Atlanta Radio: V103’s ‘Frank & Wanda’ Amazing Run

From Rodney Ho The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

V-103 has been Atlanta’s top-rated radio station for years, with a morning show regularly drawing 1.3 million listeners a week. The R&B;/hip-hop station takes its “Big Station” moniker seriously.

Frank Ski and Wanda Smith have been at the helm of that top-rated morning show for 14 years. With Thursday’s news that they’re leaving, will V-103 also lose its top-of-the-heap luster? 

“No,” said Mike Roberts, at one point the station’s longtime morning host before being replaced by Ski and Smith in 1998. “They’ll be fine. It’s a monster station that has been successful for many years because they are truly connected to the community. And they always seem to know when to make changes.” 

Rick Caffey, market manager for V-103 since 1994, said Ski wanted a syndication deal to expand beyond Atlanta, but the two sides couldn’t agree to a deal. “We want to stay local,” said Caffey. 

Ski, with stand-up comic Smith, created a morning show that blended the serious, the silly and the sublime. They could be interviewing reality stars from “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” one moment, then switch to talking budget issues with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Each day at 9:50 a.m., Ski would read a Bible verse and play a gospel tune, something he’d call the “Inspirational Vitamin.”

Ski’s replacement is Atlanta native Ryan Cameron, host of V-103’s afternoon show since 2004. Cameron started his radio career at V-103 in the early 1990s. He then competed against Ski during morning drive time on rival R&B;/hip-hop station Hot 107.9 until V-103 wooed him back. 

V-103 was able to walk away from Ski because its audience knows and loves Cameron. Based on polls over the years on ajc.com’s Radio and TVTalk blog, Cameron is actually more popular than Ski. On Thursday, more than 70 percent of poll takers were happy Cameron is moving to mornings. Nearly 60 percent said they wouldn’t miss Ski and Smith, whose last day on the air is Thursday. 

Although Ski and Cameron are both in their late 40s, Cameron seems much younger, relying more on goofy comedy than Ski.

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