Local Radio Continues Strong Tradition of Commitment to Business Community

By:  Bridget Huckabee

On a small hill on the outskirts of Albemarle sits a modest building with a very large antenna. From this facility, news and entertainment from Stanly County operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners by radio and through streaming online and by mobile apps. This is the home of Stanly Communications, Inc., parent company of local radio stations WZKY and WSPC.

Owned by Matt and Sherri Smith, the business employs 4 full time and two part time staff members. Programs include the Morning Show with long-time host and news director Leon Warren, and the ever popular Trading Post. Sports reports cover local high school football and basketball, North Carolina college sports, Pfeiffer sports and of course the Carolina Panthers. Nationally syndicated talk shows are aired daily and for music lovers there are the Good Times and Great Oldies, all local music that covers the 50's, 60's and 70's.

Matt Smith has been a member of the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce since he and his wife bought the business from Bill Norman in 2004. Hard work and a steady increase in sales during those early years resulted in Stanly Communications, Inc., being named Small Business of the Year in 2008. In 2012, Matt became the Chair of the Chamber Board.

"Matt served the Chamber Board well and was most deserving of the Small Business of the Year Award in 2008," says Chamber president and CEO, Kathy Almond. "I am grateful for his service to our community."

"We have a strong connection with the business community," Smith says. "These are our customers and through the Chamber we can focus on the community and form partnerships. Our advanced computer systems are the same that you would find in the largest stations across the country. This gives us time to focus on more local programming with personal live on-air interviews."

"Matt supports the Chamber by offering advertising discounts to new Chamber members," says Almond. "This incentive is an excellent way for new businesses to get their message out to the local community. Matt is also a long time sponsor of the Chamber's Business Expo event."

Fascination with the media began for Matt when as a teenager at Albemarle High School he took a one week program at UNC Chapel Hill to study radio, television writing and producing. After this his direction was set. He never looked back. In 1997 he graduated from NC State University with a double degree in communications and business. In 1998 he began a full time job at Albemarle's local radio station under owner Bill Norman. In 2000 he married Sherri and in 2004 the two of them made an offer to buy the business. In April of that year they became the proud owners of Stanly Communications. It was a huge commitment for the young couple.

Matt gives special credit to the help and support of Leon Warren and marketing representative Jodi Johnson during those early years. Johnson has since left the business but has been ably replaced by Kristi Johnson and Bonnie Lee. Leon Warren continues as a mainstay of the business.

Almond and Warren have worked together in Stanly County for more than 2 decades.

"Over time our career paths have changed, but our work ethic remains strong and focused on the local community," says Almond. "I am continuously reminded by the public of what they have heard me say and announce on the radio with Leon. His show has a broad audience where an advertiser's message is heard."

"Great support from the community and our partnership with the Chamber have been keys to the station's success," says Matt. Almond agrees. "Matt and our local radio stations are great Chamber partners. We support and promote one another. This partnership brings great value to our local business community and to our Chamber members."

Stanly Communications has brought a new level of commitment to the community, and continues the strong tradition of local radio with its emphasis on value, customer service and quality.