History Of The Creek
The Creek isn’t just a radio station — it’s a continuation of a sound that has shaped Macon for generations.
Built on the legacy of WNEX, The Creek carries forward a tradition of music, storytelling, and community connection that has long defined the city’s airwaves.
How It All Began
Before becoming The Creek, our radio station was known as WNEX, founded by brothers Al Lowe Sr. and Ed Lowe, alongside Peyton Anderson and Ellsworth Hall. The station first signed on April 20, 1945 as an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting Group under the Macon Broadcasting Group.
One phone call with the FCC would shape its identity. When asked what he wanted to name the station, Al Lowe Sr. glanced at a box of Kleenex on his desk and answered on the spot: “WNEX.”
Over the decades, the station evolved alongside its listeners.
WNEX began as a country music station before shifting in the 1960s to a Top 40 format as an ABC affiliate, quickly gaining popularity with younger audiences. By the mid-1980s, changes in signal strength led the station to pivot toward talk programming and sports broadcasting.
A Fresh Stream
In 2016, the station's owner was preparing to sell and contacted Wes Griffith, who had been advertising his businesses on the air.
"Well, you're a businessman," the owner told Griffith. "Why don't you buy it?"
Macon entrepreneurs Griffith and Rob Evans purchased the frequency out of bankruptcy and set out to create something more personal – more Macon – than the corporate stations. WNEX became 100.9 The Creek, marking a return to music with a new focus on Americana rooted in Macon’s rich musical heritage.
Built by Believers
Bringing that vision to life, the founders assembled a team that included veteran broadcaster Tony Doolin, whose experience helped guide the station's launch, along with several staff members who remain part of The Creek today.
A Wave Across Middle Georgia
The station officially launched at 10:09 a.m. on July 8, 2016 with an Otis Redding song. The response was immediate.
On its first day, listener demand overwhelmed the online streaming service and temporarily crashed the stream as people tuned in from across Central Georgia and beyond.
“We knew right then that we had something."
- Wes Griffith
Against the Current
In the days that followed, messages poured in from listeners who connected with the station’s blend of Americana, roots music, and Macon storytelling.
For Griffith, one of the station’s defining characteristics was its commitment to being community-focused and locally programmed. Rather than following the formula of large corporate radio networks, The Creek built an expansive playlist that blended new Americana artists with the deep musical legacy of Macon, creating a listening experience that reflected both the city’s past and its present.
"It's a blessing, really.
Visit Macon shares that same mission of celebrating Macon and telling its story. To see The Creek continue to grow and carry that forward is something we're incredibly proud of."
- Wes Griffith
The Story Keeps Flowing
Like its name suggests, The Creek is always moving – growing and carrying stories with it. The name itself carries a dual meaning, drawing inspiration both from the waterways that shape the region and from the Creek people who lived in this area long before Macon was established.
Now owned by Visit Macon, The Creek continues the mission it was founded upon. For Griffith, the station's future remains a source of pride.
The station stands as both a reflection of where it began and a celebration of the music and people that continue to carry it forward.
