Walton & Johnson made their move to iHeartMedia News/Talk 99.5 WRNO New Orleans and 1150 WJBO Baton Rouge this morning. The show had been heard on Guaranty Broadcasting Classic Rock “Eagle 98.1” WDGL, which like Entercom’s
“Bayou 95.7” WKBU New Orleans released a statement that the show left them.
In order to keep the show available on FM in Baton Rouge, iHeart flipped Oldies “Downtown 97.7” K249DV to a simulcast of WJBO.
Dedicated Eagle 98.1 Fans,
Baton Rouge’s number one radio station and multiple Louisiana Radio Station of the year winner, Eagle 98.1, will introduce to you a new live and LOCAL morning show on January 9th.
Our old Houston based morning show left us.
Guaranty Media, Baton Rouge’s only locally owned radio company, appreciates your loyalty and we look forward to entertaining you long into the future.
Flynn Foster
Guaranty Corporation
Original Report 12/21: Two New Orleans stations are making morning show changes for the new year.
iHeartMedia News/Talk 99.5 WRNO quietly let go of morning host ‘Gerry V’ Vaillancourt last week. His show was also simulcast on sister 1150 WJBO Baton Rouge. Vaillancourt, a former analyst for the Charlotte and New Orleans Hornets NBA franchise, joined WRNO in 2014.
Entercom Classic Rock “Bayou 95.7” WKBU has told listeners that the regionally syndicated Walton & Johnson have informed the station that they were not renewing their affiliation with the station. The show has been on WKBU since its launch in 2005 and has had runs at multiple New Orleans stations since the duo first teamed together at 93.3 WQUE in 1983.
With Walton & Johnson now based at iHeartMedia News/Talk 950 KPRC Houston, all expectations are that they will soon resurface at WRNO, where they previously anchored mornings during the tail end of its Rock heyday from 1999-2004.
All of us at Bayou 95.7 are saddened to share that Walton and Johnson’s radio program is no longer with us. After much negotiation, their business interests have lead them elsewhere. We found out shortly before they left for their holiday vacation that they would not be renewing their contract. We cannot tell you how much we’ve enjoyed sharing our airwaves with W&J, but understand that they have to do what’s in their best financial interest.
Bayou 95.7 is still New Orleans’ only Classic Rock station and we’re not going anywhere. We are working hard to come up with a new entertaining morning show that will reflect New Orleans and continue to play the great Classic Rock. We’ll have an announcement in the coming weeks. Rest assured, we’ll do everything we can to continue to make Bayou the best Classic Rock station it can be for you! THANK YOU! And best of luck to WJ!
