WTLS

Infobox Radio station
name = WTLS


city = Tallassee, Alabama
area =
branding =
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 1300 AM
format = Sports/Talk
power = 1200 watts (day)
18 watts (night)
class = D
facility_id = 48011
coordinates = coord|32|30|39|N|85|53|33|W
callsign_meaning = TalLasSee
former_callsigns =
owner = Michael Butler Broadcasting. LLC
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast = mms://audio4radio.net/wtls%20radio
website = http://www.1300wtls.com/
affiliations =

WTLS (1300 AM) is a radio station in Central Alabama, 30 miles northeast of Montgomery. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day. WTLS streams programming over the internet through its website.

History

WTLS began broadcasting in 1954. The original owner was Bert Bank, former state senator and founder of the Alabama Radio Network; now the Alabama Sports Network, provider of University of Alabama sports broadcasts. The radio station's first engineer, Ned Butler, purchased the radio station from Bank in 1957. Butler put the first FM station in Tuscaloosa on the air for Bank in 1953. In addition, Butler built stations in Ozark, Luverne, and Talladega in the 1950s. ["Tallassee Tribune", 2004]

The WTLS Station Manager for decades was Betty Butler (Ned's wife). Betty also hosted a morning show, "Coffee Time", which featured styrofoam puppets "Happy" & "Menace." Harold Shedd, original producer of the Country music group, Alabama, worked for Butler in 1956. In 1970, Steve Butler (Ned's son), made WTLS the first All-Country radio station in Central Alabama.

Third generation broadcaster Michael Butler (Steve's son), took over the operation in 1999 after working as Program Director for a Montgomery radio group. Akin to the early days with Betty and Ned, Michael's wife Leigh Anne serves as WTLS station manager today.

Programming

WTLS has a sports/talk radio format, featuring a local morning show, "The Wake-Up Call", with Michael, Shane Yankey, and Miles Hathcock. Carl Wayne Mullins, the brother of the late "Dr. Earl Fever," another former disc jockey, is a regular on the program. Rick Dorley, a local pastor, presents "Morning Gospel" each morning, a tradition that started immediately after the station's inception. He also broadcasts an inspirational message daily in the program, "The Way of the Cross".

Other popular programs include nationally syndicated talk show hosts, Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Dave Ramsey. Paul Finebaum, a highly acclaimed Birmingham-based columnist and air talent, hosts Alabama's most popular sportstalk show every afternoon. WTLS carries Fox Sports Radio's overnights. The weekend line-up includes, "80's Flashback Parking Lot Fridays," with Country & Lard, plus 80's and More Music. WTLS also broadcasts live play-by-play sports, including Tallassee Tigers' high school football, basketball and baseball. Football broadcasts are on Bright House Networks Cable Access Channel 2. All programming is streamed live on the WTLS website at [http://www.1300wtls.com] .

WTLS is the flagship station for "Prep Sports Weekly", a statewide high school sports show with Doug Amos & Rick Cleveland, which has aired since 1994. WTLS also produces the regionally syndicated, "In the Trenches", featuring former Alabama Crimson Tide center Roger Shultz and former Auburn Tigers quarterback Stan White. "Yellowhammer Outdoors" with Wes Allen, a daily production of WTLS, is distributed throughout Alabama.

Michael Butler received the 2004 Greater Tallassee Area Chamber of Commerce "Business Person of the Year," award. WTLS was presented the Alabama Broadcasters Association "Station of the Year" in 2007.

In October 2007, WTLS began broadcasting on an FM translator at 106.5 FM. WTLS was one of the first radio stations in the country authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast with this type of license. The broadcast facility is located in the Tallassee Industrial Park on the west bank of the Tallapoosa River.

References

External links

* [http://www.1300wtls.com WTLS official website]
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