WCVE-FM

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**WCVE-FM**

City of license	Richmond, Virginia
Broadcast area	Central Virginia
Slogan	Community idea stations
First air date	March 26, 1988
Frequency	89.9 MHz
Format	Classical music/Public broadcasting
ERP	17,500 watts
Class	B
Owner	Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation
Website	http://www.ideastations.org/wcvefm/

WCVE-FM is a public radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia. It is owed by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation. The station, which went on the air March 25, 1988, is a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate. It broadcasts at 88.9 MHz in stereo, with transmitter and tower located in downtown Richmond. The studios are located at the WCVE-TV complex located in Chesterfield County at 23 Sesame Street in Bon Air, Virginia. The station also has repeater stations in Chase City, Virginia and Heathsville, Virginia that have not been turned on the air yet.

1 History
2 See also
3 Sources
4 External links

[edit] History

WCVE-FM follows a classical music format established in 1961 by WFMV, Virginia's first radio station to broadcast in stereo. That station had a loyal and influential following, but low ratings as a commercial radio station enterprise, and was sold to new owners in 1970. After the transition in 1971, WFMV listeners followed the classical music and public radio format through 17 years with WRFK. In the mid 1980's, WRFK's owners, Union Theological Seminary, were looking to sell the station, which would be highly valuable as a commercial station. Efforts were made to keep WRFK as an NPR and classical station while another station could be found to take up the format.

In less than two months time, Commonwealth Virginia Educational Television got special permission to broadcast on 101.1 MHz while a deal could be worked out with WTVR-TV to place a permanent home for the new station on 88.9. On March 25, 1988, with the help of Virginia public broadcasting pioneer Benjamin W. Spiller, WRFK signed off at 12:30 pm with a farewell from longtime staffer Stephanie Pyle who encouraged listeners to tune into the new radio station, WCVE-FM at 101.1. At exactly 12:31pm, WCVE-FM signed on with Aaron Copland's Fanfare For the Common Man.The first voice on the new station was WRFK veteran Henry Wailes.. Because of possible interference from WWDC-FM, the station only broadcasted at 3,000 watts at about 300 feet. On November 16, 1989, WCVE was allowed to move to 88.9 MHz on Richmond's largest tower with 8,300 watts of power.

In 2003, FCC regulations changed, so WCVE-FM was permitted to increase its power to 17,500 watts. It is one of the most powerful signals in Richmond, heard as far West as Appomattox, as far North as Fredericksburg, and as far east as Newport News.

Grete Dollitz's program, "An Hour With the Guitar" was originally on WFMV. After more than 30 years, is still heard on WCVE-FM.

[edit] See also

Benjamin W. Spiller (1926-2004)
WCVE

[edit] Sources

Fisher, Mark D. (2005) A Brief History of WFMV: Virginia's first stereophonic good music station, Richmond Radio Group on Yahoo; Richmond, VA

[edit] External links

Radio stations in the Richmond, Virginia market (Arbitron #55)

By frequency: (FM) | 88.9 | 89.7 | 90.1 | 91.1 | 92.1 | 93.1 | 94.5 | 95.3 | 96.5 | 97.3 | 98.1 | 98.9 | 99.3 | 100.1 | 101.1 | 102.1 | 103.7 | 104.7 | 105.7 | 106.5 | 107.3