Who has come and gone in Atlanta radio and TV in 2026

Credit: Q997

Credit: Q997

January

Kristin Klingshirn began a new afternoon show on top 40 station Q99.7, joined by Ethan Cole. She was previously a morning host with Bert Weiss on Q99.7’s Atlanta-based syndicated ”The Bert Show" from 2012 until Weiss ended the show in the fall of 2025.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED BY MARK OWE

Credit: CONTRIBUTED BY MARK OWE

February

Former radio host Mark Owens returned to in-game host for the Atlanta Braves on a part-time basis after holding that role from 2007 to 2022. Owens has worked at Rock 100.5, 99X, Star 94, Q100 and 92.9/The Game. He shared duties this season with Sarah Plantz and Bradley Hasemeyer.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

March

Audrey Washington left WSB-TV after 11 years as a reporter and fill-in anchor.

Q99.7, replacing “The Bert Show,” created the “Q Morning Crew” featuring the trio of Joe Breezy, Daena “DK” Kramer and Cort Freeman.

April

94.9/The Bull let go of afternoon host Kristen Gates, who has been in Atlanta radio for more than 20 years.

Lil Bankhead involuntarily left V-103 after four years as evening host. He previously worked as an on-air host at Streetz 94.5.

99X let go of Leslie Fram and promoted Crash Clark to full co-host of the “Morning X.” Fram’s departure was not voluntary. She was one of the key architects of 99X’s creation in 1992.

Credit: CREDIT: V-103/COURTESY OF FRANK SKI/COURTESY OF FRANCESCA AMIKER

Credit: CREDIT: V-103/COURTESY OF FRANK SKI/COURTESY OF FRANCESCA AMIKER

May

David Chandley retired as chief meteorologist from Fox 5 after 42 years in the business. Fox 5 replaced him with Joanne Feldman.

V-103 rehired Frank Ski for weekends. He was a successful morning host for V-103 from 1998 to 2012 and 2018 to 2020.

V-103 hired Francesca Amiker as a morning co-host with Big Tigger, replacing Jazzy McBee. Amiker previously worked as a reporter at 11Alive and E! News.

V-103 moved afternoon producer DJ Sturgess to evenings as host to take over for Lil Bankhead.

Credit: CBS

Credit: CBS

June

“Survivor” winner Savannah Louie returned to WANF-TV as an “ATL Live” host. She previously worked at the station when it was a CBS affiliate from 2021 to 2024 as a local news reporter.

Sports talk show host Mitch Evans got part-time work at 92.9/The Game. He previously worked at the Game in the early 2010s and 790/The Zone from 1997 to 2004.

Natalie McCann left Fox 5 after a decade as a reporter and host. She spent most of her run there on “Good Day Atlanta.” She did not provide a reason for leaving.

Gainesville talk show host Martha Zoller died just days before her final show. She was also a semiregular on Fox 5’s “The Georgia Gang” political panel show.

Ryan Maddox left iHeart after long stints at Power 96.1.

Dyron Ducati departed Kiss 104.1, replaced by Ramona DeBreaux. Ducati had been with the station for seven years. DeBreaux was a onetime V-103 stalwart.

Credit: Kymani Culmer

Credit: Kymani Culmer

July

Big Tigger left V-103 while dealing with legal issues. His new morning co-host, Amiker, sued his wife for defamation. And he is grappling with an arrest for allegedly assaulting his wife.

Where is Dagmar Midcap? The meteorologist is off CBS Atlanta with no explanation. She joined the station as a meteorologist late last year after a 15-year absence from Atlanta airwaves.

Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)

August

93.7/680 The Fan announced it was bringing back John Kincade, who joins Matt Chernoff. Chuck Oliver, Chernoff’s longtime radio cohost, steps back from the afternoon show to focus on a regional college football show. Kincade worked at the Fan from 2000 to 2020, when he was cut due to budget restraints.

Q99.7 dropped “Bert Show” alum Klingshirn as an afternoon host on the top 40 station after just six months amid broader cuts at Cumulus Media.

99X gutted almost its entire on-air staff, including the morning show with Steve Barnes and Clark, midday host and program director Steve Craig and evening host Jill Nelson. Afternoon host Will Pendarvis remains.

Credit: SCOTT MAHAFFY/RODNEY HO

Credit: SCOTT MAHAFFY/RODNEY HO