Joel Williams leaving WDUN?

[redman58]

I heard through a reliable source that Joel Williams has left WDUN in Gainesville. He was not on today. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

[chartman]

Bill Maine on air Friday mentioned it was the final edition of the "Bill and Joel Morning Show" (Joel Williams was in Savannah those last few days covering the Emergency Management Association of Georgia convention). Monday morning, Joel was there cleaning out his desk and this was mentioned on the air. Joel's wife BJ is the News Director & is still there, so it makes me think Joel may have taken another job possibly with a local government (this is pure speculation). Over the weekend, all mentions of Joel Williams on WDUN were wiped clean. The Facebook page of the Bill and Joel Morning Show is still active, but would assume it will change names soon to the Morning Edition with Bill Maine.

 

[kf4rca]

There is no money in small market radio. Been there, done that. Often the station will employ you as part-time, where they can pay you dirt.

 

[MediaMan]

There are a few exceptions to that being the case and I think WDUN is one of them.

 

[radiojunkie]

So I have heard the rumor that he is going to WCON in Cornelia to work the morning show and I am sure they have to fork out some good money for him. I feel like they are slowly moving Billy out of the mornings. WCON is so crappy now and lost the local feel especially with that one on-air person name Kathy. I have yet to meet one person who likes her and if they do it’s either her family and friends. If you look on their Facebook page it’s all about her which is so sickening. The station is trying to sound like the Bull and 106.1 WNGC. You know local radio is the best and since the sons and the non-diva Kathy took over it’s gone down the toilet.

 

[jabba17]

So I have heard the rumor that he is going to WCON in Cornelia to work the morning show and I am sure they have to fork out some good money for him. I feel like they are slowly moving Billy out of the mornings. WCON is so crappy now and lost the local feel especially with that one on-air person name Kathy. I have yet to meet one person who likes her and if they do it’s either her family and friends. If you look on their Facebook page it’s all about her which is so sickening. The station is trying to sound like the Bull and 106.1 WNGC. You know local radio is the best and since the sons and the non-diva Kathy took over it’s gone down the toilet.

WCON really improved their signal with their upgrade to 100kW. I'm surprised Cox hasn't tried to pick them up for their north Georgia cluster (WNGC, WXKT, WPUP, WRFC, etc.). They're too far out to make a real splash in the ATL market and probably can't move in any closer because of how it would affect Q100, but they do get a good chunk of the north/east metro. It could also be used to fill in a southwestern rimshot such as WBZY or WALR.

 

[AMRocks]

I'm surprised Cox hasn't tried to pick them up for their north Georgia cluster (WNGC, WXKT, WPUP, WRFC, etc.). They're too far out to make a real splash in the ATL market and probably can't move in any closer because of how it would affect Q100, but they do get a good chunk of the north/east metro. It could also be used to fill in a southwestern rimshot such as WBZY or WALR.

Remember, Cox is in the "sell" mode these days, not the "buy" mode

 

[MediaMan]

WCON really improved their signal with their upgrade to 100kW. I'm surprised Cox hasn't tried to pick them up for their north Georgia cluster (WNGC, WXKT, WPUP, WRFC, etc.). They're too far out to make a real splash in the ATL market and probably can't move in any closer because of how it would affect Q100, but they do get a good chunk of the north/east metro. It could also be used to fill in a southwestern rimshot such as WBZY or WALR.

I am familiar with WCON signal before and after the upgrade and I don't think the increase was as great and you would think going from 19,000 watts to 100,000 watts would be. The problem is while they have an 800 ft tower, it sits down in the Chattahoochee River valley. You have mountains on all sides except going south but there is a high ridge that runs all the way across North Georgia from around Tallulah Falls straight down Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. Some refer to it as the Peachtree Ridge. The radio signals sitting down in that valley skirt across the very top of that ridge but they have to look through it to see the rapidly growing areas along I-85/Athens. Radio Signals can't see through dirt. Inside the valley WCON signal is a lot stronger but it was already strong enough and their secondary signal goes further. Eventually that signal skirting across the ridge tops and mountain peaks lands somewhere but no one listeners way out in the secondary signal and you sure don't sell any ads out that far. WCON waited too late to become a real regional player. Now they are dumping their local features and revenue which have paid the bills and are going out to sell against the many other stations already programming what they are trying to do. The same thing happened to the TV station up in Toccoa. The concept of serving that region which is growing and isolated far enough away from Atlanta and Greenville sounded like a good idea but the fact is that most of the retail growth has been chain which does no local advertising and the advertising available is not going to pay high enough rates to support such an operation. Radio is not a growing business. If your operation is profitable as is, you are among the few and proud. Maintain it, spit and polish every now and then...like WDUN does, but the days of building one from scratch especially in a more rural area like NE Georgia are in the past IMHO.