South Carolina Public Radio

Last updated
South Carolina Public Radio
Country
United States
Headquarters Columbia, South Carolina
Programming
Affiliations National Public Radio, American Public Media
Ownership
OwnerSouth Carolina Educational Television Commission
South Carolina ETV
History
Launch date1972
Coverage
AvailabilitySouth Carolina, South-Central North Carolina, Eastern Georgia
Links
Website www.southcarolinapublicradio.org

South Carolina Public Radio (SCPR) is the National Public Radio member network serving the state of South Carolina. It is operated by the South Carolina Educational Television Commission, an agency of the South Carolina state government. It is a sister network to South Carolina Educational Television.

Contents

The network's primary operations are located on George Rogers Boulevard in Columbia, across from Williams-Brice Stadium. Satellite studios are located in Spartanburg, Beaufort, Sumter and Rock Hill.

The network's eight stations provide at least secondary coverage to nearly all of South Carolina, plus portions of North Carolina and Georgia.

History

The Educational Television Commission had its mission broadened to include radio in the late 1960s. In 1972, WEPR in Clemson (now in Greenville) signed on the air as the state's first public radio station. Seven more transmitters signed on in the 1970s and 1980s.

Until 2001, the stations were known as the "South Carolina Educational Radio Network," airing a mix of classical music and NPR news and talk. However, since much of the state gets grade B coverage from at least two full NPR member stations, the ETV Commission opted to split the radio stations into two networks. Four stations continued to air a mix of classical music and NPR programming, while three aired an expanded schedule of NPR news and talk. The eighth station, WNSC-FM in Rock Hill, began airing exclusively jazz music in order to avoid programming duplication with WFAE in Charlotte.

In 2003, SCERN rebranded as "ETV Radio" in order to link the radio stations more closely with their television sisters.

In 2009, ETV Radio began streaming both the Classical and News networks on the Internet; prior to this, it had been one of the few NPR members not to offer live streaming online.

In 2011, listeners gave $1.5 million in donations toward the construction of a new studio facility, which opened in April 2013. [1]

In August 2015, ETV president Linda O'Byron announced that in response to a listener survey, ETV Radio would rebrand as South Carolina Public Radio. [2] The name change took full effect in September.

Network

South Carolina Public Radio consists of eight FM transmitters. Three of these stations broadcast a mix of NPR information programs and classical music; five of them broadcast strictly NPR news and information programming. However, all these stations simulcast NPR's more popular shows, such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

News/classical service

Call sign Frequency
(MHz)		 City of license Facility
ID 		ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Class Transmitter coordinatesFCC info
WEPR 90.1 Greenville, South Carolina 6092685,000361 m (1,184 ft)C 34°56′29.00″N82°24′38.00″W / 34.9413889°N 82.4105556°W / 34.9413889; -82.4105556 (WEPR) FCC LMS
WLTR 91.3 Columbia, South Carolina 60984100,000232 m (761 ft)C1 34°7′7.5″N80°56′11.3″W / 34.118750°N 80.936472°W / 34.118750; -80.936472 (WLTR) FCC LMS
WSCI 89.3 Charleston, South Carolina 60950100,000418 m (1,371 ft)C 32°55′28.6″N79°41′57.3″W / 32.924611°N 79.699250°W / 32.924611; -79.699250 (WSCI) FCC LMS

News/talk service

Call sign Frequency
(MHz)		 City of license Facility
ID 		ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Class Transmitter coordinatesFCC info
WHMC-FM 90.1 Conway, South Carolina 6099830,000215 m (705 ft)C1 33°57′5.00″N79°6′31.00″W / 33.9513889°N 79.1086111°W / 33.9513889; -79.1086111 (WHMC-FM) FCC LMS
WJWJ-FM 89.9 Beaufort, South Carolina 6100648,000334 m (1,096 ft)C1 32°42′42″N80°40′54″W / 32.71167°N 80.68167°W / 32.71167; -80.68167 (WJWJ-FM) FCC LMS
WLJK 89.1 Aiken, South Carolina 6096010,000419 m (1,375 ft)C1 33°24′18″N81°50′13″W / 33.40500°N 81.83694°W / 33.40500; -81.83694 (WLJK) FCC LMS
WNSC-FM 88.9 Rock Hill, South Carolina 60962100,000183 m (600 ft)C1 34°50′24″N81°01′05″W / 34.84000°N 81.01806°W / 34.84000; -81.01806 (WNSC-FM) FCC LMS
WRJA-FM 89.1 Sumter, South Carolina 60974100,000305 m (1,001 ft)C 33°52′52″N80°16′12″W / 33.88111°N 80.27000°W / 33.88111; -80.27000 (WRJA-FM) FCC LMS
WSCI-HD2 89.3-2 Charleston, South Carolina 60950100,000418 m (1,371 ft)C 32°55′28.6″N79°41′57.3″W / 32.924611°N 79.699250°W / 32.924611; -79.699250 (WSCI-HD2) FCC LMS

When the ETV Commission split its offerings into a two-channel network in 2001, WJWJ was the first to split off later that year. Nearly all of its coverage area also receives classical music programming from WSVH in Savannah, and it offers at least grade B coverage to most of the Charleston area. WRJA came next later in 2001 since much of its coverage area overlaps WLTR. WHMC followed in late 2001, with WLJK joining in 2003.

On July 1, 2008, WNSC-FM joined the NPR News radio service. Then-SCETV president Moss Bresnahan told the Charlotte Observer that SCETV did not want to deny listeners on the South Carolina side of the Charlotte market access to SCETV's growing slate of local programming. The move left the Charlotte market without a jazz station of its own. [3] Ironically, WNSC was the Charlotte area's first NPR station when it signed on in 1979; WFAE did not sign on until 1981. Presently, the only area of the state that does not receive grade B coverage from two NPR stations is WEPR's coverage area in the Upstate. Recently, ETV Radio added a simulcast of its all-news format on WSCI's second HD subcarrier in order to improve reception for that format in Charleston.

Until the rebranding as ETV Radio, WJWJ, WSCI and WEPR aired occasional local programs from ETV's studios in Beaufort, Charleston and Greenville. Due to budget cuts and the creation of the two networks, all stations now are fed programming directly from Columbia, although ETV/South Carolina Public Radio maintains several local offices.

Radio programming

Related Research Articles

Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) is a network of 34 public radio stations in the state of Wisconsin. WPR's network is divided into two distinct analog services, the Ideas Network and the NPR News & Music Network, as well as the All Classical Network, a digital-only, full-time classical music service.

WUNC is a listener-supported public radio station, serving the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. It is licensed to Chapel Hill and is operated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On weekdays, WUNC carries National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Radio Exchange, and BBC programming in an "all-news-and-information" format, including shows such as All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Fresh Air. On weekends, in addition to NPR weekend shows, WUNC broadcasts locally produced folk music programming. The longest-running continuously produced program offered by the station is Back Porch Music, a weekly folk and traditional music program. WUNC holds periodic on-air fundraisers seeking listener contributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNSC-TV</span> Television station in North Carolina, United States

WNSC-TV PBS member television station in Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States. It is owned by the South Carolina Educational Television Commission alongside news/talk radio station WNSC-FM (88.9). WNSC-TV's studios are located on the campus of York Technical College in Rock Hill, and its transmitter is located in southeastern York County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCQS</span> Public radio station in Asheville, North Carolina, United States

WCQS is the flagship National Public Radio member station for Asheville, North Carolina and Western North Carolina. The station is owned by Western North Carolina Public Radio, Inc. and broadcasts a mix of NPR and BBC World Service news and entertainment programming, as well as locally produced speech and music shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina Educational Television</span> PBS member network in South Carolina

South Carolina Educational Television is a state network of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television stations serving the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is owned and operated by the South Carolina Educational Television Commission, an agency of the state government which holds the licenses for all of the PBS member stations licensed in the state. The broadcast signals of the eleven television stations cover almost all of the state, as well as parts of North Carolina and Georgia.

WJWJ-FM is a non-commercial News/Talk radio station licensed to Beaufort, South Carolina. Its transmitter is located with co-owned WJWJ-TV near Green Pond, South Carolina in Colleton County and is part of the statewide "NPR News network" from South Carolina Public Radio. It covers most of the southeastern part of the state, including Charleston. It also provides rimshot coverage of Savannah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFAE</span> Radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina

WFAE is a non-commercial public radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the main NPR news and information affiliate in the Charlotte region. The station's main radio studio and offices are at One University Place in the University City neighborhood of northeast Charlotte. A satellite studio is at Spirit Square on North College Street in downtown Charlotte.

WDAV is a non-commercial public radio station licensed to Davidson, North Carolina and serving the Charlotte metropolitan area. The station, licensed to the Board of Trustees of Davidson College, airs classical music and fine arts programming, with news updates from National Public Radio (NPR).

WRJA-FM is a non-commercial news/talk-formatted radio station located in Sumter, South Carolina, United States, that covers both Columbia and Florence, South Carolina. The station is the flagship of the statewide "NPR News network" from South Carolina Public Radio.

The Thistle & Shamrock is a weekly American syndicated radio program, named after the national emblems of Scotland and Ireland, specializing in Celtic music. It is heard on 380 National Public Radio (NPR) stations, and is available internationally on WorldSpace via NPR Worldwide; according to NPR, Thistle is the most listened-to Celtic music program in the world. It has been produced and hosted by Scottish native Fiona Ritchie since its inception in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFDD</span> Radio station in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

WFDD is an FM public radio station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is the National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate for the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point media market, also called the Piedmont Triad. Owned by Wake Forest University, WFDD serves 32 counties in Central North Carolina and South-Central Virginia. It also operates a translator, W261CK on 100.1 FM in Boone.

WLTR is a noncommercial public FM radio station in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. The station features a news and information radio format with programs from National Public Radio, as well as classical and other genres of music in late mornings, nights and weekends. WLTR is the flagship station of the statewide "News and Music Network" from South Carolina Public Radio.

Charlotte, North Carolina is a U.S. city that serves as a hub for numerous media sources.

WEPR is a noncommercial Classical/News/Talk in Greenville, South Carolina featuring both Classical music as well as news and other programs from NPR. The station is part of the statewide "Classical NPR network" from South Carolina Public Radio.

WMFE-FM is a listener-supported FM radio station in Orlando, Florida, owned by Community Communications, Inc. WMFE-FM is Central Florida's National Public Radio (NPR) member station, with a format of news and information. Most programming is simulcast on 89.5 WMFV in Cedar Creek, Florida. The radio studios are on East Colonial Drive in Orlando.

WNSC-FM is a National Public Radio station in Rock Hill, South Carolina. A member of South Carolina Public Radio, it carries programming from South Carolina Public Radio's all-news network.

WSCI is a noncommercial Classical/News/Talk in Charleston, South Carolina featuring both Classical music as well as news and other programs from NPR. The station is part of the statewide "Classical NPR network" from South Carolina Public Radio. There is only one locally produced program on this remotely fed station.

Northern Public Radio is the public radio service of Northern Illinois University. It consists of two full-powered FM stations and three lower-powered satellites, all affiliated with National Public Radio. The group is headquartered at NIU's campus in DeKalb, Illinois, with additional studios in Rockford. Although DeKalb is part of the Chicago radio market, Northern Public Radio serves as the NPR member for the Rockford market.

The North Carolina Public Radio Association is a statewide collaborative of sixteen public radio stations.

Vermont Public Co. is the public broadcaster serving the U.S. state of Vermont. Its headquarters, newsroom, and radio studios are located in Colchester, with television studios in Winooski. It operates two statewide radio services aligned with NPR, offering news and classical music, and the state's PBS service.

References

  1. ↑ ""In Our Schools" Features Finalists in Teacher of the Year Program". SCETV. April 9, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
  2. ↑ O'Byron, Linda. SCETV President's Corner, September 2015 Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine . South Carolina Educational Television, August 2015.
  3. ↑ Washburn, Mark. Sorry, Jazz fans, change may have you singing blues. The Charlotte Observer , 2008-07-01.
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.