I've been a longtime listener of WQXI 790 The Zone. I started listening to 790 in the early 2000s,…read morewhile still a student at Georgia Tech. 790 was the flagship radio station for Tech athletics for the last decade+, so that was the initial draw for me. Listening daily soon became routine. When I started working, my car radio was always dialed into 790 AM for both my morning and evening commutes.
Unfortunately, 2012 and 2013 have been significantly downward trending and I've started to lose interest in the station. In recent years, the biggest draws for me have been the morning show, Mayhem in the AM, the mid-day show, Barnhart and Durham, and the evening show, Archer and Bell. I really enjoyed the quality of the programming, the entertaining on-air personalities, the fascinating interviews, breaking news, and sports knowledge of some of the hosts.
However, a lot of the talent has either left the company or their roles have become reduced or more limited. In 2012, "Mr. College Football" Tony Barnhart and former voice of the Yellow Jackets and current play-by-play voice of the Atlanta Falcons, Wes Durham, ended their mid-day show. They've moved on to bigger and better things (TV), leaving them little to no time for 790. Those two really know their stuff when it comes to college football and college athletics in general and I loved their depth of knowledge, perspective, and the interesting tidbits they'd discuss.
The entire Mayhem in the AM crew was fired in June 2013 for an insensitive skit which poked fun at New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason, who has Lou Gehrig's disease. The firing was almost the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" for me. At the time, Mayhem in the AM consisted of Steak Shapiro (host of TV program Atlanta Eats), Chris Dimino, and Nick Cellini.
I'm actually a big fan of Nick Cellini and he was the main reason I listened to the show. I liked his sense of humor and enjoyed his perspective, his numerous pop culture references, etc. I ran into Cellini and Dimino at Red Door Tavern in Buckhead years ago. I spoke with them for a bit and they were really nice guys. It's a shame that one short skit ended such an entertaining, long-running show.
Now, the only talent left at 790 that I really like is Mike Bell. He's the funniest personality at the station, kind of like a 40s-something man-child. When you look past his wisecracks and immature jokes, he's actually quite the historian and intelligent person. He's the only talent that will keep me (barely) tuning in.
Bell does the afternoon/evening show, which used to end weekdays at 6pm. That was a terrible time for me since he'd be off the air by the time I got off work. His program currently runs until 7pm, which was a great decision, since it allows more time for the "9 to 5" crowd to listen in.
The other talent at the station is fine. I like guys like Dave Archer (color commentator for regional ACC football telecasts) and Alge Crumpler, former beloved Falcon, who's now on the morning show. However, I don't think these kinds of guys can carry the station.
Another now-defunct program I immensely enjoyed on 790 was Teeing Off with Matt Judy. I love golf and thought it was a high quality program. I especially liked the Caddy Corner segment where they interviewed different caddies from around the PGA Tour. The show provided interesting insight and perspective that I haven't found anywhere else. I've been looking for a golf podcast like it ever since, but as of yet haven't been able to find one.
Another hit the station took over the summer was losing its partnership with Georgia Tech. Tech's flagship station is now All-News 106.7. At least 790 is still the flagship for the Falcons, at least for the next couple years. I do think 790 still has, by far, the best Falcons coverage. They constantly have Arthur Blank, Thomas Dimitroff, and Mike Smith on for interviews.
Speaking of interviews, I always thought 790 had the best connections when it came to getting both local and national interviews. No player, coach, or owner was too big for 790 to snag. The interviews were so engaging that I often found myself staying in my car to finish listening to them. With Mayhem in the AM gone, I'm not so sure now. I can only surmise the folks behind the station are wondering what big steps to take next.
Finally, I haven't even mentioned my biggest gripe with 790. Their nighttime signal is incredibly weak. According to Wikipedia, they broadcast at 28,000 watts in the daytime and a miniscule 1,000 watts at nighttime. Since I listened to 790 in the mornings and evenings, I always heard the power switch and the difference was/is drastic. In the wintertime, the afternoon show "cuts off" early because of the downshift in signal.
If I wrote this review even just a year ago, it would've been 4, maybe even 5 stars. There have been a lot of changes and maybe Nick is right in saying, "that station is a sinking ship."
