WSVA

WSVA is a news/talk/sports-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Harrisonburg, Virginia, serving the Central Shenandoah Valley. WSVA is owned and operated by Saga Communications, through licensee Tidewater Communications, LLC.[2]

WSVA
CityHarrisonburg, Virginia
Broadcast areaCentral Shenandoah Valley
Frequency550 kHz
Branding92.1 FM and 550 AM WSVA
SloganBreaking News and Stimulating Talk for the Valley!
Programming
FormatNews/Talk/Sports
AffiliationsCBS Radio News
Ownership
OwnerSaga Communications
(Tidewater Communications, LLC)
W261CV, WHBG, WMQR, WQPO, WSIG, WWRE
History
First air date
June 9, 1935[1]
Call sign meaning
We Serve Virginia Agriculture
W Shenandoah VAlley
Technical information
Facility ID39493
ClassB
Power5,000 watts daytime
1,000 watts nighttime
Transmitter coordinates
38°27′4.0″N 78°54′29.0″W
Translator(s)92.1 W221CF (Harrisonburg)
Links
WebcastWSVA Webstream
WebsiteWSVA Online

History

WSVA went on the air on June 9, 1935 with 500 watts of power. It was the first radio station to broadcast in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Although it appears that the call letters stand for Shenandoah VAlley, they actually stand for We Serve Virginia Agriculture." The station was affiliated with NBC, and offered news, agricultural programs, music and other items of local interest.[3] Bluegrass singer Mac Wiseman worked at the station as a news reader and disc jockey in the 1940s.[4]

WSVA was originally owned by Frederick L. Allman. In 1946, it produced the Valley's first FM station, WSVA-FM (now WQPO), and in 1953 it added a television station, WSVA-TV (now WHSV-TV). 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.[5] 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.[6] Michigan businessman James Gilmore bought the WSVA stations in 1965.[7] Gilmore sold off channel 3 in 1976,[8] but 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-AM to his portfolio. In 2009 the station moved into a new building located on the same property to the old one on Heritage Center Way.

On January 1, 2015, WSVA began simulcasting its programming on FM translator W221CF, broadcasting at 92.1 FM.[9][10] It exists to fill in the gaps in WSVA's nighttime coverage. The AM signal must power down to 1,000 watts at night to protect the directional nighttime signal of WGR in Buffalo, New York and other regional stations.

The sale of Verstandig Broadcasting of Harrisonburg to Saga Communications was closed on July 31, 2015, at a purchase price of $9.64 million.

Programming

The WSVA morning show, known as "Early Mornings" airs from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and features hosts Frank Wilt and Jim Britt along with news reported by Karl Magenhofer. Mike Schikman hosts afternoon drive time; a noon news hour is also locally originated. The station's syndicated programming is a hodgepodge of programs from various networks including The Dave Ramsey Show, shows from Westwood One (The Mark Levin Show, The John Batchelor Show and Red Eye Radio) and the Salem Radio Network (Hugh Hewitt and, on weekends, Sebastian Gorka). Weekend talk programming consists of numerous lifestyle programs (such as The Kim Komando Show, Clark Howard, Music and the Spoken Word and The Lars Larson Show).

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

Translator

In addition to the main station, WSVA is relayed by an FM translator to widen its broadcast area.[10]

Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseFacility
ID		ERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassFCC info
W221CF92.1Harrisonburg, Virginia151081250130 m (430 ft)DFCC

References
  1. "Directory of Radio Stations in the U.S." (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. p. D565. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  2. "WSVA Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. Cacchiani, John. "WSVA Nostalgia". Retrieved 2009-11-30.
  4. Shelton, Pamela. "Mac Wiseman Biography". Retrieved 2008-11-30.
  5. "Brisk buying surge swaps four stations, $7.7 million" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. April 9, 1956. pp. 35–6. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  6. "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 10, 1959. p. 54. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  7. "Four stations sold for $6.8 million" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 7, 1965. pp. 79–80. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  8. "Worrell Newspapers Purchases TV Station". The Middlesboro Daily News. June 9, 1976. p. 11. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  9. "Did you hear? WSVA will be simulcast on FM!... - WSVA Harrisonburg". M. Belmont VerStandig, Inc./Facebook. December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  10. "W221CF Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
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