Fish 104.7, a contemporary Christian pop station in Atlanta for the past quarter century, is leaving the airwaves on Feb. 1 after its parent company Salem Media Group sold its music stations to Educational Media Foundation, owner of K-LOVE and Air1, for $80 million.
This means the end of the market’s longest running morning show featuring Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott, which began in 2000, and the station’s local presence with annual charity events such as its Christmas Wish program. Every year, the station changes to a Christmas format before Thanksgiving for more than a month and often lands at the top of the Nielsen ratings chart for a few weeks.
All Atlanta-based employees at Fish are losing their jobs in a month including midday host Kim Fitz and afternoon host Beth Bacall.
“We’re all in shock, disbelief and grief,” wrote Greg Eaton, a Fish senior media strategist on Facebook Monday evening after the news first broke. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to have contributed and been a part of one of the greatest radio stations in America.”
Credit: CR: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com. Beth Bacall working her magic at Fish 104.7
Credit: CR: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com. Beth Bacall working her magic at Fish 104.7
Mike Blakemore, program director at Fish 104.7, said any media queries need to go to Salem headquarters in Camarillo, California.
“We have made a strategic decision to exit the contemporary Christian music format in order to pay off all of Salem’s long-term debt,” said Edward G. Atsinger, Salem’s chairman and cofounder, in a press statement.
Scott on social media Tuesday morning wrote, “we are so incredibly honored that we had the privilege of bringing you ‘Good, Clean Fun’ and doing life with you for 24 years. So many times at radio events, we could meet those of you who grew up listening and now you have children of your own. That’s so rare in radio and we are so grateful!”
EMF, a nonprofit based out of Santa Rosa, California, already operates its K-LOVE syndicated Christian contemporary format at 106.7 out of Gainesville, which it purchased in 2019. It’s unclear if EMF will simulcast that format on 104.7, though whatever it chooses to do, the station that replaces Fish will have no local presence.
When EMF purchased 106.7 from Atlanta-based Cumulus Media in 2019, it ended a local talk format. That signal had previously played country and oldies.
There are also local Fish stations six other markets: Cleveland, Ohio; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Dallas; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and Sacramento, California.
The deal is contingent upon approval by the Federal Communications Commission.
Salem will keep its talk formats in Atlanta at 970 AM WNIV/1400 AM WLTA, AM 920 WGKA The Answer and 590 AM WDWD.
Besides fish, the other local FM commercial Christian music station in metro Atlanta with local staff is 93.3. Joy FM, which can be heard primarily south of Atlanta but there are simulcasts that gives it broader coverage.
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