860 WAEC-AM, once the first Black-owned radio station in the U.S. has gone off the air after 76 years, AJC reports.
860 AM first came on the air in 1948, and in 1949 was purchased by Jesse B. Blayton Sr., who established the station as WERD-AM. The podcast series “Amplify Color,” hosted by Urban One Atlanta’s Ryan Cameron, covered the history of the station in an episode.
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Most recently the station served in a Spanish language salsa music format called Playa 860, parent station, Beasley media, sold the tower site to a housing developer.
Christopher “Crash” Clark has joined fellow 99X veterans, Steve Barnes and Leslie Fram, in the revival of the Morning X show on 99X. Beginning July 15, Clark has rejoined his Morning X co-hosts for traffic reports and on-air segments, while still maintaining his traffic reports for 11Alive.
Clark was first invited back to the show in late 2023, after the station flipped back to its current format in late 2022. While still concerned of the workload, current 11Alive management has allowed Clark to take on the gig in addition to his responsibilities with the TEGNA station.
Presented by WABE’s City Lights, WABE and Bitter Southerner have teamed up for an ‘All Women Radio Hour.’
“In this special, WABE and The Bitter Southerner partnered to create an arts and culture magazine adaptation of The Bitter Southerner’s latest release, the All Women Issue,” WABE reports.
The feature opens with a conversation between WABE’s Lois Reitzes (of City Lights with Lois Reitzes) and Bitter Southerner Cofounder Kyle Tibbs Jones, discussing the the origin and process of the publication’s ‘All Women’ issue. Over the course of the special, multiple women offer their stories, art and guidance.
For the association’s sixth stop on its 90th Anniversary Roadshow, the GAB stopped in Albany, GA to celebrate the impact and value of broadcasting in the South Georgia city.
Gray Television’s WALB was present at the event, where two of the stations longtime broadcasters, Jim Wallace and Karla Heath-Sands, were honored. Presented with the ‘GAB Spirit Award,’ Wallace and Heath-Sands were identified as Albany broadcasters who are dedicated to serving their communities. Wallace recently retired after 47 years with the station.
Registration for GABCON 2024 is officially OPEN!
GABCON is the largest gathering of radio and television broadcasters in the state of Georgia. Every year producers, managers, engineers, on-air talent, reporters AND MORE, from across the station attend the convention. GABCON offers these broadcasters and opportunity to learn, network and celebrate their accomplishments at the annual GABBYS Award Ceremony.
For more information and to register, visit the link below.
Find out who your 2024 Gabby Finalists are HERE
As part of its ongoing advocacy of adopting the AM for Every Vehicle Act, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has released new spots.
The NAB’s AM Radio Toolkit provides stations with access to necessary promotional tools urging congress to act now on adopting the bill and ensuring the public’s access to AM radio in newly manufactured vehicles.
According to the NAB, the new spots, “ask listeners to contact their member of Congress by texting AM to 52886, urging them to support legislation that ensures AM radio remains in cars.”
Friends of Georgia Radio have officially announced the 2024 Class of Georgia Legends!
This year’s inductees are:
- Steve Craig
- Bobby Ellerbee
- Bob Helbush
- Brady McGraw
- Pete Spriggs
- Howard Toole
- Wendy Williams
The 2024 class will be honored at FoGR’s 3rd annual Radio Celebration & Legends Induction on August, 24, at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.
H.R. 8449 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2024
Headed by Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
INSIDERADIO REPORTS ON TWEAKS BEING CONSIDERED TO BILL
Committees:
- House Energy and Commerce
- House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce
- House Transportation and Infrastructure
- House Homeland Security
- House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security
H.R.8072 – Broadcast VOICES Act
Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act
- 10 Cosponsors
Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act
- 7 Cosponsors
H.R. 3414 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2023
- 254 Cosponsors
S.1669 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2023
- 61 Cosponsors
