WSB, Atlanta Rebrands Simultaneous with Transmitter Move. Atlanta news/talker WSB-AM/WSBB-FM announces the move of its 95.5 FM transmitter and antenna from Flowery Branch to East Atlanta and the change of its official name and positioning statement to “95.5 WSB Atlanta’s News & Talk.” Cox Media Group says, “The move brings a stronger signal and better sound quality to residents in counties on the south, west and northwest side of metro Atlanta, including Henry, Paulding, Cobb, Bartow, Coweta, Cherokee and Douglas.”  WSB director of branding and programming Pete Spriggs says, “With the new tower location, at least one million more people in Atlanta will now be able to listen to 95.5 WSB without static, loud and clear, both at home and at work.  Office buildings in downtown and midtown Atlanta, Buckhead, Cumberland, and Perimeter will now be able to listen to 95.5 on an FM radio and hear our news and talk with a strong signal.”  The station will still be heard on the 750AM frequency as well.

Envision and GAB Partner to Distribute ‘Smart Talk Radio’ Format. The WCGO-AM, Chicago-based Smart Talk Radio format promises “no political talk.” Envision Networks and the GAB Radio Network are partnering to distribute the new 24/7 talk format to stations nationwide.  The “information and entertainment” format launched its weekend programming lineup last weekend (8/17-18) with a bevy of shows focusing on food, home improvement, pet, and travel shows.  It plans to announce its weekday lineup soon.  Envision Networks president and CEO Danno Wolkoff says, “Time to get back to programming that we all can enjoy listening to on the radio.  The debut of our weekend lineup really gets the network rolling and we’re excited to debut three new weekday daypart programs that will cover sports talk and betting, financial advice and planning, and lifestyle talk.”

Entercom’s News/Talk WYRD-FM and ‘ESPN Upstate’ Win SCBA Awards. The Entercom Greenville, South Carolina cluster took home a number of STAR Awards and Awards of Merit from the South Carolina Broadcasters Association. WYRD-FM “106.3 WORD” morning drive talk show host Tara Servatius won best Radio Morning Show Personality and Best News/Talk Show.  WYRD-FM’s Vince Coakley program won an Award of Merit for Radio Show of the Year. Sports talk WYRD-AM’s “Straight Up with Sturg” show was honored with an Award of Merit for Best Sports Show.

TALKERS News Notes. Chicago media writer Robert Feder reports that Chicago sports media personality Mike North is now a media consultant and spokesperson for VegasScoresAndOdds.com. In this capacity, North will host a sports-betting show on the platform on Mondays and Wednesdays.  North says in a statement, “I’ve immersed myself into the sports handicapping business, like I did the radio talk show industry when I made the transition from hot dog stand owner to nationally recognized media figure.”  Aldo Gandia – who is North’s partner on the Bears Barroom Radio Network – will also co-host and produce the betting shows…..ESPN Audio announces that its “30 for 30 Podcasts,” with The Undefeated, debuts all five episodes from its new season of audio documentaries.  “The Sterling Affairs” examines the life of former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.  It chronicles his rags to riches rise, his ultimate downfall, and how it all impacted the NBA. The series is hosted by ESPN senior writer Ramona Shelburne…..Paragon Media Strategies brings audio imaging producer Zach Gilltrap aboard to provide his services to Paragon clients. The company says, “Gilltrap has provided sound design creative services to radio stations, networks, studios and including Paragon clients for 20-plus years.  He will provide audio imaging production to select Paragon clients while continuing full time as the in-house producer at Colorado Public Radio, operator of Denver’s news/talk KCFR-FM, classical KVOD-FM, music discovery indie 102.3 and a statewide network of owned-and-affiliated stations.”…..WFDF, Detroit “910AM Superstation” adds ESPN Radio’s “Stephen A. Smith Show” to its lineup in the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm slot, effective September 9.  Station CEO Kevin Adell says, “We continue to evolve and provide exciting opportunities to our listening audience in the market.”

Satire, Parody and Perspective in the Age of Political Correctness.  The co-founder and head writer of The Capitol Steps, the long-running Washington, DC-based political comedy troupe, is this week’s guest on the award-winning PodcastOne series “The Michael Harrison Interview.”  Elaina Newport joins the TALKERS founder in a provocative discussion about the changing nature of satire, parody, and the expression of political perspective in the current age of hyper-political correctness.  The Capitol Steps, formed in 1981 by a group of newly unemployed senate staffers whose bosses had lost re-election, is a non-partisan equal opportunity offender.  To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click here or click on the player box marked “The Michael Harrison Interview” located in the right-hand column of the TALKERS email newsletter and on every page of Talkers.com.

Trump Greenland Flap, 2020 Presidential Race, Financial Markets Activity/Economic Concerns, Epstein Suicide Aftermath, U.S.-China Trade War/Hong Kong Protests, Israel vs Tlaib/Omar, Iran Tanker Case, and Gun Legislation Issues Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (8/20). The controversy over President Trump’s question about buying Greenland; the Democrats vying to challenge President Trump in 2020; the world’s financial markets activity and concerns about a U.S. recession; the aftermath of the suicide of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein; the trade war between the U.S. and China and the related protests in Hong Kong; Israel’s decision to ban U.S. Reps Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from visiting Israel; the status of an Iranian oil tanker the U.S. wants to prevent from reaching Syria; and the state of possible gun legislation in the wake of recent mass shootings were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Tags: 106.3 WORD, 30 for 30, Aldo Gandia, Atlanta, Chicago, Cox Media Group, Danno Wolkoff, Donald Sterling, Envision Networks, ESPN Audio, Gab Radio Network, Mike North, Paragon Media Strategies, Pete Spriggs, South Carolina Broadcasters Association, sports media, Tara Servatius, WSB-AM, WSBB-FM, WYRD-FM, Zach Gilltrap

Category: Front Page News, Industry News