For the 12th consecutive year, Beasley’s News/Talk 580 WGAC-A/FM was named the Georgia Association of Broadcasters “Radio Station of the Year.” New this year is the fact that WGAC was honored in the large-market category, which includes Atlanta. For the past eleven years, WGAC was awarded Radio Station of the Year in the medium-market category.
WGAC was recognized at the Association’s 2013 annual banquet held 6/7 in Atlanta. WGAC Sales Manager Kent Murphy accepted what is affectionately called a Gabby Award on the behalf of the radio station’s award-winning staff which includes: Program Director Harley Drew, News Director Mary Liz Nolan, News Anchor Gale Mino, Austin Rhodes Afternoon Talk Show Host, Sports Director Ashley Brown, Traffic Anchor Bill Botham and Staff Meteorologist Steve Smith.
(l to r) VP/Market Manager Kent Dunn; News Director Mary Liz Nolan, Holding Gabby Award; and Program Director Harley
Said Vice President and Market Manager Kent Dunn: “I am extremely proud of the WGAC-AM/FM staff for bringing home our 12th consecutive Gabby for ‘Radio Station of the Year.’ This year is even more special due to the added competition of being placed in the division that includes stations in Atlanta.”
PD Harley Drew adds, “this is the 12th year in a row that we have won, but this award is even more exciting for us because we were, for the first time, compared to every station in Georgia – including the big boys in Atlanta! Being placed in the large market category makes the award extra sweet to us. It also makes all the hard work we put forth to excel in every area very much worth it. Needless to say, we are very, very happy!”
WGAC is consistently one of Augusta’s top radio stations in the Arbitron ratings. Local broadcasting legend Harley Drew, the station’s program director and morning announcer alongside Mary Liz Nolan, has been on-air more than 50 years, the majority of those years in Augusta.
