Inspiration Time will launch Conservative Talk TalkErie.com on 1530 WZTE Union City and 103.3 W277DS/105.9 W290BI Erie PA this afternoon.
The station will mostly feature syndicated content from Salem Radio Networks along with a local afternoon show hosted by Joel Natalie. Natalie, who serves as Director of Sales and Advancement for co-owned Christian AC 106.3 WCTL, will also take the Station Manager role for WZTE.
The full TalkErie.com lineup will include Hugh Hewitt from 6-9am, Mike Gallagher 9am-12pm, Dennis Prager 12-3pm, Natalie from 3-6pm, Larry Elder 6-9pm, Eric Metaxes 9-11pm, New Life Live with Steve Arterburn 11pm-12am, Joe Walsh 12-3am, and a replay of Natalie from 3-6am. Local newscasts will be provided from 6am to 6pm anchored by Ron Raymond and Margaret Caldwell.
On Wednesday, January 2nd at 3:30 PM, WZTE/Union City, PA will conclude program testing and transform Freedom 1530 to a new radio format entitled TalkErie.com.
Using a 24-hour news/talk format to feed multiple content streams, including AM radio, FM radio, web streaming, podcasts, social media, and online print, TalkErie.com will attempt to advance understanding on the issues directly affecting people and institutions in our region. “TalkErie.com exists to advance the narrative of the Erie region,” said Joel Natalie, station manager and afternoon host. The station is committed to a strong focus on news, with national news twice per hour around the clock, and a local newscast twice per hour weekdays from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, featuring Erie radio veterans Ron Raymond and Margaret Caldwell.Each weekday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, TalkErie.com will feature a daily local talk show all about Erie – the Joel Natalie Show. Natalie says he wants to address local issues in a way that utilizes the strengths of local live radio. “‘What are we going to do about Erie? What will be our future? How can we turn our region around?’ are all questions and conversations that people who love this town engage in on a frequent basis. The time is now to provide an on-air and online platform to discuss real solutions,” Natalie explained.
Joel Natalie’s daily three-hour program will be singularly focused on Erie, featuring dialogue with newsmakers and experts on the most-important topics our region faces. His show will feature news, hard conversations, controversy, opinion and fun, with an emphasis on friendships, family, and community.
Joel Natalie is uniquely qualified in our region to orchestrate this conversation on TalkErie.com. A 35-year broadcast and communications veteran, Natalie is an Erie native, who grew up in the west side Little Italy neighborhood, was educated in local parochial schools and at Gannon University. He has been an on-air personality and manager in Top 40, Adult Contemporary, and Christian Contemporary radio. In addition, he has directed the communications at a large church, has been an avid blogger and is fully immersed in the social media ecosystem. In the last several years Natalie has volunteered his ideas and voice to the various strategic planning, anti-violence and anti-poverty initiatives in the Erie region. Indeed, his most recent assignment was as regional development leader for McLane Church, offering the church’s perspective and resources to advance the Erie region. Now Natalie will bring those years of experience and investment to bear as he wrestles with Erie’s biggest challenges in a high-energy, freewheeling yet substantive conversation, that’s both engaging and entertaining.
For the other on-air hours, TalkErie.com will broadcast hosts of the Salem Radio Network. The weekday program schedule features Hugh Hewitt from 6:00 to 9:00 AM, Mike Gallagher from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Dennis Prager from 12:00 to 3:00 PM, Larry Elder from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, Eric Metaxas from 9:00 to 11:00 PM, New Life Live with Steve Arterburn from 11:00 PM to 12:00 AM, and Joe Walsh from 12:00 to 3:00 AM. A replay of the Joel Natalie Show will air again overnights from 3:00 to 6:00 AM. “Best of” and specialty programs are scheduled for weekends on TalkErie.com.
TalkErie.com can be heard beginning Wednesday afternoon on FM 105.9/W290BI for Erie city and the north suburbs, FM 103.3/W277DS for Erie County south of I-90, and AM 1530/WZTE during daytime hours throughout the region. Listeners can also utilize the station’s content-rich website at http://www.talkerie.com for news and program highlights, along with its Facebook page, facebook.com/talkerie, and Twitter feed @talkerie. Coming soon after launch will be a live online stream, as well as downloadable podcasts of interviews and special programming.
WZTE/TalkErie.com is owned by Inspiration Time, Inc., headquartered in Waterford, PA, the licensee of FM 106.3, WCTL.
Original Report 12/13: Inspiration Time Inc. has completed the move of 1530 WZTE North East/Erie into Union City PA and has begun testing and stunting as “Freedom 1530“.
The 4.8kW day/250w critical hours station is operating from sunrise to sunset with readings of the United States Constitution done by Haydn Tidball, a 2018 graduate of McDowell High School, and Jennifer Natalie, 2018 graduate of Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy. The readings are accompanied by patriotic marching band music and promoted as “Madison’s and Hamilton’s Greatest Hits”.
WZTE was moved into Union City to backfill the city-of-license following co-owned Christian 106.3 WCTL‘s move into Erie. The station will eventually be heard on 103.3 W277DS Erie.
We’re talking Freedom.
Program testing has begun on the rebirth of Erie County’s AM 1530, now with new call letters, WZTE, licensed to the community of Union City, and with much greater power. WZTE has an effective radiated power of 4,800 watts daytime and 250 watts in critical hours. The station is licensed as a daytime-only station, with sign-on at sunrise and sign-off at sunset.
WZTE is now known as Freedom 1530, featuring a unique reading of the United States Constitution, mixed with patriotic band music.
Haydn Tidball, a 2018 graduate of McDowell High School, and Jennifer Natalie, 2018 graduate of Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, have voiced WZTE’s continuous reading of the entire U.S. Constitution, with amendments included and changes noted.
“We are so excited to present these young voices, reading this very old document,” station manager Joel Natalie stated. “We are calling it, ‘Madison’s and Hamilton’s Greatest Hits.’”
Freedom 1530 is designed to educate and remind listeners of the real text of the Constitution, illuminating each citizen’s rights and responsibilities. Other spoken-voice features anticipated in December 2018 include historical Christmas messages from former US Presidents.
WZTE is owned by Inspiration Time, Inc., headquartered in Waterford, PA, the licensee of FM 106.3, WCTL.
