Friends of Georgia Radio

The fourth annual Friends of Georgia Radio Hall of Fame celebrates the people who make Georgia radio great. From beloved hosts and legendary engineers to industry leaders behind the scenes, this year’s honorees represent the best and brightest in broadcasting.

David Dickey is President and CEO of Dickey Broadcasting, where he launched Atlanta’s first sports-talk radio station, 680 The Fan. He also introduced Urban Adult Contemporary radio on Kiss 104.7FM, bringing the Tom Joyner Show to Atlanta and launching the Atlanta Flashback Festival. Under his leadership, DBC now owns and/or manages several prominent stations, including WCNN, ESPN Atlanta, and News Talk XTRA 106.3FM. Dickey has forged long-term partnerships with Georgia Tech, the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Atlanta Braves, recently extending Braves coverage through 2037.

Steve Hegwood is the founder and CEO of Core Communicators and Core Radio Group, which operates Streetz 94.5 and The Vibe 87.7 in Atlanta and several other stations nationwide. A trailblazer in Black-owned radio, he created the second hip-hop station in the country, Hot 97.5, and discovered talents like Steve Harvey and Ryan Cameron. He also founded the iconic Birthday Bash and Streetzfest, launching the careers of major hip-hop artists. Radio Ink has honored Hegwood and is active in Big Brothers Big Sisters and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Scott Howard has spent his entire 40+ year broadcasting career in Georgia, including the last 35 years with the University of Georgia Athletic Association. After starting in Milledgeville and Athens radio, he became the play-by-play voice for Georgia football and basketball, succeeding the legendary Larry Munson. Howard also hosts UGA’s weekly coaches’ call-in show and has been behind the mic for three of Georgia’s football national championships. His broadcasts now air on more than 60 stations across the state.

Kevin and Taylor introduced Atlanta to Contemporary Christian radio in 2000 and spent 25 years building 104.7 The Fish into one of the city’s most beloved stations. They served as both on-air talent and leadership staff, setting a high bar for uplifting, listener-focused radio. Even after the station went off the air, they remain deeply respected for their impact on the community and the format. Though their chapter at The Fish has closed, their journey in broadcasting is far from over.

Mike Lawing began his radio career while attending Andrew College, learning engineering hands-on at WCUG in Cuthbert before earning his journalism degree from Georgia State. In 1976, he joined WGST as engineer/producer for Georgia Tech sports, later becoming Chief Engineer and overseeing massive upgrades, including the move to 50,000 watts at 640 AM. During his 43-year career there, he helped expand Clear Channel and iHeart stations across Georgia and built 105.3 FM in Newnan. After retiring in 2020, he now manages major broadcast towers for American Tower in Atlanta.

Scott MacLeod began his Georgia radio career in 1978 and has spent over 40 years at WMVG/WKZR in Milledgeville. He’s known for play-by-play coverage of Georgia College athletics and thousands of high school games across multiple sports. MacLeod is a three-time Georgia Sportscaster of the Year and was inducted into the Georgia College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. Through decades of community service and unmatched consistency, he’s become a radio legend in Middle Georgia.

Austin Rhodes has hosted "The Austin Rhodes Show" on WGAC AM/FM since 1992, making it the longest-running weekday drive-time talk show in Georgia. He started in Augusta radio in the early 1980s before working as a news anchor and reporter at WRDW-TV. A former columnist for The Metro Spirit, Rhodes has been a prominent voice in Augusta media for four decades. His career spans news, sports, and opinion journalism with an unmatched record of consistency.

Bert Weiss has hosted "The Bert Show" in Atlanta since 2001, growing it into one of the city’s top-rated morning shows. He created his own syndication and podcast companies, expanding the show to 18 markets and generating over 15 million monthly podcast downloads. In 2003, he founded “Bert’s Big Adventure,” a nonprofit that takes critically ill children to Disney World and supports them year-round. Weiss has been nominated twice for the National Radio Hall of Fame and remains a leading innovator in the industry.

All the news we know about Georgia Radio | Mid June 2025

Friends of georgia Radio Hall of Fame inductees to be announced Monday, June 16th
Justin Schaflander promoted to Cumulus Atlanta VP/Market Manager
iHeart appoints Bobby Tatum to GA/SC Area Pres. Will oversee Brunswick, Savannah, Augusta, Columbus, Albany, & Macon
WCLK Gospel PD Rodney E. Evans celebrating 40 years with the station
FCC cancels license of 93.1 WCHZ, Warrenton/Augusta
iHeart promotes Sean ‘Ferrari’ Simmons to Assistant Program Director at 96.1 The Beat/WRDG
Keeping tabs on Bret Mega, John Wilson, Tani Robbin-Coker, Kim Fitz, Lucas Phelan, and more

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Rome Radio Partner's Howard Toole

Howard Toole started as a jock in 10th grade in Augusta and quickly earned his first-class ticket right after high school. He continued his radio journey at WRFC in Athens while finishing his degree at Georgia, then moved on to Louisville and New Orleans as an air personality and PD. Soon, he switched to sales, and ended up in Atlanta when Plough Broadcasting flipped WPLO-FM to Disco V-103. From there, he worked in Dallas, San Antonio, and returned to Athens as a GM. Along the way, he bought his first station in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Now, he’s settled in Rome, Georgia, as managing partner of a six-station cluster—each station sounding much larger than its small-market size. Howard runs a lean operation, of necessity, relying on a core team plus a network of 80+ voices he can call on when needed, along with modern digital tech and AI voices – including one of his overnight hosts, AI Gunner. Yup. He’s AI. We'll dive into Howard's unique approach, his use of technology, and hear more about AI Gunner in Wavelengths #30.

Dennis

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Click to hear more of our podcasts on the FoGRPod tab:

99X PD and Midday Personality Steve Craig

Streetz 94.5 Owner Steve Hegwood

Jazz 91.9 WCLK's PD David Linton and GM Wendy Williams

Former Fox 97 morning duo-"Randy and Spiff"-Part 1 & Part 2

Former Cox Radio President Bob Neil

The WVLD Valdosta Story-with Ron O'Quinn, Kevin O'Connell, and Bob Raleigh

The Challenges of Small Market Radio-With KJ Allen, Jeff Batten, and Bill Maine

The Story of 94Q's Jazz Flavours with Russ Davis, Fleetwood Gruver, and Don Benson

The GAB Radio Talent Institute 2023 with Madison Gott, Justin Harris, and Massimo Bellow

V-103's 80's & 90s morning stars Mike Roberts and Carol Blackmon

Voiceover stars George Robinson, Randy Reeves, & Jeff Winterson

Long time WKHX PD Neil McGinley & Morning Man Moby in the Morning

Brian Philips, Chief Content Officer/Cumulus-99X, Then & Now

John Asante/Gail Harris-The WRAS Album 88 Story-Pt. 2

Drew Murray/ Jeff Walker-The WRAS Album 88 Story, Pt. 1

Jerry Rogers: Savannah radio icon, owner Quality Rock 105.3

Dwight Douglas: Burkhart/Douglas & Associates

Laura Starling: Mornings WDEN Macon

Kaedy Kiely: 96 Rock, Z93, 97.1 The River (Atlanta)

Bear O'Brian: WCGQ, Kiss, Kissin' 99.3 (Columbus)

Don Benson: WQXI AM/FM, Lincoln Financial (Atlanta)

Mara Davis: WZGC, Dave FM (Atlanta)

Mike Roberts: WVEE V103 (Atlanta)

John Lauer: WGST, WPCH, Georgia Radio News Service (Atlanta)