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Steve Barnes is Executive Producer and Co-Host of The Morning X with Barnes & Leslie on 99X in Atlanta. The original version of the show with Barnes, Leslie Fram, and Jimmy Baron started on April 1, 1994, and ran until October 2003. The show returned to the airwaves in January of 2023 with just Barnes and Leslie. “Jimmy stuck with his real estate career,” says Barnes. “We inherited the show the second time around in 23rd place (Persons 25-54), and within nine months were #2 Persons 25-54 and #1 Men 25-54. These are the highest ratings in the history of this signal (100.5) and also on a signal that is 1/10 the power of our original signal at 99.7.”
The original 99X officially ended with Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” on Jan. 25, 2008, after the FCC ordered them to shut down the signal due to a complaint of signal interference by Tallapoosa, Georgia-based WWGA – the sister station of WKNG. Federal law requires that an FM translator station “will not be permitted to continue to operate if it causes any actual interference to … the direct reception by the public of off-the-air signals of any authorized broadcast station.”
After 99X went off the air, the station’s brand name was kept alive on secondary FM signals, but it was mostly a jukebox without DJs. In December 2022, 99X returned to 100.5 and relaunched with its original staff.
“I was approached about a reboot of the show and asked about interest,” explains Barnes. “I was reluctant without Leslie and some of the other OGs. I first asked Leslie, and it was an easy ‘yes’ since we were already doing a podcast at the time. It seemed like an easy next step. Also, our chemistry is so meshed that we can finish each other’s sentences. I then started reaching out to other OGs and everyone was an immediate YES. We felt the brand had been so abused after our original departure that the only way it would succeed would be with the original players, which includes Brian Philips (the original PD and instigator of The Morning X Show), who is now the Chief Content Officer at Cumulus.”
“We currently play 6-7 songs an hour on the show,” says Barnes. “Music plays a huge part of it, as our listeners are driven by music. Every aspect of music lights up the phones, and that mixed with nostalgia is a fireball.”
“We also play new music when we feel like it…I know that sounds strange, but that is how it is,” he says. “If a legacy band has a new kick-ass song, then we will play it. The new music is a nice compliment, but the 90s/00s Alt is really driving the bus. It’s music that fueled Gen X in Atlanta for so many years, and people love it. 99X makes it unique. The power of the brand with all the original players with the original music is Magic! Now you add these people’s kids in the mix, and you’ve got reach across the board. These people came of age with this music, and now their kids are getting the same path, which is awesome.”
The cast members of The Morning X have had so many things going on over the past few years: other full-time jobs, side hustles, and family; it’s hard to imagine how they have managed to stay focused on the show and balance everything. “It’s been nuts!” says Barnes. “I still travel the world for my production company – Barnes Creative Studios. I have also been acting since 1991 and am joining an established series in its next season in 2025 as a recurring character in multiple episodes. We just wrapped last week, and I was doing the daily morning show and then headed to set for the rest of the day into the night. (I can’t say the role yet as we just shot it and have to hold it until release). The fact that both my daughters are college-age makes the family part a lot easier.”
“Show prep is nonstop for me. I am a sponge for great audio,” adds Barnes. “I love finding things to keep people intrigued and ‘tease’ with it. Prep for me is living my day-to-day life submerged in Pop Culture, which I would do anyway.”
“As far as AI, we were playing with it before it was a thing,” insists Barnes. “We have done everything from cloning our old partner Jimmy (for fun and with his permission) to stripping songs and making contests out of the separated instruments. AI won’t take over people’s jobs on-air (IMO – for now). It’s great as a bit, but the AI DJs are emotionless and a little cheesy. But the impact on the entire music industry is a real thing, and it will be interesting to see where it all lands.”
Follow Steve Barnes and The Morning X on Instagram @themorningx, Facebook: @themorningxatl, X: @themorningxatl and TikTok @themorningx
Charese Fruge’ is an award-winning Content, Broadcast, and Marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. As the owner of MC Media, she works with radio brands and individual talent, especially young women, helping them grow their brands and negotiate on their own behalf. She is also a Voice Actor and Voice Over Talent as well as a Freelance Writer for International Broadcast Outlets. Find her at @MCMediaOnline or www.mcmediaonline.com.
