Atlanta's Morning News on WSB Celebrates 25 Years

This morning, I heard Scott Slade say today is the 25th anniversary of Atlanta's Morning News. He said the morning the show launched, there was a snowstorm, and the first Gulf War was starting. Of course, the show is as strong as ever.

I guess that means 1991 a few months before i graduated. Anyway WSB had gotten so old in audience that they had to run them off and bring in younger demos and it has made them better. David Paul was the main show used to do that. This was close to them hiring away Neal Boortz in 1993. 25 years later WSB is still one of the most popular news/talk stations in America. Still remember Scott as the traffic reporter but he evolved into the perfect host for that show. Plus Scott use to forcast weather on WSB TV when they needed a fill in for Karen or David.

Well, Mr. Slade may have developed a bit of memory loss, since the Persian/Gulf War actually started the night of January 17th 1991 with the massive air strikes and the "Baghdad Three" broadcasting live. And the Weather Underground historical data shows no snow for that day.

When did Wisbee retire the "Morning Merry-Go-Round"?

I guess this was WSB's response to the WGST "News Monster" kicking their butt, plus WGST having Rush and Boortz.

Before the launch of Atlanta's Morning News, they had an informal news cast with AC music tracks mixed in. That show was mostly news and talk (and adverts) but I remember them playing 3-4 songs an hour.

It was also around this time that WSB AM removed all music from its programming, including late nights / weekends and went all out talk radio and news. (Exceptions at Christmas).

WSB's music was MOR back in the early 70s, but was AC to hot AC (what that format would have been) by the end of the decade. WSB-FM was still BM/EZ into the early 80s.

Go to 0:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qArDJMN0HE

Lotologist492 said:

Before the launch of Atlanta's Morning News, they had an informal news cast with AC music tracks mixed in. That show was mostly news and talk (and adverts) but I remember them playing 3-4 songs an hour.

It was also around this time that WSB AM removed all music from its programming, including late nights / weekends and went all out talk radio and news. (Exceptions at Christmas).

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At the very end (January 1991), the WSB morning show was "Atlanta's Morning Show" with Bobby Harper, Kathy Fischman, Kim Peterson with news, Scott Slade in the traffic copter and Kirk Mellish weather. Bobby and Kathy's talk time had been cut to less than 10 minutes an hour with the Persian Gulf build-up driving the news of the day. Still, they played a couple of songs per hour, anything from the latest from Peter Cetera all the way back to Bobby Vinton.

Harper, Fischman and Peterson were all released the same day in January 1991. Slade moved to the host chair. It wasn't long after that when Ludlow Porch was supplanted by David Paul, all in an effort to wrench WSB into the 1990s.

MrRadio said:

At the very end (January 1991), the WSB morning show was "Atlanta's Morning Show" with Bobby Harper, Kathy Fischman, Kim Peterson with news, Scott Slade in the traffic copter and Kirk Mellish weather. Bobby and Kathy's talk time had been cut to less than 10 minutes an hour with the Persian Gulf build-up driving the news of the day. Still, they played a couple of songs per hour, anything from the latest from Peter Cetera all the way back to Bobby Vinton.

Harper, Fischman and Peterson were all released the same day in January 1991. Slade moved to the host chair. It wasn't long after that when Ludlow Porch was supplanted by David Paul, all in an effort to wrench WSB into the 1990s.

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And then the Kimmer moved to WGST and started his periodic rants about We Suck and Blither.

Lotologist492 said:

Before the launch of Atlanta's Morning News, they had an informal news cast with AC music tracks mixed in. That show was mostly news and talk (and adverts) but I remember them playing 3-4 songs an hour.

It was also around this time that WSB AM removed all music from its programming, including late nights / weekends and went all out talk radio and news. (Exceptions at Christmas).

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In speaking of WSB AM having played Christmas music in years past, this past Christmas on Christmas Day 12/25/2015, I noticed that both WSB AM & NewsRadio 106.7 WYAY-FM both participated in playing a Westwood One Christmas Music Special. On WSB AM, they had Condace Pressley do the TOH station ID, and then they did the national CBS Radio TOH News. After that, no traffic & weather were played. Instead, they just went back to the Christmas music special. Rather odd, isn't it? I think I recall the same procedure happening at NewsRadio 106.7 with the TOH Westwood One News. Things were sure different back when we had the 2010 White Christmas. Some folks at WSB AM actually did come in for that. I remember hearing Mark Alewine & Doug Turnbull wish each other a merry Christmas on the air. I was aware of the Westwood One Christmas Music Special going to be happening ahead of time prior to Christmas. It may have been Tom Taylor who mentioned it in his e-newsletter. I thought it was going to be on music-only stations. Apparently, the folks at Westwood One made it mandatory for News/Talk stations as well. Anyway, that is all.

WSB 750 a very dynamic operation.

Their programming can change on the spur of the moment. They want to be everything. I wish they would concentrate on news/talk. But they often pre-empt for sports (which I have no use for).
I've got some old tapes from the early 80's when they were MOR(?) and were experimenting with AM stereo.
I don't know if any of you have observed this but, while the bulk of their programming is conservative talk, some of their local newscasts have a liberal tinge to it.

kf4rca said:

local newscasts have a liberal tinge to it.

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Absolutely! They were thrilled to report on Erick <sp?> Erickson's <sp?> denunciation of Donald Trump back last summer. But you have to remember with CMG being their ltimate ownership, they are bred that way.

By the way, what was this with Herman having a studio audience the other morning? Are they trying to pump him up or something?

And still no one challenges the errors I pointed out on 01/26 at 8:324 PM about Mr. Slade's failing memory. Is this going to be another instance where White Columns gets away with skewing the facts to suit their image?

Mike_Rafone said:

By the way, what was this with Herman having a studio audience the other morning? Are they trying to pump him up or something?

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He was doing his show on location in Tulsa, OK - a "remote", of sorts, and remotes do tend to have guests and audiences.

Mike_Rafone said:

And still no one challenges the errors I pointed out on 01/26 at 8:324 PM about Mr. Slade's failing memory. Is this going to be another instance where White Columns gets away with skewing the facts to suit their image?

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It seems as if you're the only one concerned. But, since you are, let's check the facts. Scott's words were: "January 26, 1991 - Atlanta's Morning News signed on for the first time with snow in Atlanta and war in the Persian Gulf." If you check the local headlines from January of 1991, you'll find that winter weather rolled through the area January 24 through the morning of the 25th. Schools were closed on the 25th and reopened Monday the 28th. Yes, there was still snow in Atlanta that day. And, yes, there was war in the Persian Gulf. Challenge accepted...

… and Challenge acknowledge and noted

My fault; Weatherunderground.com simply reported the existing conditions that day, not the preceeding days which would have indeed left snow on the ground.

However, the initial post quoted Mr.Slade as saying the war had just begun. My January 26, things were pretty much settled since the initial air assault of January 17.

However, poetic and literary license is hereby granted and extended to Mr. Slade in order to bring attention to his anniversary.

Harper, Fischman and Peterson were canned Tuesday, January 22. January 26 was a Saturday.

WSB: "We're So Brutal"

Anyone remember this bit of silliness?

I like that the article refers to Kim Peterson as Ms Peterson. Is this a different Kim Peterson?

It's "The Kimmer." Norman Arey (who always seemed well-connected and should have known better) apparently had no idea who he was writing about and assumed, or his editor changed it...

Mike_Rafone said:

Absolutely! They were thrilled to report on Erick <sp?> Erickson's <sp?> denunciation of Donald Trump back last summer. But you have to remember with CMG being their ltimate ownership, they are bred that way.

By the way, what was this with Herman having a studio audience the other morning? Are they trying to pump him up or something?

And still no one challenges the errors I pointed out on 01/26 at 8:324 PM about Mr. Slade's failing memory. Is this going to be another instance where White Columns gets away with skewing the facts to suit their image?

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What I wrote was not an exact quote. Maybe I exaggerated what Scott said, but I didn't do it intentionally. And frankly, why does it matter? My purpose in posting this was to point out the accomplishment of being on the air for 25 years.

25 years is five eternities in the radio biz. Scott and crew should be applauded.

I only posted the articles from a "remember when" angle. Thought people would like to see the coverage from back in the day. I have volumes more of that stuff.

MrRadio said:

25 years is five eternities in the radio biz. Scott and crew should be applauded.

I only posted the articles from a "remember when" angle. Thought people would like to see the coverage from back in the day. I have volumes more of that stuff.

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I would love to see more of your articles.