His voice is heard across Bradley county airwaves as voice for the community. WCLE’s Steve Hartline and his radio show have kept the community informed, as well as entertained throughout the pandemic. He is a voice for the community which is why he was chosen as the honoree for the Community First Award in Business.
A native of Cleveland, Mr. Hartline graduated from Cleveland High, where he is listed in their hall of fame. In addition to being a local radio personality, his company, Hartline, LLC, publishes several local magazines and owns/operates WCLE, an adult contemporary radio station which consists of three stations: Mix 104.1, Talk 101.3 The Buzz, and Fiesta 99.1. Listed among his many community leadership efforts are the annual Empty Stocking Fund, Family Expo and city-wide Cleveland Duck Race. He was awarded the 2020 Cleveland Bradley County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year Award, has been recognized as the 2016 Communicator of the Year by the Cleveland Media Association and as the 2015 Alumnus of the Year by the Lee University Department of Communications.
When Mr. Hartline was diagnosed with COVID-19 in November of 2020, he developed long-haul symptoms that changed his life for over three months. Unfortunately, he had to miss the Empty Stocking Fund for the first time in 25 years, a local fundraising effort WCLE is known for, but his team stepped in and raised a record amount of money for children for Christmas, over $150,000.
“My nomination is actually indicative of the team of people that make up WCLE,” stated Mr. Hartline. “I feel very honored and undeserving of this award, but we always try to bring the right information that people can trust and count on, so I accept this award on behalf of our team at WCLE radio and television.”
“Steve and his team at the radio station were instrumental in keeping the community connected,” stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC president. “They kept us updated, informed and entertained during the pandemic.”
Mr. Hartline continued, “I got the vaccine the first day I could, and I continue to ask my friends to make the choice, to consult with their physician, friends and family, and hopefully, they will make the choice to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.”
Mr. Hartline will be honored at the Community First Awards Gala hosted by Cleveland State Community College on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at the Barn at Faith Farms in Athens.
For more information on the Community First Awards and Gala, contact the Foundation Office at 423-614-8700 or visit mycs.cc/communityfirst. All proceeds from the event will go to the CSCC Foundation Annual Campaign.