WWVT-FM

WWVT-FM (89.9 FM) is a Public radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Ferrum, Virginia, serving Roanoke, Rocky Mount, and Martinsville.[1] WWVT-FM is owned and operated by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.[4] It is the flagship station of WVTF Music, a music-focused companion service to WVTF, southwestern Virginia's flagship NPR member station. It is operated out of WVTF's facility in Roanoke.

WWVT-FM
CityFerrum, Virginia
Broadcast areaRocky Mount, Virginia
Martinsville, Virginia
Frequency89.9 MHz
BrandingWVTF Music
Programming
FormatPublic radio[1]
AffiliationsNational Public Radio
Ownership
OwnerVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc.)
History
First air date
January, 1989 (as WFFC)[2]
Former call signs
WFFC (1987–2017)[3]
Technical information
Facility ID21417
ClassA
Power1,100 watts
HAAT207 meters (679 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
36°54′50.0″N 79°57′7.0″W
Translator(s)See § Low-powered translators
Links
WebcastWWVT-FM Webstream
WebsiteWWVT-FM Online

History

WWVT-FM was originally WFFC, the student station of Ferrum College. In 2003, the Virginia Tech Foundation launched a secondary all-news and talk service, Radio IQ, on WWVT (1260 AM in Christiansburg). This schedule contrasted with WVTF's full-service schedule of music and news. As WWVT was only licensed to broadcast during the day at the time, WFFC joined Radio IQ in order to give it a 24-hour signal. The Virginia Tech Foundation also intended to have WFFC feed Radio IQ to extra FM translators that it owned. Since FCC rules prevent a station from feeding translators via microwave that are not co-owned, Ferrum sold WFFC to the foundation in November of that year.[5][6][7]

This arrangement lasted until July 10, 2017, when Radio IQ became the Virginia Tech Foundation's primary service and moved to WVTF's more powerful signal and repeater network. As WVTF covers WFFC's entire broadcast area, it dropped Radio IQ to become the flagship of WVTF Music. The station changed callsigns to the current WWVT-FM in the same month.[8][9][10] Due to the relatively modest coverage areas of the WWVT stations and their translators, WVTF Music is simulcast on the second HD Radio channels of all full-power Radio IQ stations except WRIQ in Richmond.[10]

WWVT
WWVT
CityChristiansburg, Virginia
Broadcast areaBlacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Virginia
Frequency1260 kHz
Ownership
OwnerVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc.)
WWVT-FM, WVTF
History
First air date
21 November 1954 (1954-11-21)
Former call signs
WBCR (1954–1966)
WJJJ (1966–1995)
WNNI (1995–1998)
Technical information
Facility ID48622
ClassD
Power5 kW daytime
25 W nighttime
HAAT59.5 m
Transmitter coordinates
37°9′14.4″N 80°30′25.2″W
Translator(s)See § Low-powered translators

WBCR signed on in 1954 on 1260 AM from Christiansburg. Later known as "Triple J" WJJJ, it competed in the 1960s and 1970s with Virginia Tech's student radio station, WUVT, for the local rock music market.[11][12]

The station became WNNI in 1995. Bocephus Broadcasting purchased eight stations in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg market in 1997, after which it donated WNNI to the Virginia Tech Foundation.[13]

In 2003, Virginia Tech launched the original incarnation of Radio IQ on the rechristened WWVT.[14] WWVT was originally a daytimer that was required to go off the air at sunset to prevent interference to WCHV and WKXR on the same channel. After more than 50 years of daytime-only operation, WWVT added 25 watts of night power in 2005.

WWVT left Radio IQ and joined the WVTF Music network in 2017, in order to take advantage of its Blacksburg-based FM translator W238BN (95.5 FM).

Programming

WWVT-FM is the FM flagship station of WVTF Music. Much of the network's weekday programming is classical music, with 20 hours Monday through Thursday and 18 hours on Fridays. Weekends include blocks of bluegrass, Americana, and jazz. National and regional shows include the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts, Across the Blue Ridge, The Thistle and Shamrock and Live From Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion).[15]

Network stations

Full-powered stations
Call sign Frequency City of license ERP
W		 Class FCC info
WWVT-FM[lower-alpha 1]89.9 FMFerrum, Virginia1,100AFCC
WWVT1260 AMChristiansburg, Virginia5,000 day/25 nightDFCC

Notes:

  1. WVTF Music flagship station

Low-powered translators
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseERP
(W)		ClassFCC infoNotes
W201CN88.1Afton, Virginia10DFCC FM QueryRelays WVTU-HD2
W208AP89.5Lynchburg, Virginia10DFCC FM QueryRelays WWVT-FM
W208BX89.5Roanoke, Virginia250DFCC FM QueryRelays WVTF-HD2
W209AA89.7Charlottesville, Virginia250DFCC FM QueryRelays WVTW-HD2
W211BE90.1Lebanon, Virginia8.5DFCC FM QueryRelays WWVT-FM
W211BF90.1Big Stone Gap, Virginia8DFCC FM QueryRelays WISE-FM-HD2
W215BJ90.9Saint Paul, Virginia1DFCC FM QueryRelays WWVT-FM
W238BN95.5Blacksburg, Virginia250DFCC FM QueryRelays WWVT
W270BJ101.9Lexington, Virginia25DFCC FM QueryRelays WIQR-HD2

References
  1. "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  2. Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-564. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  3. "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  4. "WWVT-FM Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  5. Corbin, Robert (March 14, 2003). "Radio IQ searches for home". VARTV.
  6. Goodson, Kathryn (March 18, 2003). "The FCC won't let WVTF's Radio IQ be". C-Ville Weekly.
  7. "WWVT-FM Facility Data".
  8. "Programming and frequency changes coming to WVTF and RADIO IQ". Virginia Tech.
  9. Venta, Lance (15 June 2017). "WVTF To Shuffle Frequencies Of Music & Radio IQ Outlets Across Virginia". RadioInsight.
  10. "WVTF Radio IQ: The Big Switch".
  11. "Alumni". WUVT.
  12. "Facility No. 48622 History Card" (PDF).
  13. Wittrig, Patrice (September 10, 1997). "Bocephus Broadcasting Buys Out Blacksburg" (PDF). Radio and Records.
  14. "FCC approves latest acquisition for WVTF and RADIO IQ". Virginia Tech Foundation. November 19, 2011.
  15. Berrier Jr., Ralph (July 10, 2017). "WVTF changes come Monday". Roanoke Times.

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