GA Radio: Personality Is Out At Classic Hits Fox FM

Veteran Atlanta radio personality “Southside” Steve Rickman has been fired from his morning host position at Fox FM, a network of classic hits stations across Georgia owned by Chris Murray.

Rickman, known for his long run on the edgy Regular Guys show, had hosted the “Southside Ride” morning program on Fox FM for two and a half years. Murray informed him last week that the network needed a lower-cost, music-focused host rather than one emphasizing talk and personality. 

Co-host and producer Geoff Cole was also let go.

Murray, operating under Georgia Radio Alliance LLC, is building a statewide classic rock network branded as Fox FM (“Georgia’s Greatest Hits”), featuring heavy rotation of 1970s and 1980s hits from artists like David Bowie, Styx, Whitesnake, and Bon Jovi. The network currently includes stations in Atlanta, Macon, and Warner Robins, with plans to expand to Augusta and Savannah. 

In metro Atlanta, it combines signals on 102.1, 100.1, 99.3, and 100.9 FM for broader coverage.

Steve Rickman

Murray said he wants a “more music-oriented station that would appeal to the entire state” and plans to announce Rickman and Cole’s replacement soon. He will retain midday host Jeremy “Hawk” Hawkins and afternoon host Tom Sullivan, emphasizing localized content for each market in contrast to syndicated programming from giants like iHeartMedia. 

Fox FM has no connection to the former Atlanta oldies station Fox 97.1 (1989–2003).Rickman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the news “hit me hard for five minutes, but I’m OK” and that he holds no grudge against Murray. Still, he admitted surprise: “It was like having the rug pulled out from under you.” 

Cole echoed the sentiment, saying, “We thought we were humming along doing the best we can.”

Rickman rose to prominence in Atlanta radio from the mid-1990s to early 2010s as part of the testosterone-driven Regular Guys morning show with Larry Wachs and Eric Von Haessler, first on 96 Rock and later Rock 100.5. Known for his ponytail, love of Journey, catchphrase “Yeah C’mon!,” and on-air boasts about his playboy lifestyle, he was also a tireless live pitchman for advertisers.

After the Regular Guys ended in 2014, Rickman remained at Rock 100.5 for seven years alongside Jason Bailey, followed by a brief stint with Axel Lowe. When Cumulus replaced Rock 100.5 with a revived 99X format, he joined Fox FM.