Ed Lover Show’ joins Atlanta’s classic rap radio fray in January

? A year has passed since a radio war ignited in Atlanta when three classic hip-hop stations launched in the same week. For a moment in time, it seemed the whole nation was head-bobbing in unison over the new terrestrial format as stations popped up in markets all over the map. But Atlanta was the only city with three such stations vying for top billing.
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? To everyone’s surprise the three-way race lasted even longer than experts like Atlanta Journal-Constitution radio reporter Rodney Ho initially predicted. Then one station fell silent in July, when the FCC warned that the independently owned Old School 99.3’s translator signal was interfering with country station 99.3 (WCON-FM) out of Cornelia, Ga. Though Old School owner Steve Hegwood vowed at the time to return, the station hasn’t yet. Which has left corporate big dogs Cumulus’ OG 97.9 and Radio One’s Boom 102.9 in a head-to-head battle of the bandwiths.
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? The latest buzz in the two-way race came last week with news that one of hip-hop’s golden era greats is making the permanent move Down South to jumpstart the first official morning show between the two survivors.
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? On January 11, “The Ed Lover Show” will begin broadcasting 6 a.m.-10 a.m. from Boom 102.9. While the show will be syndicated to additional markets, show host Ed Lover of late-’80s “Yo! MTV Raps” fame will be broadcasting live from Radio One’s Downtown Atlanta studios. He’ll be joined long-distance by another golden-era legend, Monie Love, whose “Monie in the Middle” morning show has been broadcasting from Philly’s Boom 107.9. Both Lover and Love are radio industry vets. Ed just ended a long streak with Sirius/XM, and Monie’s radio career in Philadelphia dates back to 2004.
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? “The Ed Lover Show” won’t be the first morning show to air among Atlanta’s classic hip-hop stations. Old School 99.3 was the first to fill the void with husband-and-wife duo Griff and Toni, featuring former V103 and Hot 107.9 personality and Atlanta-based comedian Griff. But with Old School still out for the count, Ed Lover’s forthcoming morning show gives Boom another bump in talent. DJ Nabs has been holding down the afternoon drive slot since the top of 2015.
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?“The Ed Lover Show live from Atlanta in the mornings along with DJ Nabs in the afternoons is like a one-two punch of classic hip-hop,” Radio One Atlanta Vice President and General Manager Tim Davis said in a statement provided by the station. “2016 is going to be a great year.”
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? Radio One is surely betting the new addition will give Boom the local ratings boost to finally take out OG, which has been the consistent ratings winner. Boom 102.9’s radio share has hovered around 0.6 to 0.8 in recent months while rival OG 97.9 peaked back in May when it scored a 1.5, Rodney Ho reports. More recently, OG has averaged around a 1.2 to 1.3 share.
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