WPZS "Praise 100.9 FM" is a Gospel music station located in Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

 but licensed to Indian Trail

Indian Trail, North Carolina

Indian Trail is a town in Union County, North Carolina, United States. Founded on March 12, 1861, the town holds a history of traders traveling along the "Indian Trail," which ran from Petersburg, Virginia, to the Waxhaw Indians, and gold mining. Indian Trail was first a farming community; however,...

. The station is currently owned & operated by Radio One. It carries the syndicated Yolanda Adams Morning show

Yolanda Adams

Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...

.

On August 31, 2011, Radio One announced its intention to sell off their Charlotte stations to Davis Broadcasting.

History

The station was located in Albemarle, North Carolina

Albemarle, North Carolina

Albemarle is the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina. The population was 15,680 at the 2000 census. It is governed by Mayor Elbert L. "Whit" Whitley, Jr...

 for many years, where it was called WABZ-FM.

Ted Bell hosted "Saturday Night Music Machine" while at WABZ-FM, interviewing Neil Sedaka

Neil Sedaka

Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...

, Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...

, Freddie Cannon, George Burns

George Burns

George Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...

, Phil Everly

The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...

, Teresa Brewer

Teresa Brewer

Teresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...

, Tiny Tim

Tiny Tim (musician)

Tiny Tim , , born in Manhattan, was an American singer and ukulele player. He was most famous for his rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" sung in a distinctive high falsetto/vibrato voice.-Rise to fame:Born to Lebanese parents in 1932, Khaury displayed musical talent at a very young age...

, and Gene McDaniels

Gene McDaniels

Gene McDaniels was an American singer and songwriter, who had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s.-Biography:...

. The show, which Bell hosted until 1982, featured stars such as Bobby Rydell

Bobby Rydell

Bobby Rydell is an American professional singer, mainly of rock and roll music. In the early 1960s he was considered a so-called "teen idol"...

 and Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter. He is widely known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...

. Bell also asked Johnny Olson

Johnny Olson

John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...

 of The Price Is Right

The Price Is Right

The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...

to do station IDs.

"Inspiration 100.9" played "Southern Gospel

Southern Gospel

Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...

 Music of today, yesterday and all the favorites", along with the Trading Post

Tradio

Tradio is the name given to a type of talk radio show format where listeners call in to buy or sell items. The concept of is analogous to classified ads in local newspapers....

, local sports and ministry

Christian ministry

In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...

 programs. Johnny Caudle hosted the morning show from 1995 until 2000.

In 2004, WABZ moved to its current city of license and changed its letters and format, giving grade A signal quality to the Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

 area. Radio One, Inc. announced on November 16 that it had purchased WPZS for $11.5 million and moved it to the company's Charlotte facilities. The company already operated WPZS under an LMA

Local marketing agreement

In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...

 earlier in the month, changing the format to Urban contemporary gospel

Urban contemporary gospel

Traditional black gospel is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...

.

On August 31, 2011, Radio One announced its intention to sell off their Charlotte stations to Davis Broadcasting.

Line-Up

SHOW	TIME
The Yolanda Adams Morning Show	Monday - Friday 6:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Lonnie Hunter	Monday - Friday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Melanie Clark	Monday - Saturday 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Coco Brother Live	Monday - Friday 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Marriage Beyond the Vows	Saturday 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
The Spirit Countdown	Saturday 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Dezzie	Sunday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Christopher Gray	Sunday 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM