WGST flips to Spanish sports talk ESPN Deportes; Rusty Humphries had plans to leave anyway
After Rush Limbaugh finished up his show at 3 p.m. , News/Talk WGST-AM was no more. Instead, 640 began playing the syndicated radio network ESPN Deportes targeting Spanish listeners. (Clear Channel, which owns the signal, also operates a Hispanic music station on the FM side at 105.3 called El Patron.)
This was one of the rumored changes I had heard on Wednesday, but Clear Channel GM Matt Scarano didn’t return calls for comment.
Limbaugh moves to AM 750 and 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB on Monday. I’m not sure what becomes of the other syndicated shows like Glenn Beck, “Coast to Coast AM with George Noory,” Michael Savage and Mark Levin. I presume some of the other talk stations on the AM dial may try to scoop them up.
WGST’s afternoon host Rusty Humphries, a syndicated talk show host who added a local Atlanta show at GST two years ago, said in an interview that he had already told GST months ago that he was going to leave after his two year contract was up next month and before this news came out.
He said the strain of commuting back and forth between his home in Oregon and Atlanta was too much given that he has two daughters on the West Coast. He plans to go back there full time.
When WGST management asked him to do the local show in the fall of 2010, he thought it would be a fun challenge: “I wanted us to go from worst to first. It didn’t happen, but I had a blast.” His syndicated show, he said, is heard on more than 50 stations nationwide (as well as online).
The ratings for WGST have been pretty steady the past few years. Limbaugh always brought in the biggest numbers. In August, the station ranked 21st overall in Arbitron ratings. Limbaugh can often reach top 10 among 25-54 men.
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198 comments Add your comment
Scott Reynolds
September 29th, 2012
4:11 pm
Well done clear channel, what tf are you people doing?
marko
September 29th, 2012
4:11 pm
Maybe the new GST can air some Spanish language “slower traffic keep right” PSAs. Then at least some good could come from this.
Maria
September 29th, 2012
4:32 pm
What is wrong with a major city that can’t keep decent radio?
Every fm station, with the exception of 2 country stations, is either top 40 or rap.
No more alternative. AM-Clark Howard got screwed, wgst has been irrelevant since the got rid of Kimmer.
Just pathetic.
Gerry
September 29th, 2012
5:58 pm
Ever since they lost their 105.7 a few years ago it’s been downhill.
The only thing that kept GST alive after Kimmer went was Rush,,
‘Til Rusty brightened things up ,,, But up here in Roswell ,, “Unreceivable”.
It’s to bad ,,, I’m gona’ miss y’all while drivin’ around in the car
Last One Out...
September 29th, 2012
6:21 pm
I logged in today and immediately renewed by SiriusXM subscription. Then, I took GST and WSB off my presets. Sadly, there was nothing remotely exciting to replace them with. I put 106.7 in twice, and added 91.9.
Does WSB think adding Rush is the future? Really? The King of Hate Talk is so over. Local radio ain’t local no more. Its enough to make me want to move. Even lame cities like Cincinnati and New Orleans have much better radio than Atlanta.
Last One Out...
September 29th, 2012
6:22 pm
OK, Cincinnati and New Orleans aren’t that lame. Sorry. Well, maybe Cincinnati.
Last One Out...
September 29th, 2012
6:23 pm
Well, I’ve been to a few good restaurants in Cincinnati. And AM700 is way better than anything on the dial here.
Last One Out...
September 29th, 2012
6:24 pm
I retract my “lame” comment about Cincinnati as well, but will instead apply it to Memphis.
Last One Out...
September 29th, 2012
6:25 pm
Actually I’ve had a couple of good nights on Beale Street. Let me think about that.
Last One Out...
September 29th, 2012
6:25 pm
I’ll stick with Memphis.
greengo
September 29th, 2012
6:38 pm
Great news! deportes was on AM a year or two ago on 1340 and went away. glad to hear, pun intended, they are back. muy bueno. suck it if you dont like it, whitebacks.
Rosemary
September 29th, 2012
7:08 pm
They could have least had the decency to let the loyal listeners know of the changes.I was listening to Levin one night and Spanish the next. I thought that it was a skit until it kept on going.
RGB
September 29th, 2012
7:42 pm
Where can we hear Mark Levin in Atlanta now?
William R Nicholson
September 29th, 2012
8:12 pm
I’ll mostly miss Rob n Dave. Don’t think either of them will be out of sight long, too talented to stay out of limelight unless they choose to . As for Rusty I believe He can keep his show going on the national syndication but Whatever happens we can follow many online from net streaming. I also was shocked that Dave FM is shutting down ! Will whoever leaves Atlanta last ; Please shut off all the lights Before You Leave , Please ? !
Tweety
September 29th, 2012
9:09 pm
WSB dropped off my dial long ago due to the fact that it is now a combo traffic/commercial for traffic station with a couple of dropped in sentences from the hosts in between. Rusty was a turn off because he spent most of his time name dropping. Unlistenable, as Wachs once said.
Now, my radio time will continue to start with The Regular Guys, followed by Dennis Miller Radio online, Rush on KFI in LA, also online. After that, I’m open to suggestions. On the ride home, I listen to podcasts.
Looks like the only credible local news commentary comes from the News Jog, which has always, and ever shall be the best source of news, in my opinion!
Aristomedes
September 29th, 2012
9:09 pm
I am writing on behalf of my godmother, who is blind. She listened to most of the people on WGST on a daily basis. This is a tremendous loss for her. I also liked Humphries and Savage very much and hope they will be accessible from Atlanta in the future.
Quantez
September 29th, 2012
9:28 pm
In order to listen to an AM radio station you need to be able to actually hear it. WGST’s puny little after sundown signal is nothing but static out in the suburbs. I hate to see an Atlanta icon go down this way but they’ve known about the signal strength issue for years and just shrugged it off.
elliott
September 29th, 2012
10:46 pm
Unbelievable i listen everyday to gst…rob and dave glenn and rush…what a bunch of morons clear channel bosses are.
Melanie
September 29th, 2012
10:59 pm
Thanks for caving to the illegal population and getting rid of voices of reason that this society so needs. Bad move.
a.wilson
September 30th, 2012
12:25 am
[replies from page 2]
Apostrophe Jones: “Bring back Ludlow (and Junebug).”
pb: “Ludlow cannot comeback. He had passed away recently.”
Yup.. and sadly, his old radio show (The Funseekers radio network) has gone off the air as well. Deny decided to pull the plug back in March. Those folks (and Mr. porch) are sorely missed!!
a.wilson
September 30th, 2012
1:06 am
911 wrote: “By the way, Savage won a long-standing fight on Thursday to break his contract with talk Radio and voluntarily took himself off the air until he makes a deal with another network. WSB would be smart to add him to its nighttime lineup when once again available.”
Unfortunately kind of doubtfull that will happen any time soon. Michael’s show used to be on “duh-bya es bee” [WSB] for many years already… and was bumped off in favor for Eric Erickson.. when he showed up.. Probbly won’t ever be there again.
a.wilson
September 30th, 2012
1:26 am
Despite all of the debacles of WGST’s past .. I was an Off-and-On listener of them for many years during the morning at work. The arrival of Savage Nation was icing on the cake, so to speak!!
But now that WGST is gone… I guess it’s time to go back to our local horrible/embarrassment of a radio station in the north section of Georgia (1230 WBLJ). I can’t stand all of their commericals on that station.. but is a tad better than listening to WSB. Or will have to begrudgingly switch to an ipad.
RIP WGST!
a.wilson
September 30th, 2012
1:47 am
*Almost forgot*.. thank goodness for tunein.com . At least they show times & different cities for Cigar Dave show.
Steve
September 30th, 2012
6:35 am
I only listened to WGST & WSB in the car. WGST drove me away for a long time with their Braves Radio GST promos every 10 seconds a few years ago, but when they dropped that incessant campaign I came back. I’m going to miss that station. I listened to them for years. They started going downhill when they got rid of the Kimmer. RIP WGST.
Mick Dee
September 30th, 2012
7:18 am
Way to go, Clear Channel. And thank your Republican-led FCC (headed by Colin Powell’s son) during the Bush years when they decided it was OK for just a couple of corporations to own all of Atlanta’s radio stations. Take the money and run.
Bullwinkle J. Moose
September 30th, 2012
7:37 am
Get you facts straight Mick Dee. Radio station ownership rules were relaxed during the Democrat-led FCC in 1996. Who was president in 1996?
Cruzin
September 30th, 2012
7:51 am
When they axed the Kimmer, that was the last straw. I turned them off completely. The incompetent management team ran the station into the ground sideways. I bet next year they will begin selling off their office furniture. RIP..
George
September 30th, 2012
7:56 am
Once again, Clear Channel clears the channel of all listeners!!!
Whirled Peas
September 30th, 2012
8:41 am
The days for music radio are numbered. Everyone will get their music from the internet. Real radio will disappear first and satellite radio next.
Michael
September 30th, 2012
9:19 am
Thanks again for the 106.7 information. Now I can delete 750 from my presets.
Mike
September 30th, 2012
10:12 am
Where will Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap go now that Momma Carlson has come in and changed formats again to make sure they continue losing money?
Kujohn
September 30th, 2012
12:19 pm
That is great news I would. Rather listen too Spanish. Then the crap these old fat whiteguys spew out Things are a changing in Atlanta I mean come on all the rednecks have is their talk radio Oh and mitt Romney. Baahahahahaha
Eddie
September 30th, 2012
12:50 pm
What makes ESPN Deportes a channel for illegals?? I am white, blonde, green eyed person categorized in a so called Hispanic category because my parents are Cuban and of Spanish ancestry. By the way, I am not illegal. Of course, if you are those idiots that follow Rush……I am!!
liberalefty
September 30th, 2012
12:58 pm
AM is talk radio the last bastion of the insecure racist white male..they find solidarity in their inferiority complex towards black men like OBAMA…but they love their college football which is dominated by the very men they hate..
No speaky English..
September 30th, 2012
2:08 pm
The intelligence of a WGST listener: if you speak Spanish you must be an illegal alien; what a bunch of dumb-masses. Of course, these are the same listeners that think that vacationing in Panama City and Destin every year is traveling around the world: hey watch this!, ha, ha, ha!
lugnut
September 30th, 2012
2:26 pm
Glad to hear Rush survives and thrives. Now on the Atlanta blowtorch and FM to boot. As for WGST, it’s a loss – but apparently from self inflicted wounds. Let’s call this episode “Kimmer’s Revenge”.
Juan
September 30th, 2012
2:29 pm
Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si!
Juan
September 30th, 2012
2:34 pm
Ahora por fin tenemos un lugar para escuchar sobre el fútbol REAL! Inglés conversación deportes no es más que la piel de cerdo buen chico ol durante todo el año. Aburrido!
Manny
September 30th, 2012
3:15 pm
I think this whole thing is funny because only Conservatives and Latino stations even care about AM radio.
left a long time ago
September 30th, 2012
3:30 pm
GST went down after they let Kimmer go…
Planet Radio
September 30th, 2012
5:17 pm
Planet Radio was the start of a long end.
J
September 30th, 2012
5:54 pm
THIS IS HORRIBLE!!!! MEXICANS ARE INVADING OUR COUNTRY!!! AMERICA WILL BE SPEAKING SPANISH IN 5 YEARS.
Jessie
September 30th, 2012
6:15 pm
All of what is now California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas plus parts of Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas was once Mexico. I don’t like illegal immigration any more than the next person, but whenever I think about this it kind of puts the “invasion” thing in perspective.
Kujohn
September 30th, 2012
6:51 pm
Seems very ironic the station that preached the Mexicans are taking over our country Was taken over by those illegal Mexicans What could be better WSB 750 in Spanish
Kujohn
September 30th, 2012
6:58 pm
Enter your
J. Is the redneck version of Paul Revere
Driving thru his trailer park In his pickup
Yelling. The Mexicans are coming The Mexicans are coming
Beaver Boy
September 30th, 2012
7:26 pm
No me gusta!
NotMe
September 30th, 2012
7:34 pm
Now close down WSB too and that would be good news. Both were right wingnuts! They won’t be missed.
Catherine W
September 30th, 2012
7:39 pm
I am totally shocked and appalled! I had heard about Rush moving to WSB, didn’t know why, but this afternoon was driving to church when I turned the radio on WGST. It was en espanol! I should have followed up on the Limbaugh announcement, but never, in my wildest dreams, did I think WGST would be taken over by Latinos. MAN!
Tacos 4 everyone
September 30th, 2012
8:06 pm
yipeeeee
suzanne
September 30th, 2012
9:16 pm
I am sooo disappointed. I dont understand . I listened all day. Now there is nothing to listen too .