Steve and Vikki Back in the Hizzy

Don't you love my subject line? I'm so down with the assonance. I promise that's not a dirty word.

So, last week WSB-FM (B 98.5) announced that Steve and Vikki, formerly of Star 94, will come back to the air this summer after their no-compete clauses have run their course.

I was never somebody that listened to Steve and Vikki a lot, but obviously they have a huge fan based out there. I think this is a win for B 98.5 and I actually think this is an interesting turn for Atlanta radio.

In the last 3-4 months, shows like The Zakk Tyler Morning Show (929 Dave FM) and Star 94's Morning Mess have come to market with out-of-town talent trying to find a solid audience in ATL. I don't listen to either show, but I also don't really know anybody who does. The women I work with seem to all listen to The Bert Show (Q100).

So, what intrigues me about Steve and Vikki's return is the fact that they are so locally entrenched. They've been part of Atlanta mornings for about 20 years. They are members of the community who put down roots in ATL rather than people for whom Atlanta is new territory. I'm curious to see how big a dip in ratings both Star 94 and Dave FM take thanks to Steve and Vikki's return. I could be crazy. My impression is that neither one of these new shows have taken off and given that B 98.5 is guaranteed to poach some of Star and Dave's audience with loyal Steve and Vikki listeners, I'm curious if this could be a big blow to the long-term success of either Zakk Tyler or the Morning Mess.

Time and Arbitron numbers will tell.