FRANKLIN

Franklin Broadcasting Corporation has expanded its gospel programming with a new 24-hour FM radio station serving the city of Franklin, Southampton County and the surrounding community. Praise 99.1 launched at midnight on Monday.

Michael Clark, the company’s owner and general manager, said he is excited about the new FM station. “While we’ve programmed gospel for decades on AM-1250, the timing was right to launch an FM station as the Mid-Atlantic and Southern U.S. have seen an explosion of urban contemporary gospel music over the past five years.”

Praise 99.1 features a blend of contemporary, traditional and hip-hop gospel. Weekday personalities will include the “Mike Chandler and Friends Morning Show,” Tracy Morgan mid-days and “Cedric Bailey’s Traffic Jam” afternoons. Weekend programming is highlighted by a variety of ministry and church broadcasts; including a live broadcast of the 11 a.m. Sunday worship service from Franklin Baptist Church.

According to Clark, online and mobile streaming platforms are expected in the near future.