INSIDER
Insider is an anonymous, opinion-based examination of the hidden details of Augusta politics and personalities.
Aitken Parks
A Book and a Buck
Though sparring over the minutiae of the TEE Center parking deck grabbed most of the headlines coming out of the committee meetings this week, you could also say that Monday’s meeting represented the beginning of the District 1 Commission race. The gauntlet was thrown down in last week’s Spirit, when Harrisburg activist and former Deke fighter Lori Davis drew a bead on sitting commissioner Matt Aitken. Not only was she quoted as saying she was considering a run, but she didn’t have much good to say about Aitken’s leadership, either. To be fair, she doesn’t have much good to say about anybody’s leadership, but you’ve got to figure it’s probably a little uncomfortable to have all that grrrr thrown in your direction. Which might have been just the wakeup call Aitken needed, because after a couple of tentative years blowing to and fro like a kite searching for the wind, it seemed Monday as if the time had come for him to reacquaint himself with the updraft that lifted him into office. So when Alvin Mason was going back and forth with Fred Russell and everyone was holding their breath wondering how Jerry Brigham was going to respond to Bill Lockett’s dismissive request to calm down, Aitken dug deep and found the courage to stand up and actually say something. Of course, it came wrapped in that familiar, why-can’t-we-all-just-get-along rhetoric, but still — he was clearly ready to embrace the TEE Center, its parking deck and, if necessary, even the cursed land it was built on. This wasn’t always the case. Though he mostly votes with the white majority, which has been generally supportive of the deck throughout the lengthy, often acrimonious process, early on, Aitken was forcefully critical of the deal. Whether he was feeling the need to appease the black majority within the district that supported him the last time around but was now looking for a reason not to throw him out, or whether he was listening to the conspiracy-laced stories coming from some of the white people who are now assembling to face off against him, he came out of the gates accusatory and downright surly on the subject. Recently, he hasn’t had a lot to say on the subject, but Monday he couldn’t have been more positive, saying that most of his concerns about the parking garage agreement had been addressed and that he hoped commissioners could check their spirits and remember to put the city first. Most telling, however, was the fact that he specifically thanked the “motel operator” that’s working there, commending them for being faithful when no one else was investing in the community. If that doesn’t sound like a candidate remembering how to campaign, it’s hard to say what does.
Fry to Trial David Fry, who was arrested in August 2009 for trying to bribe commissioners Alvin Mason and Corey Johnson into supporting the TEE Center, will be back in court on Monday, February 6, at 9:30. In November, Fry’s Alford plea dissolved when his attorney, Pete Theodocion, and the Assistant District Attorney Adam King failed to reach an agreement. On December 6, Judge Carl Brown recused himself when his daughter, DeCara Brown, was hired to represent Fry. Many consider the Brown hire as a way for Fry to avoid going before the hard-sentencing Brown. The case was then assigned to Judge James Blanchard, who will hear the case in Courtroom 2H.
The Fall 2011 Arbitron Radio Ratings recently came out for the Augusta market. Kicks 99 came out the big winner, pulling in the largest numbers in memory. The big loser was 95 Rock, which was relegated down the dial mid diary. Also for the first time in memory, the Beasley Broadcasting cluster of stations came out with more market share than cross town competitor Clear Channel. What makes that impressive is Beasley did this with no urban stations. You’re up, you’re down. It’s a way of life for radio managers, salespeople, on-air staff, programmers, etc. Little diaries mailed to a random sampling of CSRA residents (which include, for some reason, an actual one-dollar bill) have an incredible sway on their careers. (And paychecks. Most program directors have bonuses built into their contracts based on where they land in each book.) Looking at 12 plus total weeks, which is really just for bragging rights, Kicks had an 11.8 share. The next closest was Kiss FM with a 7.6, then you had WBBQ and WGAC tied with a 7.2 share. The “buying” demo is the 25-54 year olds, and total week Kicks scored a 12.0, Kiss had an 8.6, WBBQ had a 7.9, and one of the real stories of the book was BOB FM, coming in with a 6.7. (and third midday, behind Kicks and WBBQ). Since flipping formats from the moribund 93.9 The Drive, BOB has scored five books in a row of growth. In the most heads-up battle of formats, Top 40 stations HD 98.3 (Beasley) and recent addition Y 102.3 (Clear Channel) continued to scrap for those ladies. WHHD (98.3) vs WZNY (102.3) 18-49 Female Mornings WHHD 5th WZNY 8th Midday WHHD WZNY 8th
6th
Afternoon Tied 7th 25-34 Female Mornings WHHD WZNY 9th
2nd
Midday WHHD WZNY
2nd 6th
Afternoons WHHD WZNY
2nd 6th
With most cars coming equipped with IT connections in five years, radio must continue to evolve. Evolve by getting back to its roots. With limitless choices at the fingertips of local consumers, radio must rely on its connection to the community. The operators who keep their stations local, local, local will be able to fight those that don’t will be on the auction block before Atlanta lands another hockey team.
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METRO SPIRIT 02.02.12
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