Praise 102.5

What Praise 102.5 does

Praise 102.5 (WPZE) is an Atlanta, Georgia-based urban gospel and inspirational FM radio station operating on the 102.5 frequency and branded as 'Atlanta's #1 Inspiration Station.' The station is owned and operated by Radio One (Urban One) through its digital subsidiary Interactive One, LLC, which is a privately held limited liability company domiciled in the United States. Core programming centers on gospel music and faith-based talk, anchored by syndicated shows including 'Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell' (mornings), 'The Willie Moore Jr. Show' (afternoons, Stellar Award-nominated), and 'The Nightly Spirit with Darlene McCoy' (evenings), with Jekalyn Carr joining as midday host in June 2021. The technology stack combines traditional over-the-air FM broadcasting with online streaming via mypraiseatl.com, Amazon Alexa voice integration, a mobile app, and podcast distribution through urban1podcasts.com, supplemented by an active presence on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram plus an email newsletter.

The business model is advertising-led and quote-based, with revenue generated from on-air commercial spots, integrated online campaigns across Radio One's four local Atlanta websites and Interactive One's national digital network, database marketing, event sponsorships, and recruiting solutions. Major revenue-driving properties include the annual Praise in the Park gospel festival at Wolf Creek Amphitheater (with ticketing via Etix), the Buy Black Atlanta community directory partnership, and promotions such as the Design Essentials '$1000 A Day Giveaway.' The primary customer base is twofold: an end-consumer audience of African American gospel/faith listeners in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and B2B advertisers — ranging from local Black-owned businesses to regional brands — seeking to reach that demographic through bundled radio and digital campaigns. The station operates within Radio One's broader Atlanta cluster, which provides cross-promotional scale, shared sales infrastructure, and syndicated content distribution.

Name

Praise 102.5

Legal name

Interactive One, LLC

Website

https://mypraiseatl.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Praise 102.5 (WPZE) is an Atlanta-based urban gospel FM radio station owned by Radio One/Urban One, broadcasting faith-based music and talk programming to African American listeners across broadcast radio, online streaming, Amazon Alexa, and live events like Praise in the Park.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Gospel Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

Keywords

• Gospel radio broadcasting
• Inspirational radio programming
• Urban radio advertising
• Faith-based content streaming
• Community gospel events

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising & Commercial Sales: The station generates revenue primarily through selling commercial advertising airtime to businesses targeting the urban Atlanta market. Advertising options include on-air commercials, online integrated campaigns, database marketing, events, sampling, and recruiting solutions.
2. Event Sponsorships: Major events like Praise in the Park feature corporate sponsors including Design Essentials for giveaways and other branded partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Praise 102.5 (WPZE) operates an urban/gospel FM radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, delivering gospel music, inspirational talk shows, faith-based content, and community news to listeners via over-the-air broadcast (102.5 FM), online streaming through mypraiseatl.com, and Amazon Alexa integration. The station complements its programming with the annual Praise in the Park gospel music festival and syndicated shows hosted by notable gospel personalities, while selling commercial advertising airtime and integrated digital campaigns to businesses seeking access to the urban Atlanta audience.

Product overview

Praise 102.5 (WPZE) is Atlanta's premier gospel and inspirational radio station operated by Radio One (Urban One). The station delivers a unified media offering combining traditional FM radio broadcasting with digital streaming via its website and Amazon Alexa integration. The product portfolio centers on the core radio broadcasting service supplemented by on-demand podcast content, the annual Praise in the Park live event, and community-focused content platforms including the Buy Black Atlanta business directory. Key programming includes morning show Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell and afternoon show The Willie Moore Jr. Show, which are syndicated across Radio One's network. Advertising services leverage both on-air and digital channels across Radio One's Atlanta website network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MyPraise 102.5 Radio Broadcasting

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EtixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEtix serves as the official ticketing platform for Praise in the Park events, allowing fans to purchase tickets online for the annual gospel celebration at Wolf Creek Amphitheater.
• Local Black-Owned Businesses (Buy Black Atlanta)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio One partnered with local black businesses in Atlanta to create a 'Buy Black Atlanta' directory encouraging listeners to buy black every day and support local black entrepreneurs.
• Design EssentialsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign Essentials sponsored the '$1000 A Day Giveaway' promotion on Praise 102.5, providing prize giveaways to listeners as a marketing partnership.
• Dennis Law FirmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 'Neiko's Flowers' community initiative as part of local business partnership.
• Wolf Creek AmphitheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual host venue for Praise in the Park, Atlanta's premier gospel celebration featuring major gospel artists.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WVEE (V-103): Atlanta's heritage urban contemporary station, historically the leading Black-music FM in the market and direct competitor for advertisers targeting African-American listeners. Closest format competitor to Praise 102.5 within Atlanta.
• WAMJ (Majic 107.5/107.9): Sister station under Radio One/Urban One in Atlanta playing R&B/soul/adult contemporary to the same African-American urban demographic. Direct cluster peer sharing sales force and bundled ad inventory with WPZE.
• WALR-FM (Kiss 104.1): Atlanta urban AC station operated by Cox Media Group targeting similar African-American adult listeners. Competes with WPZE for the same demographic ad dollars in the Atlanta market.
• Salem Communications (now Salem Media Group): U.S. radio operator specializing in Christian and faith-based formats, including gospel and worship music. Comparable faith-based broadcaster competing for the same listener demographic and Christian advertiser base.
• Bonneville International: Faith-focused radio broadcaster operating stations and networks in inspirational and worship formats. Direct peer in religious music broadcasting with overlapping advertiser categories.

Broad incumbents

• Cumulus Media: Large multi-market U.S. radio broadcaster with urban and music formats. Indirect competitor for national ad budgets and an established alternative for advertisers seeking urban audience reach.
• Audacy (formerly Entercom): Major U.S. radio operator with urban and gospel programming across multiple markets, providing cross-market competition for advertiser dollars and syndicated gospel content.
• iHeartMedia Atlanta (WHTA Hot 107.9, WBZY): Largest U.S. radio broadcaster; operates Atlanta urban and CHR stations that overlap with WPZE's advertisers and audience. Broad incumbent competing for local and national urban ad budgets.

Emerging players

• Pandora / SiriusXM: Streaming audio platforms with curated gospel/Christian channels and gospel programming on SiriusXM. Compete for in-car and on-demand listening time that historically went to terrestrial stations like WPZE.
• Educational Media Foundation (K-LOVE & Air1): Non-commercial broadcaster of contemporary Christian and worship music with strong digital streaming and app presence. Competes for Christian/gospel listening time, especially among younger and digital-first audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/praise1025
• Facebookfacebook.com/praise1025
• Instagraminstagram.com/praise1025

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Praise 102.5