Americus Times-Recorder, Americus, Georgia

Local News

September 26, 2009

New Gospel Station in southwest Georgia based in Americus

Becky Holland

AMERICUS — Andrea Pless Tatum is excited, and with good reason. For the last two months, she has been serving as the market director/sales manager for WLEL 94.3 FM.

What’s so exciting about that, you ask, dear reader? WLEL 94.3 FM is a new radio station, based out of Americus, that reaches Thomaston, Macon, Columbus, Cordele, Ashburn, Ellaville and surrounding areas.

WLEL 94.3 FM is a “gospel station, playing music automated right now,” based out of the NAACP building in Americus at 217 Forrest St., with a tower in Ellaville.

“They have been on air for about eight months,” said Tatum, “and the station is owned by someone from North Carolina and Atlanta. The owners have this plan of targeting smaller communities, to get the inspirational music out there.”

“And the response,” she said, “has been great so far. We have received calls from all over, asking what that song was we played or can we play this? People call from Buena Vista to Warner Robins to Cordele to Ashburn, and we do reach the outskirts of Columbus and Macon.”

The station is on the Internet as well —Facebook— with a “fan base growing daily. I think there are about 150 people on there right now.”

Tatum was born and raised in Sumter County. Her father, Arthur Pless, was the first African American commissioner on the Sumter County Board of Commissioners. Her grandparents just recently celebrated over 70 years of marriage. She sees this homecoming as a way for her to serve the Lord in the ministry. Married, Tatum has been in the radio business/marketing for a number of years, not just in sales, but also was a radio on air personality. She resided in Texas for a while before coming back to Sumter County to assist with this project.

“Basically what I do, is market and sell the station. We are trying to get the community to recognize that we are here, and we know without the support of the communities, the churches and the businesses, this station won’t survive.”

As for the type of music chosen, Tatum believes, “This is what this whole air, our listening audience needs, especially in these times ... inspiration and motivation to remember that God is in control.”

She paused, “Of everything.”

The call letters of the station even stand for that. “WLEL 94.3 FM means With Love Ever Lasting.”

For more information about the new gospel/Christian Contemporary station, contact Tatum at 928-3988, or check them out at WLEL 94.3 FM.

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