Rusty Humphries first show Jan. 3 on WGST featuring… the Kimmer!
Syndicated host Rusty Humphries is officially launching his new local afternoon show on Monday, January 3 on news/talk 640/WGST-AM. He will be on from 3 to 6 p.m.
Humphries’ first guest is an intriguing one: Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson (left). WGST canned the Kimmer in late 2006 after 15 years and unceremoniously replaced him for four years with syndicated consumer activist Dave Ramsey.
Humprhries, aware of the Kimmer’s rabid fan base, said he doesn’t want to be like Jay Leno, who he felt did not not properly honor his legendary predecessor Johnny Carson. He wants to give the Kimmer his props and hopefully transition some of Kimmer’s fans to his camp.
He said he will air his Kimmer interview at 3:35 p.m. on Monday.
The Kimmer, now retired, said he was a bit skeptical when he got the call from Humphries. “I’m a cynic,” he said.”Would this be Mike Wallace with a hidden camera?” But ultimately, he figured Humphries was a sincerely nice guy and agreed to do it. (The managers who got rid of the Kimmer in 2006 are long gone, too, and the new ones had no objection.)
“I don’t know who’ll be listening either,” Peterson added. “Dave Ramsey has been so long, I don’t think the 3 pm.audience is the one I had.”
He said for the first year after forced retirement, he didn’t miss radio much. His show had been gradually stripped of its key elements toward the end, he said, and it wasn’t so much fun anymore. “It was a relief,” he said. He played lots of golf and rode his Harleys in Massachusetts and Florida.
But then he started to miss the mike. He’s been a guest on fellow GST alum Denny Schaffer’s night show on 920/WGKA-AM. He did a podcast earlier this year. “It’s hard to get radio out of your system,” he said.
For now, Peterson has actually spent less time on his motorcycle and with his golf clubs. Why? He got a horse! The name: Jack the Good Boy. He rides Jack every day. “He’s as big as a Clydesdale,” he said. “He’s a nut, has a lot of personality. He’s a jumper and a show horse.”
He now lives almost year around in Palm Beach County, Fla.
“I’m not complaining about my life,” he said. “But if there were openings and a good offer, I’d take it.”
Humphries, in the meantime, will have a producer and two other staff members to play off of. He plans to include some political content like he does on his syndicated talk show (heard late at night here), but wants to make it lighter to reflect the afternoon drive time. That’s the approach the Kimmer took, actually.
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By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
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60 comments Add your comment
Deep South Rick
January 3rd, 2011
9:32 am
After GST canned the Kimmer, Pete-n-Wayne, et al, I refused to listen to Ramsey. After the news update following Rush, those first few bars of Baker Street was my signal to change the station to … anything but GST. Nothing against Mr. Ramsey, but no way I would reward GST for their stupid mistake. I’ve hated afternoon drive radio since the Kimmer went quiet, and turned to satellite. But I will certainly be listening today at 3:35!
Guy Incognito
January 3rd, 2011
12:47 pm
It was sad listening to the former GST managment condemn the Kimmer to death by a 1,000 cuts. It was obvious where their heads were (when they coughed, their inies became outies). I’ll tune in @ 3:35……Hrb Ho, Hrb Ho
1911A1
January 3rd, 2011
5:24 pm
Since the Kimmer was canned I have refused to listen to even a second of programming on any Clear Channel station. There was a certain something with Kim, Wayne, Pete Davis and Jim Gossett’s “Newsmaker Line” impressions that created some real moments of radio comedy magic that are too rare in these days of formula radio and robo-jocks. Between their show and Tom Hughes’ incomparable morning news, it’s inconceivable how somebody could so completely screw up a quality radio franchise, but the knuckleheads in charge found a way.
Real Dawg
January 3rd, 2011
6:43 pm
I don’t even know what that means! Eeep Errp Ho!
AMANDA A
January 3rd, 2011
8:55 pm
BRING BACK DAVE RAMSEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bobby C.
January 4th, 2011
8:11 am
Welcome Rusty ! I, along with many others, am a Kimmer fan. But times change and sometimes not for the better. I listened to Dane Ramsey only because my radio at work is set all day on 640. Once I leave work I listen to Hannity on the way home. I am glad you are here Rusty ! I think the show went very well on Monday afternoon. I feel pretty certain I will be a “Rusty” for a long time to come. Thanks WGST for getting you collective heads out of your anal cavities !!!!!
stinger
January 4th, 2011
10:41 am
I want Dave Ramsey back on WGST now…yesterday’s drive home from work wasn’t the same..bye bye WGST..I’ll go listen elsewhere
obiwan
January 4th, 2011
11:53 pm
I enjoyed Dave Ramsey! Learned lots – and he’s a refreshing break from Sean’s rants. Now there’s no alternative and I’ll have to listen to music.
Jeff
January 5th, 2011
4:51 pm
Kimmer is the MAN! Miss him a lot and hope he makes it back onto ATL airwaves.
Hated Dave R when he first started, but that was more ‘cuz of what GST did to Kim P. Grew to like Dave, but he became VERY repetitive after 6 mos. or so to the point where I knew what he was going to say before he said it.
So far, Rusty sounds good. Look forward to hearing more and seeing if can really incorporate Kim somehow. Good Luck Rusty.
DORIAN GREY
January 6th, 2011
1:36 pm
WSB has become the WGST for the new millenium. 640 said screw the listeners when they got rid of Kimmer for that Ramsey loser and now “We Suck & Blither” has followed suit. Program directors that use cronyism to plan the content should be released. Herman Cain is a great man and I would vote for him regardless of what office he runs for. His radio show sucks, however, by being the most boring thing I’ve ever heard. He has proven that talking about taxes every single stinking night isn’t enough to get dropped if you have buddies on the inside. I stopped listening to anything but Clark on WSB when they burned Savage to put Mr. Boring on the air. Dave Ramsey is a hack. Anyone who has to sell their gimmicks through the religiously gullible is a charlatan. WSB screwed our beloved Clark Howard with this move. The Red state hack can have the midnight slot, because no one will listen to that anyway. Pete Spriggs has ruined a once fine station. Couldn’t they have gotten rid of Boortz as well? He’s a one trick pony, too. How about some young talent or even, God forbid, some diversity? How about Randi Rhodes or Alex Jones? Mike Malloy, Laura Ingraham, and Thom Hartman are all better than the current lineup at both stations.
As for WGST, I look forward to seeing their computers and desks being sold on the courthouse steps thanks to the smart assed idiots who killed off The Kimmer for a religious schmuck. WGST has ZERO talent in their lineup. Local talk? Where? Limbaugh is a GOP hack. If you want a real conservative, try Alex Jones. If I thought for a second that Clear Channel could make an intelligent decision, I would hope that they would pick up Savage and replace Mr. GOP with Alex Jones. Remember, these are the same people who didn’t think Howard Stern had an audience. He has more listeners than all of WGST & WSB hosts combined. I think I heard Rusty Humphries somewhere for a few minutes. He makes Mike Gallagher look talented and exciting. If he doesn’t need the Atlanta market, then please leave, because we don’t want you. WGST let Glen Beck go once, why not again? A complete lineup change is essential, but this is Clear Channel, after all. I just remember the person who answered the phone at WGST when I called to voice my support for the Kimmer. This person was as snotty as possible, and told me that they (WGST) couldn’t care less what the listeners thought. He said Ramsey would be their savior. Now that all ratings are in the toilet and GST can’t sell advertising, I look forward to seeing these people carrying out their personal belongings when the station closes. F WGST & WSB, and especially the program directors at both of these dives.