For Immediate Release:
August 23, 2005
Contact: Tom Herndon / 864-680-1924
Two long-time area radio personalities join forces to continue the Upstate’s longest-running radio morning show.
Bill Drake, host of the “Awake With Drake” morning program on Spartanburg’s WSPA-AM for over 29 years, and Tom Herndon, who has been selling radio advertising in the Greenville-Spartanburg market for over 40 years, have partnered to purchase 35 hours per week on 103.3FM, effective when the sale of the station to Davidson Media Group is completed.
The move was necessitated when Entercom of Greenville, LLC sold WSPA-AM910, WOLI-FM103.9, AND WOLT-FM103.3 to Davidson, subject to FCC approval, and Davidson announced that they would change the call letters of AM910 to WOLI-AM, and would sell the time on both WOLI-AM, in the Spartanburg area, and WOLI-FM, in the Greenville area, for Spanish language programming on the two stations.
An intense letter and e-mail campaign by Spartanburg area community leaders and faithful advertisers and listeners to Drake’s morning show prompted Davidson to offer Drake and Herndon this opportunity on their 103.3FM frequency, which serves an area from Gaffney on the east to Greenville on the west, and Union on the south to Tryon on the north. Drake and Herndon formed “AWAKE WITH DRAKE, LLC” for this purpose, and signed a three-year contract on August 16, 2005, to purchase 5AM-10AM Monday through Sunday, beginning shortly after the FCC approves the sale of the stations from Entercom to Davidson sometime in mid-September.
Drake will broadcast his regular morning show from 5 until 9AM, Monday through Friday, with the 9-10AM hour reserved for interviews with community leaders, that he currently does during the Noon hour on WSPA-AM. For the first time since 1980, Drake will also broadcast his morning show on Saturdays from 5 until 10AM, with the 9-10AM hour being available for the broadcast of special commercial programs. On Sundays, Drake will broadcast his “Songs of Inspiration” program from 5 until 9AM. Morningside Baptist Church will occupy the 9-10AM hour, as they now do on WSPA-AM.
Drake and Herndon have also purchased the Sunday 10AM-Noon time period on WOLI-AM910 from Davidson, with First Presbyterian Church continuing to occupy the 11AM-Noon hour with their live Sunday worship services. The 10-11AM hour is available for sale to other church-related organizations, and will feature another hour of Drake’s “Songs of Inspiration” program on Sundays when it is not sold.
The agreement with Davidson provides for Drake to continue broadcasting from the current WSPA-AM studio at 6665 Pottery Road, Spartanburg. Advertising sales will also be located there.
Advertising sales for the AWAKE WITH DRAKE shows on 103.3FM will be handled by Tom Herndon and a sales team composed of Drake aficionados, including Bill May, Lester Collins, and Rita Allison.
May, who is best known as the retired food service director for Wofford College, has often been a guest host of Drake’s Noon show. He also was the 2003-2004 District Governor of Toastmasters International. Collins is a retired industrial equipment salesman and engineer, and an admitted Drake “groupie” for years. Allison is a former state representative, currently employed as an Education Advisor to SC governor Mark Sanford. She has been a frequent guest on Drake’s morning and Noon shows, and has also filled in for Drake as guest host of his Noon show.
www.awakewithdrake.com
<P ID="signature">______________
Jerry
"If we knew what we were doing, it would not be called research, would it." - Albert Einstein </P>
August 23, 2005
Contact: Tom Herndon / 864-680-1924
Two long-time area radio personalities join forces to continue the Upstate’s longest-running radio morning show.
Bill Drake, host of the “Awake With Drake” morning program on Spartanburg’s WSPA-AM for over 29 years, and Tom Herndon, who has been selling radio advertising in the Greenville-Spartanburg market for over 40 years, have partnered to purchase 35 hours per week on 103.3FM, effective when the sale of the station to Davidson Media Group is completed.
The move was necessitated when Entercom of Greenville, LLC sold WSPA-AM910, WOLI-FM103.9, AND WOLT-FM103.3 to Davidson, subject to FCC approval, and Davidson announced that they would change the call letters of AM910 to WOLI-AM, and would sell the time on both WOLI-AM, in the Spartanburg area, and WOLI-FM, in the Greenville area, for Spanish language programming on the two stations.
An intense letter and e-mail campaign by Spartanburg area community leaders and faithful advertisers and listeners to Drake’s morning show prompted Davidson to offer Drake and Herndon this opportunity on their 103.3FM frequency, which serves an area from Gaffney on the east to Greenville on the west, and Union on the south to Tryon on the north. Drake and Herndon formed “AWAKE WITH DRAKE, LLC” for this purpose, and signed a three-year contract on August 16, 2005, to purchase 5AM-10AM Monday through Sunday, beginning shortly after the FCC approves the sale of the stations from Entercom to Davidson sometime in mid-September.
Drake will broadcast his regular morning show from 5 until 9AM, Monday through Friday, with the 9-10AM hour reserved for interviews with community leaders, that he currently does during the Noon hour on WSPA-AM. For the first time since 1980, Drake will also broadcast his morning show on Saturdays from 5 until 10AM, with the 9-10AM hour being available for the broadcast of special commercial programs. On Sundays, Drake will broadcast his “Songs of Inspiration” program from 5 until 9AM. Morningside Baptist Church will occupy the 9-10AM hour, as they now do on WSPA-AM.
Drake and Herndon have also purchased the Sunday 10AM-Noon time period on WOLI-AM910 from Davidson, with First Presbyterian Church continuing to occupy the 11AM-Noon hour with their live Sunday worship services. The 10-11AM hour is available for sale to other church-related organizations, and will feature another hour of Drake’s “Songs of Inspiration” program on Sundays when it is not sold.
The agreement with Davidson provides for Drake to continue broadcasting from the current WSPA-AM studio at 6665 Pottery Road, Spartanburg. Advertising sales will also be located there.
Advertising sales for the AWAKE WITH DRAKE shows on 103.3FM will be handled by Tom Herndon and a sales team composed of Drake aficionados, including Bill May, Lester Collins, and Rita Allison.
May, who is best known as the retired food service director for Wofford College, has often been a guest host of Drake’s Noon show. He also was the 2003-2004 District Governor of Toastmasters International. Collins is a retired industrial equipment salesman and engineer, and an admitted Drake “groupie” for years. Allison is a former state representative, currently employed as an Education Advisor to SC governor Mark Sanford. She has been a frequent guest on Drake’s morning and Noon shows, and has also filled in for Drake as guest host of his Noon show.
www.awakewithdrake.com
<P ID="signature">______________
Jerry
"If we knew what we were doing, it would not be called research, would it." - Albert Einstein </P>