WSVA

Last updated
WSVA
WSVA-AM 2015.png
Broadcast areaCentral Shenandoah Valley
Frequency 550 kHz
Branding92.1 FM and 550 AM WSVA
Programming
Format Talk radio
Network CBS News Radio
Affiliations Compass Media Networks
Salem Radio Network
Westwood One
Ownership
Owner
  • Saga Communications
  • (Tidewater Communications, LLC)
WHBG, WMQR, WQPO, WSIG, WWRE
History
First air date
June 9, 1935;88 years ago (1935-06-09)
Call sign meaning
We Serve Virginia Agriculture or
W Shenandoah VAlley
Technical information
Facility ID 39493
Class B
Power 5,000 watts day
1,000 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
 38°27′4.0″N78°54′29.0″W / 38.451111°N 78.908056°W / 38.451111; -78.908056
Translator(s) 92.1 W221CF (Harrisonburg)
Repeater(s) 96.1 WMQR-HD2 (Broadway)
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website wsvaonline.com

WSVA (550 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Harrisonburg, Virginia, and serving the Central Shenandoah Valley. It broadcasts a talk radio format and is owned by Saga Communications, through licensee Tidewater Communications, LLC. [1] The studios and offices are on Heritage Center Way in Harrisonburg.

Contents

By day, WSVA transmits with 5,000 watts non-directional, but at night (to protect other stations on 550 AM from interference) it reduces power to 1,000 watts and uses a directional antenna with a three-tower array. The transmitter is on Garbers Church Road near West Market Street (U.S. Route 33) in Harrisonburg. [2] Programming is also heard on 250-watt FM translator W221CF at 92.1 MHz. [3]

Programming

The WSVA weekday schedule begins with Early Mornings with Frank Wilt and Jim Britt. Mike Schikman hosts afternoon drive time. At noon, an hour of news and agricultural reports airs. The rest of the weekday schedule is nationally syndicated talk programs: The Hugh Hewitt Show, The Mark Levin Show, CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor, Red Eye Radio, America in the Morning and The Markley, Van Camp and Robbins Show.

Weekends feature shows on money, car repair, home repair, travel and gardening. Weekend syndicated programs include The Larry Kudlow Show, The Sebastian Gorka Show, Rudy Maxa's World, The Lars Larson Show, The Kim Komando Show, Music and the Spoken Word and The Car Doctor with Ron Annanian. Most hours begin with an update from CBS News Radio.

WSVA broadcasts local sports including James Madison University football and basketball, along with high school football, basketball and baseball.

History

Early years

WSVA signed on the air on June 9, 1935;88 years ago. [4] It was the first radio station to broadcast in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The station was owned by Frederick L. Allman and the original power was only 500 watts. Although it appears that the call letters stand for Shenandoah VAlley, they actually stand for We Serve Virginia Agriculture." The station was an affiliate of the NBC Red Network, carrying its dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio." Locally, it offered news, agricultural programs, music and talk. [5]

In 1946, it added the Shenandoah Valley's first FM station, WSVA-FM (now WQPO). And in 1953, it put Channel 3 on the air, WSVA-TV (now WHSV-TV). Because 550 AM was an NBC affiliate, WSVA-TV mostly carried NBC television shows, but it also broadcast some programs from CBS, ABC and the Dumont Television Network. Allman sold his stations to a partnership of Transcontinent Television and former NBC executive Hamilton Shea in 1956, earning a significant return on his investment of 21 years earlier. [6]

Washington Star

In the 1950s, as network programming moved from radio to television, WSVA switched to a full service radio format of middle of the road (MOR) music, news and sports. In 1959, the Washington Evening Star , owner of WMAL AM-FM-TV in Washington, D.C., bought Transcontinent's share of the stations, as well as 1% of Shea's stake. [7]

Michigan businessman James Gilmore bought WSVA-AM-FM-TV in 1965. [8] He sold off Channel 3 in 1976. [9] But Gilmore held onto the radio stations until 1987, when he sold them to local businessman John David VerStandig. Over the years, VerStandig added WTGD-FM, WJDV-FM, and WHBG to his radio portfolio.

Expanded Band assignment

On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that 88 stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz. WSVA was authorized to move from 550 to 1700 kHz. [10]

A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call sign WEZI on November 17, 1997. [11] However this station was never built, and its construction permit was cancelled on January 16, 2004. [12]

New studios and FM translator

In 2009, WSVA moved into a new building with modern studios and offices. It is located on the same property as the old building, on Heritage Center Way.

On January 1, 2015, the station began simulcasting its programming on FM translator W221CF, transmitting on 92.1 MHz. [13] [14] It makes WSVA programming available to listeners who prefer FM radio. It also exists to fill in the gaps in WSVA's nighttime coverage. The AM transmitter cuts its power to 1,000 watts at night to protect the nighttime signal of WGR in Buffalo, New York, and other stations on 550 AM in the Eastern United States.

The sale of VerStandig Broadcasting of Harrisonburg to Saga Communications was closed on July 31, 2015. It included WSVA and several other Shenandoah Valley radio stations. The purchase price was $9.64 million. [15]

Translator

In addition to the main station, WSVA is relayed by an FM translator to widen its broadcast area. [14]

Call sign Frequency
(MHz)		 City of license Facility
ID 		ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Class FCC info
W221CF92.1 Harrisonburg, Virginia 151081250130 m (430 ft)D FCC LMS

Related Research Articles

KTLK – branded News/Talk AM 1130 – is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It broadcasts a conservative talk radio format to the Twin Cities radio market and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The radio studios are on Utica Avenue South in St. Louis Park.

WBOB is a commercial AM radio station in Jacksonville, Florida. The station airs a talk radio format and is owned by Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation. Weekdays begin with a local news and information show, followed by mostly syndicated programming, including shows from Mark Levin, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Jay Sekulow and Red Eye Radio. Most hours begin with Townhall News. Some hours are paid brokered programming. The station calls itself "Talkradio AM 600 & FM 101.1 WBOB".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCSP (AM)</span> Sports radio station in Kansas City, Missouri

KCSP is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri. The Audacy, Inc.-owned station broadcasts a sports radio format. The studios and offices are located on Squibb Road in Mission, Kansas. KCSP is one of the oldest radio stations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, going on the air in 1922, just after KMBZ, and several months before WHB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KEX (AM)</span> Radio station in Portland, Oregon

KEX is a clear channel AM radio station licensed to Portland, Oregon. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., and airs a talk radio format known as NewsRadio 1190. The station's studios and offices are on SW 68th Parkway, off Interstate 5 in Tigard, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WYSL</span> Radio station in Avon, New York

WYSL is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Avon, New York, and serving the Rochester metropolitan area. It broadcasts a talk radio format and is known as "The Voice of Liberty." The station is owned by Robert C. Savage under the name "Radio Livingston."

WTAR is a commercial radio station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, and serving the Hampton Roads radio market. WTAR is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc. It broadcasts an adult album alternative format as "96.5 The Coast".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHSV-TV</span> ABC/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Harrisonburg, Virginia

WHSV-TV is a television station in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside two low-power stations: Class A dual Fox/CBS affiliate WSVF-CD and dual NBC/CW+ affiliate WSVW-LD. The three stations share studios on North Main Street in downtown Harrisonburg, and operate a newsroom in Fishersville, serving Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County. WHSV-TV's transmitter is located at Elliott Knob west of Staunton.

WMRA is a public-radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is the NPR member station for the central Shenandoah Valley. Combined with its full-power repeaters and low-power translators, it serves much of west-central Virginia from Winchester to Lexington as well as the Charlottesville area. WMRA is owned and operated by James Madison University.

KCCV are radio stations broadcasting a Christian talk and teaching radio format to the Kansas City metropolitan area. Both stations are licensed to communities in Kansas, the AM station to Overland Park and the FM to Olathe. They are owned by the Bott Broadcasting Company. KCCV-AM-FM are the flagship stations for the Bott Radio Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCNV</span> Classical music public radio station in Las Vegas

KCNV is a listener-supported public radio station broadcasting a Classical music format. Licensed to Las Vegas, Nevada, the station is owned by Nevada Public Radio and features programming from American Public Media, National Public Radio and Public Radio International. KCNV airs nationally syndicated shows in the evening and on weekends, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. The NPR program From the Top, showcases young classical musicians. Pipedreams features organ music. And Sunday Baroque, which originates from WSHU-FM in Connecticut, features music composed in and around the Baroque Era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNST</span> News/talk radio station in Tucson, Arizona

KNST is a commercial radio station in Tucson, Arizona, airing a news/talk radio format. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and serves Greater Tucson, including the suburbs of Marana, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Sierra Vista, and Vail. KNST's studios and offices are on Oracle Road, north of Downtown Tucson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAMM (AM)</span> Radio station in Mount Jackson, Virginia

WAMM is a country and Americana formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Mount Jackson, Virginia, serving Woodstock and Shenandoah County, Virginia. WAMM is owned and operated by Shenandoah Valley Group, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WACL</span> Radio station in Elkton, Virginia

WACL is a classic rock-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Elkton, Virginia, serving Harrisonburg, Staunton and Waynesboro in Virginia. WACL is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFEA</span> Radio station in Manchester, New Hampshire

WFEA is a commercial AM radio station in Manchester, New Hampshire, airing a talk radio format. It is owned and operated by Saga Communications of New England LLC, which also owns 95.7 WZID and 96.5 WMLL. WFEA's studios and offices are on North Commercial Street in Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSLQ</span> Radio station in Roanoke, Virginia

WSLQ is a commercial radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving the New River Valley and Southwest Virginia. The station airs an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. It is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc., with studios and offices on Electric Road in Roanoke. WSLQ's transmitter is off Honeysuckle Road in Bent Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSVF-CD</span> Fox/CBS affiliate in Harrisonburg, Virginia

WSVF-CD is a low-powered, Class A television station in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States, affiliated with Fox and CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside ABC affiliate WHSV-TV and low-powered dual NBC/CW+ affiliate WSVW-LD. The three stations share studios on North Main Street/US 11 in downtown Harrisonburg, and operate a newsroom in Fishersville, serving Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County. WSVF-CD's transmitter is located atop Massanutten Mountain. There is no separate website for WSVF-CD; instead, it is integrated with that of sister station WHSV-TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KERN</span> Radio station in Wasco-Greenacres, California

KERN is a commercial radio station licensed to Wasco-Greenacres, California, and serving the Bakersfield metropolitan area. The station is owned by American General Media. The radio studios and offices are in the American General Media complex at 1400 Easton Drive, STE 134 in Bakersfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KION (AM)</span> Radio station in Salinas, California

KION is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Salinas, California, and serving the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz region of the Central California Coast. It broadcasts a talk radio format and owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQZQ</span> Radio station in Goodlettsville, Tennessee

WQZQ is a radio station licensed to Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and serving the Nashville metropolitan area. The station is owned by Cromwell Radio Group, through licensee WYCQ, Inc. It airs a classic hits radio format, calling itself "Classic Hits 93.3." The dial position is a reference to the WQZQ's FM translator, W227DC in Nashville, which broadcasts at 93.3 MHz.

WIXK is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a music, news and talk radio format for the Hmong community of the Twin Cities. It is licensed to New Richmond, Wisconsin, and serves the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The station is owned by Mai Yia Vang, through licensee Hmong Radio Broadcast, LLC.

References

  1. ↑ "WSVA Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WSVA
  3. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/W221CF
  4. ↑ "Directory of Radio Stations in the U.S." (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. p. D565. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Cacchiani, John. "WSVA Nostalgia" . Retrieved 2009-11-30.
  6. ↑ "Brisk buying surge swaps four stations, $7.7 million" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting . April 9, 1956. pp. 35–6. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 10, 1959. p. 54. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Four stations sold for $6.8 million" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 7, 1965. pp. 79–80. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Worrell Newspapers Purchases TV Station". The Middlesboro Daily News. June 9, 1976. p. 11. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  10. ↑ "FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations" (FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997.
  11. ↑ FCC Call Sign History (Facility ID: 87172)
  12. ↑ FCC Station Search Details: DWEZI (Facility ID: 87172)
  13. ↑ "Did you hear? WSVA will be simulcast on FM!... - WSVA Harrisonburg". M. Belmont VerStandig, Inc./Facebook. December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  14. 1 2 "W221CF Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  15. ↑ InsideRadio.com "Deal Digest" September 17, 2015 (retrieved Feb. 14, 2023)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.