The Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting Company said it is moving the “whole dang cluster” located in Clayton, Ga., a small city in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
According to a Friends of Georgia Radio press release, the move will relocate two radio stations, change two frequencies and swap one call sign.
The broadcasting company, which owns and operates nine signals throughout Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, brings local programming to small-market cities.
The company shut down operations in Clayton, Ga., on Jan. 31, and is in the process of moving Real Country 100.3/W262CE to Clemson, S.C.
“Real Country” is also moving to a new frequency — 96.1. The programming comes from the HD-3 channel for WGOG(FM), licensed to Walhalla, S.C.
Meanwhile, the other Georgia-Carolina station in Clayton, AC Sky 96.3/WRBN, holds a CP to move to 95.7 in Toccoa, Ga. The company has also changed WRBN’s call sign to WNEG(FM). Georgia-Carolina already owns heritage station WNEG(AM) in Toccoa.
The company is taking both stations silent during their respective moves, and plans to build out the new facilities within a one-year window.
In the release, Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting President/CEO Art Sutton said the two stations had the largest listening audience in Rabun County, but advertising revenue has declined substantially.
Rabun County is the northeasternmost county in Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,883. The county seat is Clayton, which has a population of 2,003.
Although two stations are moving out of Clayton, Georgia-Carolina says the city “is not going to be radio-less.” Charisma Radio Corporation’s Soft AC 104.5/WHLC in Highlands, N.C., has a CP to relocate a translator to 94.9 in Clayton (on the same tower that hosted WRBN/W262CE).
