It's Moby & Sandy

Sandy Weaver this past week became the co-host of Moby In the Morning, heard around Atlanta's northern environs on 106.1 WNGC and South 107 (WTSH-FM).

I first heard Sandy in 1979 when she was the late night disc jockey on Washington, DC's brand new Q107 (WRQX-FM).   She was an awesome CHR personality, exuding talent and excitement.  I moved from Baltimore to New York that fall but made it a point to listen to Sandy on trips home.  In 1984, I taped her and contributed the aircheck to ReelRadio.com, where someday it will be posted in my collection.  Sandy's time at Q107 culminated with her becoming the midday personality.

When I moved back to Baltimore in 1988, Sandy Weaver was still on Washington radio but now on rival CHR WAVA-FM, and still sounding great.  In 1992, overextended owner Emmis was forced to sell some stations, and WAVA was purchased by Salem.  It changed formats to Religious Talk.  Sandy was quickly picked up by DC's #1 station at the time, Country WMZQ-FM, where after a brief stint as morning news person, she became co-host of the morning show.  Her gobs of natural talent shone through with Country as they had with CHR.

Shortly after moving to Atlanta in 1994, I read in Billboard, when the venerable magazine covered radio, that Sandy's husband had been transferred to Atlanta, and Sandy was headed this way in June.  I knew that meant I would soon be hearing Sandy.  She was simply too talented not to land a job quickly.

Sure enough, Sandy first showed up doing fill on B98.5 (WSB-FM) and then handled weekends on Kicks 101-5 (WKHX-FM).  From there, it was on to full-time at Peach 94-9 (WPCH-FM), where she settled in afternoon drive.  She left the station, which had evolved to Lite FM (WLTM-FM), when Clear Channel decided to save money by voicetracking the shift.  Sandy returned to Kicks for weekends and then took middays at Eagle 106.7 (WYAY-FM), where she was also Music Director.

After Citadel blew up Eagle 106.7, Sandy concentrated on her "Voicework on Demand" business and then joined Moby's network for middays.  Over the past few years, I've gotten to know Sandy.  When I remarked to a friend who is an acquaintance of Sandy's that I had coffee with her, his comment was, "Isn't she a doll?"  That pretty much sums it up.

Arum Re-Ups With WSB
Back in 1998, a year after Mark Arum joined WSB as a traffic reporter, Metro Networks was still having Christmas parties.  Westwood One had not yet purchased Metro, and the Atlanta office was run by the legendary Dick Meeder.

The party that year was held at Villa Christina.  The traffic reporters were seated together at a couple of tables, and Metro management introduced each one.  On my way out, I said hi to Jason Durden, then B98.5's reporter.  Jason and I had corresponded when I was writing another radio column at the time.

As I approached the ballroom door, I heard my name and footsteps running after me.   Mark Arum introduced himself and said, "Your column is a hit at White Columns.  Everybody has it bookmarked."  It was a gesture that I appreciated more than he knew.  Whenever I have run into Mark at other events over the years, he has always been extremely cordial.  When you talk with Mark, you quickly realize he is a genuinely nice person.

Mark's likeability along with his talent and smarts have made him his own hit in Atlanta.  He now reports traffic on WSB Radio, B98.5 and WSB-TV, where he appears on camera every morning.  He does a talk show on WSB every Saturday afternoon.  He writes a weekly column, "Gridlock Guy," for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Mark also has done sports talk shows on WSB and substituted as the anchor on WSB's "Atlanta's Morning News."

It's a pleasure to congratulate Mark Arum on the contract that he just signed to keep him at WSB for another 5 years.

Dupree Enhances WSB Experience
My favorite feature on WSB's Atlanta's Morning News and on its Neal Boortz Show is the conversations with Washington Correspondent Jamie Dupree, who also is heard on Cox's WDBO/Orlando and WOKV/Jacksonville.

Dupree really knows his stuff and reports it with an even, calm demeanor.  His interest in and enjoyment of what he does really come through.  He comes across as completely objective, which certainly fits well with the unbiased nature of Atlanta's Morning News.

What strikes me, however, is he remains objective and confident during his conversations with the Talk Master, and that Boortz is respectful, rarely challenging Jamie as he would callers.  Neal apparently realizes the value of Dupree's presence and information.  Jamie Dupree has a knack for keeping us political junkies glued to the radio for his inside information and analysis.

Thanks for reading.  I would love to hear from you at roddyfreeman@bellsouth.net.  Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/atlantaairwaves, and we'll follow you back.

Link to Rodney Ho's AJC Radio & TV Blog: http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/