680 the fan vs. 790 the zone.

[Diesel]

Ok, for the past few days, I have been listening to both of these ATL stations.

Here's my take...

680 must be lacking sponsors. They have these long lapses of dead air with a recording of a guy who comes on and says.. the program will be back shortly. Whoever is in charge of getting commercials for 680 should be fired.

Programming wise... 790 is good up until 1:00. I got to say, I am not impressed with the Stews. I used to be, but they've gone National. The other day, when the Hawks were in game 5, they talked more about the Lakers than the Hawks. While being Knowlegable about the Hawks, they are so negative that it's hard to believe that this is the hometown station.

On 680... I listened to their 4:00 rendering and I about fell asleep. What the hell are they talking about? I think they're a national show too.. However, they suck. They were talking about nonsports related crap. IN a time when Chipper Jones is over .400, The Hawks just had a great showing in the post season and are looking for a new front office, when the Falcons have had their minicamp and there's lots to talk about.. how can you talk about non-sports so much?

Back to 790 during Drive time, I have to give it up to Hometeam... and whoever that is with him. Those guys are knowledgable and they know about Atlanta.

On 790 in the morning with Steak Shapiro and those other bald guys? It's a toss up. Can't say that they are bad, but they are more entertainment than sports. But the 680 afternoon and drive time makes me want to find Herman Caine, drink tequila, and make a bruce lee punch!

[khaos7]

I tend to like 790 more than 680. Dimino and Cellini is two of the best interviewers in the business. I like Hometeam and Chuck Oliver a lot. Brandon and Wolverton are okay. The Stews lost something when they went national. Steak Shapiro is overbearing and is obsessed with food and Boston. 790 seems more big league to me.

680? I feel like I'm listening to Fox News, Bill O'Reailly, or Rush Limbaugh. Perry and Kincade feel that it's a must to insert politics into their sports discussion. Rarely does any of their shows bring anything insightful about the sports scene here. 790 is just more diverse, without being homers (ahem...Belue).

My biggest beef with 790 is the signal after dark. Driving home from work, I'd miss the 1st half of Hawks games because of that weak signal.

[Diesel]

Whatever happen to the "Monsters of the midday".

I think it was Chernoff and Smith? I used to listen to them a little and Smith tended to give good expert talk about being an athlete.

[jhay610]

The stews are syndicated, so they are forced to placate to the national audience. I actually did an interview with their producer ("Shaggy") about 6 months ago and he said that the first hour they focus on local teams and then after that they have to broaden the scope.

I don't know if that is still the format, but I am a little disappointed if they didnt give the Hawks more burn. That was a legitimate national concern at the time. Did you listen to the whole program or just a clip? I know Doug is a big Lakers fan for some reason.

Kincaid always brings his personal views to the table, and speaks from his self-righteous high horse, waxing on about whatever. He's a gasbag to me. I also think it's a pretty strong case of airwave envy that he takes shots at the Stews all of the time. He does the "alright alright alright" thing after calls that Ryan has always done, obviously taking a jab at him. And he went on record several times as calling the stews "vick apologists." I personally can't stand him.

[Diesel]

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The stews are syndicated, so they are forced to placate to the national audience. I actually did an interview with their producer ("Shaggy") about 6 months ago and he said that the first hour they focus on local teams and then after that they have to broaden the scope.

I don't know if that is still the format, but I am a little disappointed if they didnt give the Hawks more burn. That was a legitimate national concern at the time. Did you listen to the whole program or just a clip? I know Doug is a big Lakers fan for some reason.

I just think the stews are too much entertainment.

[frosgrim]

D, the afternoon drive on 680 isn't national, but Kinkaid would love to be. There show is so up and down its ridiculous. At times they can be insightful, but most of the time its John ranting and Buck laughing. They talk WAAAAY too much about their families, kids, and non-sports stuff. Kinkaid blames the Atlanta fans for not coming to their show to talk about sports. I blame them for putting on a snore fest.

I like the 790 afternoon team. Chuck Oliver and Hometeam are knowledgable guys that can talk some sports. Mike Bell is a clown and the show would be significantly better without him. His whole thing is to be a comedian, so he uses the show to showboat.

Morning shows:

680 - I can not stand Perry Lorentino. He is an idiot that believes he knows everything. His continous ultra conservative rants are tiresome. I don't listen to sports radio to get Rush Limbaugh Jr, I want to hear about Atlanta and national sports. If anyone from 680 reads this, please pass this along to management. Perry needs to go- I turn off the show when he starts with his ultra-right wing spurterings.

790- just a bunch of goofballs in the morning. Chris Demino is a good sports guy and trys to talk about sports. The rest of that crew just wants to talk about anything other than sports.

Summery:

Atlanta needs better sports talk radio. I have been saying this since I moved back down here. If anyone has listened to Boston sports radio you will know what I mean. In Boston they talk sports, constantly. The fans are no more knowledgable than Atlanta fans, they are just more vocal. The people who run Atlanta sports radio need to understand that Southerners are different from Northerners. Where Bostonians and other Yankees will [censored] and moan at the drop of a hat, Southerners are much more subtle in our kevetching. We will complain, its just not an "in your face" way of doing it. Atlanta radio, then needs to access this part of Southern culture more effectively. One thing that would help is to get rid of the Northern-centric hosts from both stations. There are 3 guys from the south out of the 10 drive-time hosts. That needs to be at least evened out.

[Diesel]

My advice to 680 is to spend the money and get Rome!!

Put him on either in the afternoon drive time or at Midday. Rome does very good interviews. Has good guests. The only problem is that he has his goofy moments too. However, he caters to the fans and allows them to give their takes... Have a take, do not suck! That's better than him talking.

I'm surprised that Rome is not on either station?

[Zone034life]

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Whatever happen to the "Monsters of the midday".

I think it was Chernoff and Smith? I used to listen to them a little and Smith tended to give good expert talk about being an athlete.

I believe they both were let go at some point. Chuck was good a good listen to me but it took him awhile to get his thoughts out sometimes. Chernoff was a bit annoying but he did talk about the local teams alot. Brandon and Wolverton are the best listen on 790 now. They talk about the Hawks or Falcons everyday. The Stews going national has took some appeal away from the show for me.

As for 680, Perry and Kinkade speak as if they have never made an error in judgement there whole life. This makes them judgemental of others. The holyer than though attitude can wear on you. Just look at Rush Limbaugh, he is the king of talking down about others. When you live like this your dirt is likely to rise to the surface just as Rush's did. Belue is ok in my book.

[cowa]

I moved down here from Boston back in 2007, and I agree with your statement... except for Eddie Andelman. that guy is a supposed legend in Boston, yet he's just Steak Shapiro's mentor. He used to talk about food and the dog track, as he spit all over his microphone!

The part that kills me about Mike Bell (who I actually think is funny when he's on his game) is that he puts down the Hawks, yet says he's not an NBA fan and never watches it. He'd rather spend his time talking about NASCAR.

I agree with most of the opinions above. 790 needs to get a new signal, move Mike Bell back to Mayhem in the AM, and move somebody to the afternoon show. I think Chuck Smith went to the NFL network. The stews aren't really even a sports program, they are just an entertainment program helping with ratings. For 680, get Perry to stop talking politics, get Rude to supply something sports related, get Beau to say anything critical or truly inciteful, and get Kincaid to just stop talking.

[coachx]

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My advice to 680 is to spend the money and get Rome!!

680 had Jim Rome for the lunch time spot a couple of years ago.....now they have Mike Tirico and the tall bald guy from ESPN....I prefer that duo much more then Rome. I personaly can't stand Jim Rome. Let him rot out there on the West Coast for all I care.

Whatever floats your boat.........To me its seasonal or by sport:

-790 is way better during basketball season (their the Hawks flagship station too) so it is in their best interest to talk more Hawks while 680 is the Thrashers station.

-I like 680 much more for college foortball b/c they cater to UGA football and sports in general while 790 caters to GT.

-NFL seems a bit equal. the Stews have some good NFL contacts so I may give them a slight edge but Buck has plenty of contacts himself while I love to HATE Kincaide. To me, Buck gets more detailed with true substance on the Falcons specifically while the Stews talk more about the NFL in general b/c they're a national show now.

-Baseball - I give the edge to 680. Buck is very knowledgable on baseball and later in the baseball season I hope they put Bill shanks back on for the "Braves Report." Shanks is the best Braves radio talk show host in GA.....too bad he is down there in Macon the rest of the year...Not to mention 680 is the "ESPN Flagship station in town" so they get Peter Gammonds and other baseball guys to some on a daily basis for interviews.

680 is the Thrasher station but I care nothing about hockey.

[coachx]

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And he went on record several times as calling the stews "vick apologists." I personally can't stand him.

and they were for over a year. (At leat compared to the national media. They may occaisonally throw in a politically correct statement only to follow with but its not like Vick did this, or that, and they with the way he grew up, but he was at the hospital in the off season helping kids, yada yada, yada.)

That is undeniable if you listen to them.

When the Falcons drafted Ryan they played the race card all week and said it ticked off the black fans. They talked about Atlanta having more black season ticket holders of any NFL franchise and how they should cater to them if they want to keep them as paying customerts. Forget making true football decisions. They made it sound like the Falcons should just get any black QB in here to keep the black season ticket holders happy is the way they came across .............It was very laughable. It was so crazy I had to keep listening just to attempt to learn where they come up with this stuff.

To me, Kincaid is kind of the white man's version of the Stews. They both love to talk about their personal lives as much as sports and both love to get controversial, they are just usually on opposite sides of the arguement.

[Eddielives]

I'll tell you this. If you've ever heard Buck try and do the show w/out Kincaid, it's the most excruciatingly boring and painful thing to listen to on radio. God is Buck terrible by himself. I actually like Kincaid, for the most part. He does have his own national show on espn radio on Sunday mornings and fills in for Colin Cowherd whenever he is on vacation. I understand how people can be turned of by Perry and his rants, but Rude has his liberal viewpoints he gets across as well.

I can't get a good enough signal to make a really fair assessment of 790 but I can say that the stews are terrible. Everytime I have tried to listen through the static it seems to be when they are on and all I can tell is that it sounds like 2 black guys talking slang and way too loud over each other.

[diamond_dave]

I can't stand 680 in the morning. That Perry guys gets on my nerves so bad it gets my blood pressure up. He is an absolute idiot. The other guys brings nothing to the table sports related. I turned them off about a year ago, but do listen sometimes to see if they hired someone else.

In the afternoon, I can take it or leave it. Sometimes it's ok, but they know nothing about basketball but try to make out like they do. Just keep your mouth shut if you don't know what your talking about.

The only guy I like is Colin Cowheard at lunch time. That guys is funny.

[jhay610]

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Everytime I have tried to listen through the static it seems to be when they are on and all I can tell is that it sounds like 2 black guys talking slang and way too loud over each other.

Wow. Tread softly, buddy. You are asking for it.

[jhay610]

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To me, Kincaid is kind of the white man's version of the Stews. They both love to talk about their personal lives as much as sports and both love to get controversial, they are just usually on opposite sides of the arguement.

Totally agree. The stews piss me off plenty, too. I guess the point is to get a reaction, one way or the other, and "move the meter." The worst reaction is none at all. *cough* Buck Belue *cough* *cough*

[AHF]

Without getting to detailed, my general thing is talk sports. Just that simple. That is why I rarely stay with 790 very much in the mornings. They are so into crappy sketch comedy that it is just really annoying. Likewise, 680 will do the same thing at times and nearly everytime I start flipping to other stations or music when they do that.

[Eddielives]

My mornings are now taken over by the regular guys anyway....that is until they get fired again.

[Zone034life]

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I'll tell you this. If you've ever heard Buck try and do the show w/out Kincaid, it's the most excruciatingly boring and painful thing to listen to on radio. God is Buck terrible by himself. I actually like Kincaid, for the most part. He does have his own national show on espn radio on Sunday mornings and fills in for Colin Cowherd whenever he is on vacation. I understand how people can be turned of by Perry and his rants, but Rude has his liberal viewpoints he gets across as well.

I can't get a good enough signal to make a really fair assessment of 790 but I can say that the stews are terrible. Everytime I have tried to listen through the static it seems to be when they are on and all I can tell is that it sounds like 2 black guys talking slang and way too loud over each other.

So you are a republican white male from the suburbs?

[BillShanks]

We still do "The Atlanta Baseball Show" every Friday night at 7:00 pm ET on 680 the Fan in Atlanta. We hope to do more with 680 later this summer, but let them know you want to hear more Braves reports (404-231-1680).

But in the afternoons (4-6 pm ET), you guys just need to listen to my show online. We talk more about the Hawks probably than EITHER of the Atlanta stations. Our focus is Braves, Hawks, Falcons, Bulldogs, and Yellow Jackets. We have plenty of open phone time (but on Friday we do football), so I always look for good Hawks talk!

We have a 25,000-watt FM station that covers a 75-mile radius in Middle Georgia. I wish the Hawks would realize the importance of this coverage area. They get so hung up on getting people from inside the perimeter, when they need to realize that there are plenty of people in the state of Georgia who are not in the 404 area code who give a damn about this team too. The media relations department and the promotions department needs to realize this, especially with the number of fans we have call in to talk about the Hawks on a regular basis.

Click here to listen live to my show on WIFN Sports Radio 105.5 the Fan in Macon!

[Eddielives]

2 out of 3 ain't bad. I am no republican. I am a man w/out a party. As political parties go, I am a homeless white male from the suburbs. But seriously, my comment about the stews wasn't meant to tap any sensitive racial nerves with anybody. Please lighten up people. In these days, can't we all just laugh at each other a little bit.