Photo courtesy of Dante Durrman
The spring of 2013 saw the revitalization of Furman’s WPLS radio station, an effort that required the purchase of new equipment, a switch from FM to an online stream, and a repopulation of the station’s air space.
A year later, the signs suggest that the revamped station has been a major success, with more than 20 programs airing each week, a transformation that station manager Sam Klein attributed to “a real excitement for what we are doing.”
“More than that, people want to participate and not just for the novelty of it,” he said. “There have been a lot of people with some really good ideas for original content that not only produce, but produce on a regular basis, which, I would say, has been key.”
One of the more popular shows since the station’s revitalization has been “Tell Me Something Good,” hosted by Father Patrick Tuttle of St. Anthony’s Parish in Greenville with freshman Alex Rehak.
The show is essentially a call-in show for questions, answers, and comments about that which is “true, lasting and good,” and Tuttle, known to many at Furman as Father Pat, has demonstrated comfort with the equipment and an ability to riff on the air.
During one break in a recent show, Tuttle noted that he had been the CEO of a university radio station in Albany and a professional DJ for WVCR in Albany for three years.
When he moved to Greenville in 2006, Tuttle had people tell him that he should continue his activity on the radio, but it was not until he got in touch with Furman’s Chief Information Officer Fred Miller over the summer that he finally decided to get back on the air.
Tuttle has the largest following of any WPLS radio show, taking callers from the Carolinas, Illinois, Connecticut, and Missouri on a recent show, including a former Furman alumnus who is currently in seminary in Washington, D.C.
Most of the callers had questions concerning something from mass that day or something that had happened earlier in the week, while others just called in to share something good. Rehak is responsible for the show’s name, and Tuttle added a little flair to it, by accompanying it with a sound bite from Rufus and Chaka Khan’s song “Tell Me Something Good.”
In between callers, Tuttle plays with a radio effects board; spins music ranging from gospel to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; expounds on callers’ thoughts; and introduces a few of his own topics. The show airs Sundays from 9-11 p.m.