Lincoln Financial Media’s WQXI-AM Atlanta, Sports “790 The Zone,” has dropped all of its daily local programming to air ESPN Radio 24/7. Additional programming will include “SportsCenter AllNight,” and the live broadcast of NBA and Major League Baseball MLB games, as well as other major sporting events.
The move may have been made after a ratings hit WQXI took after pulling “Mayhem In the AM” on 6/18/13.
LFM fired Nick Cellini, Chris Dimino, and Steak Shapiro for making fun of former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS, during their show. Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, penned a guest column for SI.com’s Peter King 6/17/13 (he typed it via software using with his eyes because of severe impaired body function). Soon after, Cellini and Shapiro went on the air and made fun of Gleason. They set up a skit where they pretended that Gleason was a caller to the show and set up a fake caller with a robotic voice, because the disease has robbed Gleason of his ability to speak. They then wondered, on the air, whether Gleason “would be alive by the next week.”
Also exiting are the current local morning show hosted by Alge Crumpler and JP Peterson, and afternoon drive, hosted by David Archer and Mike Bell.
“We are excited to launch a new schedule that provides Atlanta-area listeners with an even more robust slate of sports programming,” said Rick Mack, SVP/GM of WQXI/WSTR/AFRN. “By tapping more deeply into the talent and reach ESPN provides on a national stage, we will enable 790 The Zone to continue to set the standard each day for how sports news is communicated to the Atlanta sports fan.”
The programming shift does not affect WQXI’s current partnership with the Atlanta Falcons. The station remains the flagship station for the team. In addition, WQXI will continue to broadcast select Southeastern Conference (SEC) college football games. Staying connected to the Atlanta Falcons and SEC football are important to us. We believe the changes we have implemented serve two important purposes, including offering more programming variety to our listeners and maintaining the local footprint we have worked so hard to establish.”
WQXI ranks third out of five sports stations in Atlanta.
