By By Janet Little Cooper
The airwaves at WNSI FM 105.9 are broadcasting a new voice today as the station airs its premier noonday talk show, "Girl Talk."
B.J. Powers, a teacher at Escambia County Middle School, will be taking to the airwaves from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday afternoon as host in the latest wave of new talk shows for the station.
"High School Today" and the coaches show were the first to hit the airwaves in recent months in an effort to bring more of a local focus to the network.
"We have changed the format a little bit from when we first started planning the show," WNSI FM 105.9 General Manager Lou Vickery said. "The show will feature B.J. as the host each week and she will feature a weekly special guest on a select topic."
Powers, who has a background in broadcasting, will start the new show off with Dr. Jill Gudger Howell of N2COLLEGE. Howell is an expert in customized admission and scholarship consulting for students in grades 9-12. Last year she assisted 80 families in obtaining an average of $20,400 in scholarship money.
"We have outlined about 50 different topics for people to discuss on the show," Vickery said. "And so far we have the month of October booked and two shows in November.We are very excited about starting the show off with Dr. Howell."
First time listeners will learn about how to start a business as a woman, how to become a volunteer and explore the different areas of opportunity in the area as well as getting advice on how to select a home and how to purchase it. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians will also be guest of the show in November.
While Vickery says that sponsorship of the talk show is going well, he hopes to enlist even more once the show debuts today.
"It is a great opportunity for advertisers that won't cost them an arm and a leg," Vickery said. "We have had a great response to the "High School Today" program. It has done real well and we hope to accomplish the same with Girl Talk."
Vickery will likely know how well the show is being received come November when listeners will be able to call in during the show with questions or comments.
"That was our plan from the beginning but we had a problem with equipment," Vickery said. "We just ordered the new part this week and hope to have it installed and operational in time for the November shows."
WNSI FM 105.9 is one of five stations operated by the Great American Radio Network (GARN) that is headquarted in Robertsdale.
Vickery and his wife Dana, who is producing "Girl Talk", are focusing more and more on local programming.
"We are still apart of the GARN," Vickery said. "But we are trying to bring more of a local focus to the station. The FCC has just approved expansion of our available wattage that will almost double our output that will certainly improve things for us."
Along with the FCC approval comes a new antenna for the station allowing their signal cover nine counties in Alabama and northwest Florida including Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Anyone who has a topic of interest they would like to share on "Girl Talk" contact Dana Vickery at 251-609-2918.