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Host, company in negotiations
SUSAN ORR, Staff Writer
WSPA 910 AM's format will be changing, but radio personality Bill Drake may still have a place on the Upstate's airwaves.
Drake, who has been at WSPA for 29 years, recently launched a campaign to save the talk-radio station after news that WSPA would be purchased by a North Carolina company that specializes in Spanish-language and multicultural programming.
That company, Davidson, N.C.-based Davidson Media Group, is purchasing WSPA along with WOLI 103.9 FM and WOLT 103.3 FM. The deal is expected to be complete next month, pending Federal Communications Commission approval.
Monday, Davidson Media Group confirmed its plans for the three Upstate stations.
WSPA's call letters will change to WOLI AM and the station will be simulcast with WOLI FM in a Spanish-language talk/music format, said Russ Jones, Davidson's vice president of operations.
WOLT's call letters will switch to WREJ and the station will broadcast a mix of religious and secular programming.
Robert Freese, who now is the general manager for two Davidson stations in Charlotte, will become general manager of the three Upstate stations as well.
Jones and Freese met with Drake Monday to discuss whether Drake will be involved with WREJ.
Jones said the negotiations are ongoing, and nothing has been decided yet.
"We've not promised anything to him, and he's not promising anything to us," Jones said.
Drake could not be reached for comment.
Freese said it's too early in the process to speculate on what might happen, but he did say that if Drake switches to WREJ's airwaves, his broadcasts would still take place from Spartanburg.
"I think that everyone in the meeting agreed that the program needs to stay in Spartanburg," Freese said.
Freese said it should be a few weeks before Davidson and Drake reach a decision on whether Drake will join the new station.
SUSAN ORR, Staff Writer
WSPA 910 AM's format will be changing, but radio personality Bill Drake may still have a place on the Upstate's airwaves.
Drake, who has been at WSPA for 29 years, recently launched a campaign to save the talk-radio station after news that WSPA would be purchased by a North Carolina company that specializes in Spanish-language and multicultural programming.
That company, Davidson, N.C.-based Davidson Media Group, is purchasing WSPA along with WOLI 103.9 FM and WOLT 103.3 FM. The deal is expected to be complete next month, pending Federal Communications Commission approval.
Monday, Davidson Media Group confirmed its plans for the three Upstate stations.
WSPA's call letters will change to WOLI AM and the station will be simulcast with WOLI FM in a Spanish-language talk/music format, said Russ Jones, Davidson's vice president of operations.
WOLT's call letters will switch to WREJ and the station will broadcast a mix of religious and secular programming.
Robert Freese, who now is the general manager for two Davidson stations in Charlotte, will become general manager of the three Upstate stations as well.
Jones and Freese met with Drake Monday to discuss whether Drake will be involved with WREJ.
Jones said the negotiations are ongoing, and nothing has been decided yet.
"We've not promised anything to him, and he's not promising anything to us," Jones said.
Drake could not be reached for comment.
Freese said it's too early in the process to speculate on what might happen, but he did say that if Drake switches to WREJ's airwaves, his broadcasts would still take place from Spartanburg.
"I think that everyone in the meeting agreed that the program needs to stay in Spartanburg," Freese said.
Freese said it should be a few weeks before Davidson and Drake reach a decision on whether Drake will join the new station.