Yellowhammer News is excited to announce a new experience for listeners of Yellowhammer Radio. The Ford Faction is a high-energy talk show focusing on two simple principles that ignite listeners across the state of Alabama: God and country.
Ford Brown, Sam Warren, and Zac Johnson take listeners on a roller coaster ride every weekday, covering topics from the top political issues of the day to the craziest stories across the country. “At any time we can go anywhere with the show,” Ford told Yellowhammer News, ensuring that listeners will be treated to “fresh new music that you never hear on the radio anymore.”
All three of the hosts have their own unique stories that brought them into radio. Ford was a long time speech and debate participant at UAB. However, it wasn’t until his former youth pastor convinced him to do an internship with The Rick and Bubba Show that he found his love for radio. That’s what led him to start a sports talk show at UAB, where Sam Warren was an occasional guest.
By the time the two met as interns at Rick and Bubba, Sam had already made quite a name for himself as a play-by-play commentator for UAB Softball. The pair’s love of sports landed them a gig announcing the Shelby County Game of the Week on 97.7 the Peach.
The third member of the team, Zac Johnson, describes his rise to media as more of a “rags to riches” story. A lifelong friend of Ford, the two started a podcast together, mainly as a way to goof off and have some fun. They were surprised when the show actually took off among some of their friends.
When Yellowhammer approached Ford about starting a new radio show, he knew exactly who his two right-hand men would be. Thus, The Ford Faction was born. It seems the show could not have had a more fitting first day. Its diverse segments included a school bus chase, a man who was arrested for punching a police horse in the face (which naturally prompted the question “Do horses have faces?”), and an interview with U.S. Senator Luther Strange. They guys admitted that every question they asked the six-foot-nine Senator hilariously seemed to find its way back to basketball.
Throughout the show the guys take callers from all over the state, offering their opinion on the day’s topics. However, they do warn that “if you call in and give your opinion, you might get made fun of.” The guys see callers as a way to liven up the show and hear other people’s ideas. However, no one is safe when they open their mouths, not even Zac. “When in doubt, they just use me and throw me out to the wolves and see how that works out,” Zac said. Above all, the guys hope to simply have fun each and every day. “We’re just three guys chopping it up on the mic, and if you want to call in and give your opinion, please do.”
It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to tell that these guys are just having a good time. Whether they are simply cutting up and cracking jokes or diving into the serious issues of the day, the guys at The Ford Faction will catch your attention and steal your heart. Yellowhammer CEO Brian Ellis told of the surprising circumstances surrounding hiring the guys onto the Yellowhammer team:
“It’s always funny how God works out situations. I didn’t know Rick and Bubba until recently, but the best decision I’ve made in my life outside of marrying my wife was reaching out to them and asking who the next up and coming stars were. Ford and Sam were numbers one and two on the list, and I said ‘I need to hire both of these guys!’ My wife and I had them over for dinner on Thursday, and I made them an offer on Friday. That’s how great these guys are!”
Ellis is excited about the direction The Ford Faction is taking Yellowhammer Radio. He says that the guys are giving the midday spot a fresh twist.
“I always tell my team that first and foremost we are entertainers. We are giving people knowledge and information, but we always have to entertain. That’s exactly what Ford, Sam, and Zac are so great at doing.”
Ellis pointed out that the fact the guys are so young makes him love them even more.
“I told my wife, ‘I love this guy [Ford], he could make it big, but he’s young. She reminded me, ‘Remember when people didn’t give you an opportunity because you were young? Now you’re CEO of Yellowhammer at 35.’”
Ellis concluded by saying, “These guys are special.” However, Ford, Sam, and Zac remain humble. All they hope is “that the people calling in know that we are just a reflection of the Lord. We can’t get here by ourselves, and we’ve been blessed so much by this opportunity.”
You can catch The Ford Faction on Superstation 101.1 WYDE weekdays from 12-3 or listen live on the WYDE app.
