Clear Channel Atlanta honcho: 105.3/El Patron isn’t going anywhere
Rumors to the contrary, 105.3/El Patron is not going anywhere, according to Clear Channel Atlanta market manager Melissa Forrest.
“And qualified PD’s should apply,” she wrote in an email Tuesday, referencing the recently opened “program director” position.
When I first asked her about the rumors last week, she belittled the rumors themselves and the media for even posing them. She also said any staff changes at El Patron that helped fuel the rumors were modest, including a recently departed morning host and program director. She also complained about how Arbitron reported Spanish station ratings.
Forrest returned to work from Christmas break Jan. 3 in major damage control, she wrote to me. She said the blog entry I wrote last week makes it that much tougher for her sales staff to sell ads if there is any indication the station might not be around in its current incarnation.
She earlier sent me a note mocking the AJC’s “Credible. Compelling. Complete” slogan. “I don’t think you got the message yet,” she wrote. “That, it’s just not that important to you – the credible part…”
Later, she noted, “Yes, it’s like coming back from vacation and having a big, steaming pile of
crap on my desk.”
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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22 comments Add your comment
Kimmer Fan
January 3rd, 2012
9:12 pm
105.3 FM – The New Atlanta Home of Kim “THE KIMMER” Peterson
Make It Happen, ClearChannel !!!
Bill Clinton
January 3rd, 2012
9:51 pm
Please, let her be wrong.
Clear Channel Atlanta honcho: 105.3/El Patron isn’t going anywhere | ATLANTAboy.com | Gay Atlanta Celebrity, Film, Movie & TV News
January 3rd, 2012
10:06 pm
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Colonel Klink
January 4th, 2012
6:32 am
Hard time selling ads? To whom? The illegals are finally fleeing the area.
Something is brewing at the Building of Death. It’s still possible that WGST may go to FM and the station for illegals moves to 640.
Missy Forrest is not being totally honest, then again she works for Clear Channel.
Axing the Obvious
January 4th, 2012
8:55 am
Did El Patron’s program director get deported?
Radio Listener
January 4th, 2012
10:51 am
WGST Now at 92.3FM. What a joke. Now a FM signal that is actually weaker than their AM signal! And keeping 105.3 The Patron.
Clear Channel certainly knows what a big steaming pile is, that is for sure.
Lou Sends
January 4th, 2012
11:45 am
The only damage control that she is trying to do is selling as many ads as she can before they move Patron on down the dial.
TheLazyComic
January 4th, 2012
1:11 pm
My heart bleeds for Melissa Forrest. If you decide to sell your soul to the devil, (Cheap Channel), to say you’re employed, then you’ll always being doing damage control. Cheap Channel is probably the worst of all the radio corporate hogs. They earn the title of Cheap Channel. They pay most of their air people a slum-wage. (Usually, minimum wage or slightly above). while the Cheap Channel upper crust laugh all the way to the bank. Oh yes Melissa, my heart bleeds for you.
Hola
January 4th, 2012
2:51 pm
Me gusta, El Patron!
Shakespeare
January 4th, 2012
3:06 pm
I believe the lady doth protest too much…
Someone
January 4th, 2012
4:31 pm
Bee-yotch…
headhunter
January 4th, 2012
6:01 pm
Too many impulse decisions made by M forrest.. first, killing Viva 105.7 in favor of her baby The Groove. Forrest nixed Latin CHR for the heavily gay-friendly Madonna, Michael jackson, disco-ish crap. Problem? Viva still billed millions of dollars a year.. and The Groove NEVER lived up. Forrest cost CC millions in losses there. Then she went urban with Wild. What is more important? Ratings or revenue/money? Well, who the hell cares…
lklj
January 4th, 2012
6:16 pm
I’m no business communications expert, but it seems to me writing pissy, immature e-mails to reporters who cover your industry is probably a really bad idea.
Joe
January 4th, 2012
7:53 pm
wait? Clear Channel has a “Atlanta market manager” i thought all the shots are being called by the great clear channel gods in Texas or something, if i was her i would quickly find a plan b job quick before they find out she is still in the building and her position is eliminated. My heart goes out to you Mrs Forrest!!
Randall Bloomquist - former WGST PD
January 4th, 2012
8:29 pm
She fired me.
Wink
January 4th, 2012
11:33 pm
Why is she even running anything? She should be home thinking up dinner recipes for her man.
Kelly
January 5th, 2012
11:43 am
Melissa Forrest really doesn’t seem like a very nice person.
With a soul & disposition that dark and cold, I would really hate to be the person going into the bathroom immediately AFTER one of Melissa Forrest’s bowel movements.
ricardo v
January 5th, 2012
1:31 pm
she is going to get hers.
mike wheeler
January 5th, 2012
8:50 pm
Hogan will tire of Melissa like he does all of bimbos. Maybe Clear Channel can hire Marc Chase away from Tractor Supply and bring back Real Radio!
wareagle
January 5th, 2012
8:52 pm
I thought Marc Chase was working at Bass Pro Shops and moonlighting as Randy Michaels designated driver.
dan
January 6th, 2012
8:48 am
Mr Mel Forrest and her Sales Cronies are the ones responsible for creating the rumor about El Patron and now that it has back fired on her she is pointing fingers. This is typical of Mel, because San Antonio said you cannot blow up El Patron now she is blaming poor old Rodney Ho that El Patron is not selling. You started the rumor now deal with it. This is what being impulsive causes.
dennis
January 6th, 2012
9:37 am
she fired me too!