Friday, January 2, 2015

New FM gospel music station launches this month


NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Walter Pritchard, Soaring High Media Group/Logo Graphics St. Louis
314.338.1436 I walt@soaringhighmediagroup.com

Praise 99.5 FM launches this month blending gospel and contemporary Christian music in unique radio format

A new St. Louis FM radio station hits the airways later this month ushering in a rare format mix of gospel and Christian contemporary music designed to take the power of praise and worship to heavenly heights.


The station, KTPG, will be known as “Praise 99.5 FM: The Blend of Gospel and contemporary Christian music” will be one of a kind with a play list of popular African-American gospel artists of the likes of Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammonds, Mary-Mary and Smokie Norful to predominantly white Contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist such as Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Audrey Assad, Jars of Clay and Francesca Battistelli.

The station is streaming at www.praise995fm.com.

Station CEO and owner, Terrell Lewis, said he and the staff have been working hard over the last six months or so to get ready for the “flipping of the switch” to go live on the FM dial.

 “Praise 99.5 FM will be a real positive tool in the community,” Lewis said. “We will be presenting good, Christian music so everyone can listen in. Our goal is to reach out and touch everybody with the Word of God through music.”

 General Manager, Pastor Carlos Mayfield, said although gospel music will be at the station’s core, “we’ve done our research” and the blended music format will be a total market affair, crossing denominational, ethnic and cultural divides in a way no radio station has done before.

The station will feature African-American and white on-air personalities in morning, afternoon, evening and overnight drive times.

“Imagine a music set featuring songs from, say, Fred Hammonds and Mary-Mary, followed by a 10-second welcome from TD Jakes, followed by the music of Chris Tomlin and Michael W. Smith,” Mayfield said. “It will truly be a one of a kind radio station.

“Praise 99.5 FM will be a blessing to our listeners,” he continued. “We believe God is giving us a vehicle to bring people together – bring all the community together through music, praise and worship on the airways.”

Praise 99.5 FM goes live Monday, January 5. However, the “Seven Days of Praise” launch party kicks on January 5. The week-long launch event will feature on-air, community outreach and interaction with staff members at the station’s offices and studios in University Towers, 1034 South Brentwood Boulevard, across from Saint Louis Galleria Mall.

In addition to the Monday – Friday music format, Praise 99.5 FM will offer traffic, weather and sports reports. Block programming for ministries, churches and other programs will also be available.

Saturdays will launch with community forum talk programs such as “Under the Arch” with community outreach specialist James Clark; “Real Talk” with Demingo Loggins targeting teenagers; and “Coach T”, a community and sports program hosted by CEO Lewis.

Sundays will offer “Smooth Praise” in the afternoons where listeners can “set back a bit and enjoy real smooth and mellow gospel jazz,” Mayfield said.

Mayfield described Lewis as a “visionary, a man of God” who came to him to put a radio broadcast team together. Mayfield, pastor of The Worship Center in Bridgeton, is a former radio advertising sales executive.

The new station will have a listener club dubbed “Praise Nation” that will “teach people that praising God is how we live,” Mayfield said.

“We need the support from everyone listening and passing the word along about Praise 99.5 FM,” Lewis added.


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