Top: Ben Groce & Jeremy Burke / Bottom: Jimmy Holbrook & Bonnie Fletcher

Chattooga County radio station WZQZ is undergoing some management changes.  Station owner Jimmy Holbrook and longtime local radio personality Ben Groce announced this week the change at Chattooga County’s only local radio station.

Starting August 1st, Ben Groce entered into a management agreement with Jimmy and Maria Holbrook to manage Real Country WZQZ FM 99.1 and AM 1180.  The six-month management agreement will allow Ben six months to obtain a license from the FCC and have the option to purchase WZQZ in January of 2023.

Jimmy Holbrook has worked in radio for over three decades and has owned and managed WZQZ for almost fifteen years.  He and Ben Groce first worked together in the early 1990’s at WGTA in Summerville when Ben was just a teenager.  WGTA was the original radio station in Chattooga County and broadcast for over fifty-years.

Holbrook says, “Ben came to work at WGTA before he could drive.  He would ride his bicycle to WGTA and sit in the control room and watch myself, Anthony Gilliland, Don Hayes, Tom Maxwell working on the air and fell in love with radio – just like the rest of us.  I remember walking into (WGTA employee) Margaret Dillard’s office and asking about this kid sitting in the control room watching us work.  Eventually station owner Mr. Bill Farrar gave Ben a chance on the air, and he has been in love with local radio since.”

Jimmy Holbrook hired Ben Groce to help with football broadcasts after purchasing WZQZ in 2008.  Ben and Jeremy Burke are about to start their fifteenth season broadcasting Trion Bulldog Football on the radio.  For the past couple of years, Ben has been the weekday WZQZ News anchor.  In June of this year, Jimmy Holbrook took over in the newsroom and Ben started doing morning drive.

Ben Groce said, “This move is all about ensuring that Chattooga County has a locally owned and operated radio station for a long time.  Jimmy has built a format that both myself and the rest of the community has embraced so I don’t plan on changing anything.  If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!  We are very fortunate to have a loyal core of local advertisers that believe in our product and what we do.  Most importantly, we have a very loyal and dedicated listener base that appreciates having a local radio station to listen to and they let us know about it.  Just know WZQZ isn’t going anywhere any time soon.  Hopefully there is another young Ben or Jimmy listening out there that will keep carrying on local radio in this county long after we are gone. “

WZQZ listeners can rest assured that their hometown radio station will remain local.  The station is not going to move and will continue to feature local news, high school football, and information seven days a week.  Sunday mornings will continue to feature gospel music and local church programming.  Jimmy Holbrook will now be serving as news director and weekday news anchor.  Ben Groce will be on the radio during morning drive and Bonnie Fletcher will continue to be on the radio weekdays from 9 AM until noon.
Jimmy Holbrook recently purchased Equipment Outlet in the Armuchee Community from Russ Jennings and will be dedicating more of his time to that business while continuing to write and produce the news for WZQZ FM99.1 and AM1180.