George Plaster
Encyclopedia
George Plaster is the former host of The Sports Zone, a daily afternoon sports talk radio
program broadcasting on WGFX-FM
(104.5 The Zone) in Nashville, Tennessee. Plaster had hosted the show since shortly after its 2003 inception, and for ten years prior, hosted SportsNight, a similar program on WWTN-FM
. Plaster also hosts The State Auto SportsZone, a weekly television show that airs on Sunday nights from August to May on WZTV
.http://www.fox17.com/sections/sports_zone/video.shtml
agreed to purchase WWTN from Gaylord Entertainment Company
, Plaster invoked a contract loophole which voided his contract with WWTN. Earlier in the year, however, Plaster had begun negotiations with Citadel Broadcasting Company to move his show to then-Classic Rock station WGFX (Plaster was suspended from WWTN for nearly two weeks in February 2003 after Gaylord officials reportedly learned of his backroom dealings). Plaster left WWTN in July just as the sale to Cumulus was completed, having been employed by the station since the early 1990s. He announced through other media that his show would resume on WGFX in August.
However, on August 11, 2003, just hours before he was to debut on WGFX, Cumulus (with assistance from Gaylord) was granted an injunction in Davidson County
Chancery Court, preventing Plaster from appearing on his new show. Cumulus had sought to quash Plaster's new contract, citing a non-compete clause
in his original WWTN contract. Plaster was under the assumption the clause had been voided along with the contract, which had been signed by Gaylord Entertainment, not Cumulus. Cumulus then filed a breach of contract
suit
against Plaster, and he reacted with a countersuit alleging that Cumulus was illegally hampering his ability to make a living. Willy Daunic and Darren McFarland, who both also made the move to WGFX (though without legal consequence since neither was under contract to WWTN), took to the air in Plaster's place and continued that way for two full months. On October 11, the case was settled without trial, and Plaster received an undisclosed sum of money from Cumulus and Gaylord. He was also allowed to join his co-hosts on WGFX, where he continued to broadcast until September 16, 2011[6].
Public perception in the ordeal favored Plaster, and most of his audience followed him to WGFX. Meanwhile, SportsNight continued at WWTN without Plaster, and was later moved to WNFN
-FM, where it continued to compete with The Sports Zone until March 13, 2006. On that Wednesday, SportsNight was canceled and its hosts (those who once worked with Plaster) were fired, effectively ending the saga. SportsNight saw its ratings consistently and significantly drop in the three years following Plaster's departure. In July 2006, after three months of earning respectable ratings airing ESPN Radio
programming against Plaster, WNFN launched The Sports Guys, a new afternoon show hosted by legendary Nashville sportscaster Bob Bell and former Middle Tennessee State University
head football
coach Boots Donnelly.
, Chicago Bulls
, and Vanderbilt University
center (and current ESPN Radio
basketball commentator) Will Perdue
. In early June it was announced that he would begin to appear on the show for two hours daily. He has since returned to his standard schedule of three hours daily (3p-6p).
baseball club in the 1980s. He was also the play-by-play voice for Memphis State University and Vanderbilt University
athletics as well as the Nashville Kats
Arena Football League franchise. In the mid-1990s, Plaster served as co-host of a television show entitled Sports Talk on WNAB-TV.
In addition to his daily radio show, Plaster currently hosts a regular video on demand
show available to Middle Tennessee's Comcast
subscribers, entitled Plaster On Demand, which is shot after every Tennessee Titans
home game. Plaster also broadcasts occasional basketball
games for Western Kentucky University
's radio network and Georgia Tech football
games for cable television
network CSS.
"Talkers 250" list http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=44, highlighting the 250 most influential talk radio hosts in America. He remained on the list in 2007 and 2008.
Plaster is a graduate of Battle Ground Academy
in Franklin, Tennessee
, where he was inducted into the Distinguished Alumnus Hall of Fame in June 2008. Also, he attended and earned a degree from Vanderbilt University.
baseball team gave away George Plaster bobblehead dolls as a game promotion. Nashvillian Jim Reams began posting photos on a website showing "Bobblehead George" dolls in diverse places around the world. After the website was listed ranked 74th the WordPress
list of "top 100 fastest growing blogs", Reams decided to put the website to use as a fundraiser, and dedicated all revenues to an advocacy organization for hereditary angioedema
patients.
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
program broadcasting on WGFX-FM
WGFX
WGFX is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 104.5 MHz licensed to the city of Gallatin, Tennessee, but serving the Nashville market as a whole. It is currently branded as 104.5 The Zone, broadcasting a sports talk format. It is owned by Cumulus Media and operates out of studios on Second...
(104.5 The Zone) in Nashville, Tennessee. Plaster had hosted the show since shortly after its 2003 inception, and for ten years prior, hosted SportsNight, a similar program on WWTN-FM
WWTN
WWTN is a 100 kW, Class C0 FM radio station serving the Nashville, Tennessee media market. Its dial position is 99.7 MHz. Home to many local and national talk radio shows, the station is marketed as SuperTalk 99.7 WTN...
. Plaster also hosts The State Auto SportsZone, a weekly television show that airs on Sunday nights from August to May on WZTV
WZTV
WZTV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Nashville, Tennessee. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 15 from a transmitter on Knob Road north of downtown along I-24...
.http://www.fox17.com/sections/sports_zone/video.shtml
Contract dispute
In the summer of 2003, Plaster was the central figure in a very public contract dispute which led to, and later hampered, his move to WGFX. When Cumulus MediaCumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
agreed to purchase WWTN from Gaylord Entertainment Company
Gaylord Entertainment Company
The Gaylord Entertainment Company operates a number of hotel, resort, and media companies that were built by Edward Gaylord. It was previously a subsidiary of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Publishing Company, which is owned by the Gaylord family and publishes the Daily Oklahoman newspaper...
, Plaster invoked a contract loophole which voided his contract with WWTN. Earlier in the year, however, Plaster had begun negotiations with Citadel Broadcasting Company to move his show to then-Classic Rock station WGFX (Plaster was suspended from WWTN for nearly two weeks in February 2003 after Gaylord officials reportedly learned of his backroom dealings). Plaster left WWTN in July just as the sale to Cumulus was completed, having been employed by the station since the early 1990s. He announced through other media that his show would resume on WGFX in August.
However, on August 11, 2003, just hours before he was to debut on WGFX, Cumulus (with assistance from Gaylord) was granted an injunction in Davidson County
Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
Chancery Court, preventing Plaster from appearing on his new show. Cumulus had sought to quash Plaster's new contract, citing a non-compete clause
Non-compete clause
A non-compete clause , or covenant not to compete , is a term used in contract law under which one party agrees not to pursue a similar profession or trade in competition against another party . As a contract provision, a CNC is bound by traditional contract requirements including the...
in his original WWTN contract. Plaster was under the assumption the clause had been voided along with the contract, which had been signed by Gaylord Entertainment, not Cumulus. Cumulus then filed a breach of contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
suit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against Plaster, and he reacted with a countersuit alleging that Cumulus was illegally hampering his ability to make a living. Willy Daunic and Darren McFarland, who both also made the move to WGFX (though without legal consequence since neither was under contract to WWTN), took to the air in Plaster's place and continued that way for two full months. On October 11, the case was settled without trial, and Plaster received an undisclosed sum of money from Cumulus and Gaylord. He was also allowed to join his co-hosts on WGFX, where he continued to broadcast until September 16, 2011[6].
Public perception in the ordeal favored Plaster, and most of his audience followed him to WGFX. Meanwhile, SportsNight continued at WWTN without Plaster, and was later moved to WNFN
WNFN
WNFN is a Top 40 formatted radio station in the Nashville, Tennessee market, broadcasting a Top 40 format.Previously licensed to the affluent Nashville suburb of Belle Meade, and recently obtaining a permit for an increased signal, with a new license based in nearby Millersville, WNFN was...
-FM, where it continued to compete with The Sports Zone until March 13, 2006. On that Wednesday, SportsNight was canceled and its hosts (those who once worked with Plaster) were fired, effectively ending the saga. SportsNight saw its ratings consistently and significantly drop in the three years following Plaster's departure. In July 2006, after three months of earning respectable ratings airing ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
programming against Plaster, WNFN launched The Sports Guys, a new afternoon show hosted by legendary Nashville sportscaster Bob Bell and former Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....
head football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach Boots Donnelly.
Voice therapy
In February 2006, Plaster began to experience difficulties with his voice, which soon became serious enough that he was forced to curtail his on-air activities. He began receiving voice therapy at Vanderbilt University's Voice Clinic. In April 2006, Plaster's participation in The Sports Zone was limited to online "cyberchat" on the station's website. On May 17 it was announced that Plaster would return to the airwaves on a limited, one-hour-per-day basis, effective with the May 19 show. He did so, conducting an interview with his good friend, former San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
center (and current ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
basketball commentator) Will Perdue
Will Perdue
William Edward Perdue is a retired American NBA basketball player who won four NBA Championships. Perdue is now an ESPN basketball commentator and analyst.Perdue attended Merritt Island High School, Merritt Island, Florida...
. In early June it was announced that he would begin to appear on the show for two hours daily. He has since returned to his standard schedule of three hours daily (3p-6p).
Other work
Plaster formerly served as the color analyst (opposite Bob Jamison) for the Nashville SoundsNashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
baseball club in the 1980s. He was also the play-by-play voice for Memphis State University and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
athletics as well as the Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
Arena Football League franchise. In the mid-1990s, Plaster served as co-host of a television show entitled Sports Talk on WNAB-TV.
In addition to his daily radio show, Plaster currently hosts a regular video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
show available to Middle Tennessee's Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
subscribers, entitled Plaster On Demand, which is shot after every Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
home game. Plaster also broadcasts occasional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games for Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
's radio network and Georgia Tech football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games for cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network CSS.
Honors
In 2006, Plaster was named to the inaugural Talkers MagazineTalkers magazine
Talkers Magazine is a trade industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media"...
"Talkers 250" list http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=44, highlighting the 250 most influential talk radio hosts in America. He remained on the list in 2007 and 2008.
Personal life
Plaster is a Nashville native. He is not married.Plaster is a graduate of Battle Ground Academy
Battle Ground Academy
Battle Ground Academy is an independent college-preparatory school for grades K-12 located in Franklin, Tennessee, USA. Founded in 1889, the school was originally located on part of the site of the Battle of Franklin in the U.S. Civil War. BGA has two campuses. The Harpeth Campus is located on...
in Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
, where he was inducted into the Distinguished Alumnus Hall of Fame in June 2008. Also, he attended and earned a degree from Vanderbilt University.
Bobblehead George
In June 2008, the Nashville SoundsNashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
baseball team gave away George Plaster bobblehead dolls as a game promotion. Nashvillian Jim Reams began posting photos on a website showing "Bobblehead George" dolls in diverse places around the world. After the website was listed ranked 74th the WordPress
WordPress
WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and publishing platform powered by PHP and MySQL. It is often customized into a content management system . It has many features including a plug-in architecture and a template system. WordPress is used by over 14.7% of Alexa Internet's "top 1...
list of "top 100 fastest growing blogs", Reams decided to put the website to use as a fundraiser, and dedicated all revenues to an advocacy organization for hereditary angioedema
Hereditary angioedema
Hereditary angioedema presents in the second to fourth decade, and is characterized by local swelling in subcutaneous tissues....
patients.