WCON, Still Loud and Clear

In the business of broadcasting, everything has changed everywhere, except in Cornelia, Ga., where the radio kingdom of the Foster family rules the airwaves with a unique benevolence. 

God save the king. 

“Dad will turn 90 in April and still comes to work everyday,” said David Foster, sitting next to his brother Clayton in their Habersham County radio headquarters at 540 N. Main in Cornelia. 

The Fosters have two FMs. “My Country” WCON 99.3, one of the region's largest radio signals, reaching 5 million over four states, is also the Braves affiliate. The other signal, 107.7 “The Breeze,” is hyper-programmed for Habersham and Banks County.

“As hard as my father worked and still works, my late mother Bobbie was unbelievable," marveled son David. "She began at 9:30 a.m., not ending her broadcast day until after midnight, and that was her daily schedule. She set the bar for dedication to our business and community.” 

The Foster family is the stuff of Georgia legend. John C. Foster started at WCON in 1953 as a disc jockey. In 1961, he purchased the station. Today, Mr. Foster is still the boss.

“72 years ago, dad was a high school teen who wanted on the air as a disc jockey. He was told by the owner, 'fix the septic tank and you’ll get your shot,'” David said. “The tank was repaired.” 

If those call letters sound familiar, WCON was once the station of the Atlanta Constitution until it merged with the Journal in 1950. The FCC reassigned the letters to Gainesville and with a sale to Cornelia. 

Habersham Broadcasting respects its past with programs today of devotionals, birthday announcements, wedding anniversaries, Good News, Furry Friend of the Week and their announcers read the local obituaries on the air.

The Fosters are one of the longest-running local owners of broadcast properties in America. 

When the giant broadcasting companies went rogue after the Clinton administration deregulated the broadcast business in 1995, rural America lost their unique sounds of community. Instead of farm reports and the Swap Shop, voiceover professionals in Cincinnati or New York tracked programming from a studio hours away. Jobs were lost; so was local news and the thumbprint vital to towns and villages. 

“We’ve had many offers from those companies; we weren’t for sale then and are not for sale now,” interjected David, who is also one of the longest running play by play voices of high school football in the state.

“I’ve only missed one game since 1989: my first year, when I was hospitalized at Emory.”

The station began broadcasting high school football in 1970 with Ken Philips and Melvin King. The team continued until 1988 when David Foster and Chris Black took over.

“We have carried every Habersham Central game since 1970. Chris and I both played at the school, my brother does stats along with his wife Kim. It’s a family affair.”

How big is high school football in Northeast Georgia? Advertising is already locked down for the fall of 2025. 

Any mention of WCON FM must include the legendary Rev. Billy Burrell. 62 years on the air, his Sunshine Melody program beginning at 5:30 a.m. in as familiar in Cornelia as the sunrise in the east.

David Foster added, “Reverend Burrell at 94, still driving his automobile in the county.” 

It's a very modern radio business in Cornelia. But close your eyes, turn up your vehicle radio volume, and Carl Sanders is governor, Jimmy Carter is a state senator, Dr. King and his father are traveling the South, the Crackers are baseball team and the Braves are in Milwaukee with a young prospect named Aaron. 

Habersham Broadcasting’s Georgia fiefdom is alive and well. New York broadcasting corporate raiders, stay away. “Git, ain’t nothing for you to see or hear.”