Local sports radio is back on the scene in Ellijay.
Broadcasting veteran Dave Garner and Ellijay’s John “The Refrigerator Mover” Davis have teamed up for a show three days per week, and it is available through just about every device that produces sound.
Garner is currently the sports director at 101.1 The Pulse, a position he has held since last July. He also frequently appears on its sister station, WPGY, also known as The Sports Pig, which can be found on frequencies 93.7 and 98.1. The Pulse and WPGY are owned by Carriage Radio and are ESPN affiliates. Garner previously served as ETC 3’s sports director for 15 years, and he left the company in 2017.
Davis is Gilmer’s most notable football player. He was an all-state performer for the Bobcats before becoming a three-time All-American at Georgia Tech. He was a member of the Buffalo Bills during their run of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. He played in three of those games along the offensive line, started two and was injured for Super Bowl XXVI.
During his time with ETC, Garner often had side radio gigs. Davis has dabbled in radio over the past 30 years and he also writes a regular blog. The two ran across each other last summer by happenstance, and the conversation of a possible partnership was sparked.
“John and I have worked together in the past, and I’ve known him for close to 30 years,” Garner said. “Our owner and station manager, Darien Southerland, wanted to start a local live sports show.”
That show came to fruition, and The Morning Rant debuted in March. For Davis, it gives him the opportunity to return and reconnect with the community while sharing the tales of his sports exploits.
“I’ve always felt like I’ve had a story to tell, and I thought doing the radio show would be a great way to get some stories out,” Davis said. “We’ve had a lot of fun since our first show. Dave makes it so easy because we can be talking about a subject and then there’s a story that comes out of it. We hit it off and have a great rapport.
“I’ve been sending people up to Ellijay from Atlanta for the past 25 years now and telling them where to go and what to see. I’ve found that this is my way of getting back to Ellijay and participating in the community. This show is a way to get the word out about our local athletes. We’re not taking ourselves too seriously, and we’re gonna have a lot of fun with it.”
The show is also available in podcast form. It can be downloaded on nearly all podcast sites and providers. Over the past three-plus months, The Morning Rant has seen its downloads increase to 5,000 per month. They typically host a live show in the community once per week.
“Radio has gone through a lot of changes,” Garner said. “You have a lot of these companies that are buying up all the radio stations. We’re independently owned and we kind of have the ability to operate like a motor boat. We can turn on a dime, whereas a lot of the bigger companies, they’re more like cruise ships.
“There’s still a lot of people that listen over the dial, but there’s a lot of other ways. You’re having to adapt to the digital side with the online and the social media content. People aren’t just going to turn on the radio to hear their favorite song anymore. You’ve got to take radio to them. That’s where we’re gaining our engagement and listenership.”
WPGY covers major local professional, college and high school teams and leagues. They also broadcast live high school football, basketball and baseball games. Garner noted The Morning Rant will cover all sports but be “football centric” with a unique viewpoint.
“We felt like there was a demand for a sports station in north Georgia,” Garner said. “I feel like there is definitely a need and desire for a good sports station. With being an ESPN affiliate, we have a lot of programming that is available to us.
“What makes us different is we tie in local perspectives from guys like John and myself who have lived in the area a long time,” Garner said. “We also tie it into our high schools. We offer perspectives you’re not going to get consistently from Atlanta radio. We find ways to bring the discussion back home.
He added, “We want to tie into our local high schools in addition to talking about the Braves, Bulldogs and college and professional athletics. We also have a dirt track racing show. There are a lot of things regionally here in north Georgia we’re trying to touch on that will keep it a little bit more local.”
The Morning Rant is broadcast five days per week on WPGY from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Beginning July 20, the show will expand by one hour and take the morning drive spot from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Davis joins the show Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.