I always thought they were a sleeping giant," said Mark Harmon, the former CBS Atlanta sportscaster now at Georgia Public Broadcasting focused on high school sports. He said he is listening to the Game more nowadays thanks to folks like Cross, Jamie Dukes and Bell. "When I'm on the golf course, people are talking about it."
Andrew Saltzman, former co-owner of 790/The Zone and now chief revenue officer at high school sports media company PlayOn! Sports, said his former rival David Dickey, who runs 680/The Fan has built a "very very strong local sports brand" but CBS's the Game, too, "is starting to understand how important it is to know the market. I think Mike Bell was a tremendous hire. Having two franchises in the Hawks and Falcons are good for them." stations."
I asked sports talk fans on my Facebook page what they thought of the Game. Some were former Dave FM fans still bitter that sports had taken over their station. Otherwise, it was a mixed bag.
Kevin Forest Moreau, 47, freelance writer, Chamblee: "In some ways, it's better. Mike Bell and Carl Dukes are great together, whereas before Carl was the only listenable part of their afternoon-drive shows. In others, it still needs improvement. Mornings still don't work. Midday is so-so--Jamie Dukes is engaging but Rick Kamla is way too overbearing. I'm liking Mark Zinno, but overnight and weekend lineups are middling to unbearable. Basically, the only time I'll listen is between 2-10."
Kenyun Damu Brown: "It's better but I think there are still some talent gaps IMO."
Tim Collins: "I've stopped listening to it and gone back to 680. I don't care about the NBA or nonstop Falcon talk. 680 talks about more different sports than 92.9. Kamla sounds like a Richard to me."
Sam Marks: " All the shows are great!!!!"
Solomon Thomas: "Except for Jamie Dukes and Mike Bell, the powers that be should follow the words of Jim Rome: have a take and don't suck!"
Bigpapa Medina: "I think Mike Bell is a JERK. He says too many off-color race jokes that aren't funny. They need more hometown guys on the station."
Jamie White: " Great station. It's what I listen to 85% of the time. I like Rick & Jamie..."
Chad Little "Randy is good. Wish you had Beau Bock & Scott Ferrall."
TD Holloman " Listen all day- some of the segments leave something to be desired but I love Rick and Jamie and Dukes and Bell mesh really well together."
Stephen Carlock " It's getting better all the time. Glad they made the morning drive time a 2 man booth. 3 People sounded like they were talking over each other. Hopefully they can land the FM home of the Falcons full time."
Demetrice Turner
"
Aaron Elya
"
About the Author
