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WPZE (102.5 FM) is a
commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
to
Mableton Mableton ( ) is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. Voters of the unincorporated area of Mableton approved a referendum to incorporate on November 8, 2022, and six council members were elected on March 21, 2023, with Michael Owens e ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, and serving Metro Georgia. It is owned by
Urban One Urban One, Inc. (formerly Radio One) is an American media conglomerate based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Founded in 1980 by Cathy Hughes, the company primarily operates media properties targeting African Americans. It is the largest African-Ame ...
and airs an urban gospel radio format. radio studio, Studios and offices are at Centennial Tower in Downtown Atlanta. The effective radiated power (ERP) is 3,000 watts, making it a List of North American broadcast station classes, Class A FM station. The transmitter is in Southwest Atlanta, off Fairburn Road SW, near Interstate 285 (Georgia), I-285.


History


New Mableton Broadcasting Corp.

The station is the result of Docket 80-90, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plan to allow more stations on the air by reducing the required spacings. During the mid-1980s, it was decided that one of these new stations would be assigned to the west-northwest side of metro Atlanta. Several applicants requested the new allotment be assigned to one of four cities: Mableton, Lithia Springs, Georgia, Lithia Springs, Douglasville, and Forest Park, Georgia, Forest Park. The frequency already belonged to WGHR (college radio), WGHR in Marietta, Georgia, Marietta, the student radio station at what is now Southern Polytechnic State University. However the forced downgrade to second-class status left the list of broadcast station classes, class D station vulnerable. It applied for the new allotment and to have it reserved to Marietta and as noncommercial but the FCC refused this, leaving WGHR with no chance of upgrading. The remaining contenders applied in 1988, and had a lengthy battle in court. After many years of legal wrangling over the frequency, the station came on the air in 2001, forcing WGHR at Southern Polytechnic State University, SPSU to move to 100.7, and then off the air completely due to WWWQ-FM, WWWQ's move-in on 100.5. The station on 102.5 was assigned the call sign WAWE on November 24, 1997 during its construction permit. The New Mableton Broadcasting Corporation had the FCC's permission to construct the station.


WAMJ "Grown Folks Radio"

On June 27, 2001, the station was then assigned the call letters WAMJ just before it went on the air. The call sign was moved from 107.5 FM, which then upgraded to a Class C3 station and took on the call sign WJZZ-FM, adopting a Smooth Jazz format. The Urban AC format from then-"Majic 107.5", which originated three years before, came along also, although the "Majic" nickname was never used throughout WAMJ's tenure on 102.5, and took on a more oldies approach to R&B. (Competitor WALR did this same tactic in 2003, but only because WFOX (now WSRV) was an experimental urban station for a few years.) In April 2004, Radio One (Company), Radio One acquired the New Mableton Broadcast Corporation for approximately $35 million. Radio One operated 102.5 FM under a local marketing agreement (LMA) beginning in August 2001. Radio One then completed this Takeover, acquisition during the fourth quarter of 2004, under the name ROA Licenses (Radio One Atlanta Licenses), which also owned WJZZ-FM, WPZE, and WHTA. In October 2005, the station changed format to Urban Adult Contemporary with the addition of current R&B and soul music, soul songs, but moved back to an older playlist several months later. The station was branded as "Grown Folks Radio." When attempts to secure broadcasting rights to the popular radio syndication, syndicated ''Tom Joyner Morning Show'' failed, WAMJ began carrying ''The Steve Harvey Show'' in the mornings. It also carried syndicated talk programming including Al Sharpton program and Michael Baisden during the midday and afternoon hours. Evenings and weekends remained dedicated to music.


WPZE "Praise 102.5"

WPZE originated its current format in 2001 on 97.5 FM. On February 16, 2009, "WUMJ, Praise 97.5" and the WPZE call letters moved to 102.5 FM; in turn, the urban AC format moved to WAMJ, 107.5 FM. On the same date, 97.5 FM changed to a simulcast of 107.5 FM, using the call sign WUMJ. At this time, the WAMJ call sign was returned to 107.5 FM (formerly WJZZ-FM) to reunite with the "Majic" branding. On May 8, 2017, Radio One changed its name to Urban One, to reflect its involvement in many forms of media including radio.


References


External links

* * {{Religious Radio Stations in Georgia Urban One stations Urban gospel radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1997 Christian radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state), PZE