New FM station on the air
By FRANK BRADLEY Sentinel Writer

Sentinel photo/Frank Bradley Sammy "Toothpick" Ensley will be the morning DJ at the new FM radio station in Young Harris, Ga.

If you have taken a twist or two on your radio dial, you probably picked up some sweet sounds from a new station with lots of old time tunes as well as recent favorites.

Wolf Creek Broadcasting Network, which had been comprised of three AM radio stations in our region, just spawned another station.

Headquartered in Young Harris, across from the Blue Ridge Mountain electric company, WACF 95.1 FM is operating with a completely new frequency and is the newest FM station in the nation. It has been testing its signal for the past few days until it officially makes its debut this Labor Day weekend.

On Wednesday, I talked with Sammy "Toothpick" Ensley, Wolf Creek program director and on air personality, as he was getting ready to kick off the popular daily Swap Shop, which sells a swaps merchandise from Copperhill, Tenn., to Mountain City, Ga., as well as most points in between.

Ensley said he has just moved from the AM studio in McCaysville to the Young Harris studio where he will work, broadcasting and directing the programming of all four Wolf Creek stations.

He and marketing director Mikellah Makepeace were enthusiastic about the new expansion saying the frequency had been purchased from the FCC and that this will be the first FM radio station ever in Towns County.

Wolf Creek Broadcasting is owned by A.D. Frazier and his wife, Clair, who bought two of the AM stations: WLSB in McCaysville and WYHG (formerly WZEL) four years ago, then added WALH in Mountain City a year later.

Clair is the chief operating officer of the company and A.D.'s son Jim is the company's engineer. He also will be overseeing the Zell Miller Recording Studio, which will provide local musical groups an opportunity to record albums and CDs, according to A.D. Frazier.

Wolf Creek general manager Rebecca St. John said the new FM station will play a variety of Rock and other hits from the past five decades.

Mostly the kind of music baby boomers and others of us have grown up with. She emphasized however that the station wants feedback from the region as to the kind of music they want to hear, and indeed the afternoons provide an opportunity for folks to call in with their requests.

While the programming will be somewhat transitional during the next six months, St. John said there would be a heavy emphasis on music.

Sammy Ensley will be the morning DJ; St. John will DJ midday and the afternoon will be a mix with the request line open.

On Saturdays, the WACF will broadcast the University of Georgia Bulldog football games, and there will also be some specialty shows on Sunday mornings. St. John said she also expects the FM station to be heavily involved with covering events at Young Harris College.

On Friday, September 14, Wolf Creek Broadcasting plans a big shindig in Young Harris celebrating the opening of the new FM station.