The shadow Golden Media Group has cast over West Tennessee expanded after the multi-media company purchased NEWS/TALK 101.5 FM.
But it won’t be business as usual for the company – and owner Terry Story – who already had the keys to 103.5 FM, 96.5 FM and AM 1310 WDXI before adding NEWS/TALK 101.5 FM to his portfolio, Jan. 13, 2025.
“Golden Media Group will be a complete media group,” Story said. “Advertising, digital marketing, digital TV (television), our own television newscasts, website building, up to date traffic reports … it’s not just turning the dial to find a radio station … we’re going to be more of an entertainment business, but we’re also really going to be involved in politics and sports.”
Locals might make the connection to Story and his involvement with professional wrestling, before working with the World Wrestling Federation which would become World Wrestling Entertainment.
When local on-air personality Dan Reaves – who owned 96.5 FM and 103.5 FM – approached Story to gauge interest in his stations, he didn’t take time to wrestle with his decision.
“Nov. 1 (2024) we took control of 103.5,” Story said. “We acquired talent – the best talent to go on air from another station that was also going through a transition, and ‘Talk-N West TN’ evolved. Really, it had to do with skill, luck, and persistence, and we look forward to putting on an amazing product.
With the talent in place, Golden Media Group airs it out on Monday when listeners have the option to listen to on-air personalities on any of Golden Media Group’s stations – where for now – programs will be simulcast.
The lineup –
6 a.m. – 8 a.m. – Mike & Gina in the Morning
8 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Everybody Talks with Sea Bass
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Walker Talks with Chuck Walker
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. – The Mid-Day Mix with Jimmy Duke
3 p.m. – 6 p.m. – The Dan Reaves Show
6 p.m. – 8 p.m. – The Cheap Seats with Sea Bass
Weekends –
9 a.m. – 11 a.m. – The Saturday Sports Blitz with The Coach, Joe Holloway and Bill Hamilton
7 a.m. – 9 a.m. – The Sunday Show with Downtown Ricky Brown
“A lot,” Story said, when asked about the total reach of the stations combined. “If you draw a circle from Jackson, it’s a radius of 60- to 65 miles touching Shelby County, Savannah, Union City, all the way over to the Tennessee River.
“We have a young lady by the name of Mecca Jarmon coming in who is going to start doing breaking news in a segment called ‘Mecca on the Move,’ where if something is breaking anywhere in the surrounding area we’re going to have the capacity to go to her live in the middle of our radio broadcast (where) she will be live on the radio, live on our television, and live on our social media platforms – all at the same time. No (media) in this market has the capability of doing that.”
The vision is there, and the pieces are falling into place, and starting Monday, January 20, Golden Media Group takes on a personality of its own.
“It’s just taking it all to a different level,” Story said, “Twenty-five years ago, we all got a newspaper … now, who takes a newspaper? You go to your cell phone or computer to get your news.
“There’s a chase to be at the top and we are going to give it a shot to be there.”
