WEHC
WEHC is a Public Radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Emory, Virginia, serving the Abingdon/Marion area.[1] WEHC is owned and operated by Emory and Henry College.[3]
| Broadcast area | Abingdon, Virginia Marion, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 90.7 FM MHz |
| Branding | 90.7 WEHC |
| Programming | |
| Format | Public Radio[1] |
| Affiliations | BBC World Service National Public Radio Radio IQ |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Emory and Henry College |
| History | |
First air date | November 15, 1994[2] |
Call sign meaning | W Emory (&) Henry College |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 19527 |
| Class | C3 |
| Power | 8,700 Watts |
| HAAT | 114 meters (374 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°46′1.0″N 81°50′18.0″W / 36.766944°N 81.838333°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | WEHC Webstream |
| Website | WEHC Online |
History edit
The original incarnation of WEHC was a 100-watt AM station, which signed on October 24, 1929 on 1370 kHz. This WEHC was the first station to go into operation in Virginia outside of Richmond and Norfolk. The station was programmed mostly by students and represented to the Federal Radio Commission by faculty member W. Byron Brown. After three years of operation, the Great Depression prompted the college to sell to Brown for $5,000 (equivalent to $111,659 in 2023) in the fall of 1932. The station went off the air that December as Brown moved the physical facilities to Charlottesville, Virginia, where it is still in operation as WCHV.[4][5]
The current WEHC, which is legally unrelated to the original station, was founded in 1992. The original station kept the WEHC callsign until 1935, but it was never reused and remained available for the new station.[4]
New transmitter and tower edit
WEHC worked with US Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA) to raise the $187,932 needed to build a brand new 199 foot tower and increase the station's power from 500 watts to nearly 10,000.[6] On October 27, 2009, WEHC turned on their new transmitter, dramatically increasing their power from 500 to 8,700 watts.[7]
Programming edit
WEHC is a mix of national, international, and local programming. During the afternoon and evening hours, WEHC airs locally produced music and public affairs programs. Through an arrangement with Roanoke station WVTF, WEHC simulcasts Radio IQ programs, including BBC World Service news, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and 1A. As of November 12, 2022, WEHC also airs its entire line of local programs on Wise, Virginia station WISE-FM, which is owned by WVTF's parent company the Virginia Tech Foundation.[8][9]
Network stations edit
WEHC's programming is simulcast on the full power WISE-FM and four low-power translator stations to widen its broadcast area. All stations are owned by the Virginia Tech Foundation.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | ERP W | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WISE-FM | 90.5 FM | Wise, Virginia | 220 | A | FCC |
| W211BF | 90.1 FM | Big Stone Gap, Virginia | 8 | D | FCC |
| W212BP | 90.3 FM | Clintwood, Virginia | 1 | D | FCC |
| W217BF | 91.3 FM | Pound, Virginia | 1 | D | FCC |
| W219CJ | 91.7 FM | Norton, Virginia | 50 | D | FCC |
References edit
- ^ a b "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-563. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "WEHC Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ a b "History of WEHC-FM". Emory and Henry College.
- ^ "EMORY & HENRY College" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 15, 1932. p. 18.
- ^ . WJHL-TV/TriCities.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-17. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ . WJHL-TV/TriCities.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-30. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "WEHC Widens Signal to become WEHC, Emory, and WISE-FM, Wise". 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
- ^ "WEHC Schedule Changes". 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
External links edit
- 90.7 WEHC Online
- WEHC in the FCC FM station database
- WEHC in Nielsen Audio's FM station database