WGST (AM)
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| WGST | |
| Broadcast area | Atlanta, Georgia |
|---|---|
| Branding | 640 WGST |
| Slogan | Atlanta. Talk. Radio. |
| First air date | March 16, 1922 |
| Frequency | 640 kHz (analog) |
| Format | News/Talk radio |
| ERP | 50,000 watts daytime, 1,000 watts nighttime |
| Class | Class B AM Station |
| Callsign meaning | W Georgia School of Technology |
| Affiliations | Atlanta Braves Radio Network |
| Owner | Clear Channel Communications |
| Website | www.640wgst.com |
WGST AM is a radio station in the city of Atlanta, Georgia at 640 kHz. Owned by Clear Channel Communications subsidiary Citicasters Licenses (formerly part of Jacor), it holds Atlanta as its city of license.
Contents |
[edit] Early History
The station was formerly on 920 kHz, now used by WGKA AM. The move allowed it to increase power from 5 kW day and 500 W night to 50 kW day and 1 kW night. While this improved daytime reception, it weakened the nighttime reception, which is now slightly directional but has Cuban interference from Radio Progresso on 639 khz many nights.
WGST's original license for 890 was issued March 17th 1922, with the callsign WGM. The owner was the Atlanta Constitution, responding to the rival Atlanta Journal 's new WSB. (The FCC issued WGM's license 2 days after WSB's March 15, 1922 grant.) WGST got its current callsign after being given to the Georgia School of Technology (now Georgia Tech) in 1923. The WGM license was allowed to expire that August, and issued to the school in January of 1924 as WBBF, later becoming WGST in 1925. The station moved to 920khz after the Communications Act of 1934 created the clear channels and 890 was given to WLS, Chicago.
It was operated as a commercial station under a lease to Southern Broadcasting Company beginning in 1930, but the Georgia Board of Regents got back control of the station in 1946. In the 1940s, it was located in the Forsyth Building in downtown Atlanta. It was a CBS affiliate in 1947 and later became an ABC affiliate in 1950.
[edit] 1950s
Ray Charles' song "I Got a Woman" was recorded at WGST in the early 1950s.
In 1956, WGST moved to a studio facility next to the Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the Georgia Tech campus. This facility was built on top of the Coliseum's locker rooms for the radio station, and it featured two large studios for live performances, complete with grand pianos. The studios still exist and WREK occupied a small area of the original until it moved to its current studio in the Georgia Tech Student Center.
[edit] 1970s
In 1973, it was declared surplus property and was sold for five million dollars to Meredith Corporation in 1974, ignoring opposition from alumni, state legislators, and even the governor.
However, interest from the trust fund created by the sale was used to upgrade Tech's student-run WREK FM 91.1, which, in 1978, moved to the Coliseum studios vacated by WGST in 1975.
[edit] 1990s
Sean Hannity replaced Neal Boortz when Boortz left for WSB-AM in 1992 and stayed until Roger Ailes offered Hannity a position on FOX News Channel in 1996.
The station was simulcasted on WGST-FM 105.7 from 1993 until 2000.
2005 marked a year of change for WGST. Following the acquisition of Atlanta Braves radio rights, the station changed its moniker to "Braves Radio 640 GST" in 2005 to reflect the new rights, although many out-of-Atlanta area fans have complained about the change from AM 750 WSB, noting WGST's signal is much weaker at night compared to WSB.
To remedy that situation, sister station WKLS-FM (96 Rock) began broadcasting Braves games, as sports programming on FM rock stations is becoming commonplace, and acceptable. Also, as part of a Clear Channel corporate change, it switched to Fox News Radio. On March 20, 2006, WGST-AM's moniker became "Atlanta. Talk. Radio."
[edit] Recent changes
On November 21, 2006, WGST announced that morning show host Tom Hughes had resigned, and that midday host Denny Schaffer, and afternoon drive talk host Kim Peterson (The Kimmer) and their staffs had been fired.
On February 5, 2007, it was announced that veteran Atlanta morning show hosts Randy Cook and Spiff Carner would be joining the 640 WGST team for a new live and local morning show.
As of February 26, 2007 includes "The Wall Street Journal This Morning" from 5am to 6 am, The Randy and Spiff Morning Show from 6 am to 9 am, Mike McConnell from 9 am to noon, Rush Limbaugh from noon to 3, Dave Ramsey from 3 to 7, Mark Levin from 7 to 9 and "Coast to Coast AM" with George Noory during the overnight hours.
[edit] Former WGST Personalities
- Don Naylor, producer, announcer, singer, actor, and director (1936-1950)
- Sean Hannity, then a local afternoon host in the ealry 90's before joining Fox News Channel and WABC-AM
- Tom Hughes, former morning show host
- Kim Peterson, "The Kimmer", former afternoon show host
- Denny Schaffer, former midday host
[edit] External links
| Atlanta Metro Area AM radio stations (Arbitron #9)
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