WEHC is a

Public Radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...

-formatted

broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed to

Emory, Virginia Emory is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,237 at the 2020 census down from 1,251 at the 2010 census. The community is named for and is the location of Emory and Henry College. It ...

, serving the Abingdon/

Marion Marion or MARION may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Marion (band), a British alternative rock group * ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries * ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film * ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short People a ...

area. WEHC is owned and operated by

Emory and Henry University Emory & Henry University (E&H or Emory) is a private university in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Found ...

History

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 Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

and

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. The station was programmed mostly by students and represented to the

Federal Radio Commission The Federal Radio Commission (FRC) was a government agency that regulated United States radio communication from its creation in 1927 until 1934, when it was succeeded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FRC was established by ...

by faculty member W. Byron Brown. After three years of operation, the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

prompted the college to sell to Brown for $5,000 () in the fall of 1932. The station went off the air that December as Brown moved the physical facilities to

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...

, where it is still in operation as WCHV. 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.

New transmitter and tower

WEHC worked with US Representative

Rick Boucher Frederick Carlyle Boucher (; born August 1, 1946) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1983 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was defeated in his bid for a 15th term by Republican Morgan Gr ...

(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. On October 27, 2009, WEHC turned on their new transmitter, dramatically increasing their power from 500 to 8,700 watts.

Programming

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 Roanoke may refer to: Places *Roanoke Colony, a former English colony that mysteriously disappeared *Roanoke Island, the location of the Roanoke colony in present-day North Carolina *Roanoke River, flowing through Virginia and North Carolina and ...

station

WVTF WVTF (89.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a Non-commercial educational station, non-commercial educational Radio broadcasting, radio station licensed to serve Roanoke, Virginia, featuring a Public broadcasting, public radio format branded "Radio IQ". ...

, WEHC simulcasts Radio IQ programs, including

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...

news,

Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 a ...

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

, and 1A. As of November 12, 2022, WEHC also airs its entire line of local programs on

Wise, Virginia Wise is a town in Wise County, Virginia. The population was 2,970 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Wise County. It was originally incorporated as the town of Gladeville in 1874. The town's name was changed to Wise in 1924, after Hen ...

station

WISE-FM WISE-FM is a public radio station licensed to Wise, Virginia, serving Norton, Virginia, Norton, Coeburn, Virginia, Coeburn and Clintwood, Virginia, Clintwood in Virginia. WISE-FM is owned and operated by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U ...

, which is owned by WVTF's parent company the

Virginia Tech Foundation The Virginia Tech Foundation (VTF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nonstock corporation established in 1948 to receive, manage, and disburse private gifts in support of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University programs. The purpose of the fou ...

Network stations

WEHC's programming is simulcast on the full power

and four low-power translator stations to widen its broadcast area. All stations are owned by the Virginia Tech Foundation.

References

External links

90.7 WEHC Online
* {{NPR Virginia 1994 establishments in Virginia Public radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1994 EHC EHC EHC