WTVR-FM

WTVR-FM (98.1 MHz) is an FM radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia. WTVR-FM serves Central Virginia with an adult contemporary music format. The station is owned and operated by Entercom Communications with studios and offices on Basie Road, off West Broad Street in Richmond.[3] It shares a nearby broadcasting tower with its formerly co-owned TV station, WTVR-TV Channel 6.

WTVR-FM
CityRichmond, Virginia
Broadcast areaCentral Virginia
Frequency98.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingMix 98.1
SloganToday's Variety
Programming
FormatAdult contemporary (currently Christmas music)
HD2: Talk radio (WRVA)
Ownership
OwnerEntercom Communications
(Entercom License, LLC)
W241AP, W253BI, WBTJ, WRNL, WRVA, WRVQ, WRXL
History
First air date
February 17, 1947[1]
Former call signs
WCOD (1947–1966)[2]
Former frequencies
96.3 MHz (1947–1948)
Call sign meaning
TeleVision Richmond (previous co-ownership with WTVR-TV)
Technical information
Facility ID54387
ClassB
Power50,000 watts
HAAT256 meters (840 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
37°34′0.0″N 77°28′36.0″W
Links
WebcastListen live (via Radio.com)
Websitemix981richmond.radio.com

WTVR-FM is a grandfathered "superpower station". The station has an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts at 256 meters. This exceeds the maximum allowable ERP for the station's antenna height above average terrain according to current FCC rules, which is 17,500 watts at 256 meters.

History

WTVR-FM began broadcasting in February 1947 as WCOD (Capital Old Dominion)[4] and was owned by the Richmond Broadcasting Company.[1] It was the sister station of AM 1380, which is today WBTK. For many years, it was also co-owned with Channel 6 WTVR-TV. The call letters for all three stations, AM 1380, FM 98.1 and Channel 6 were WTVR, signifying TeleVision Richmond. Even though Channel 6 is today owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the FM and TV stations still share the WTVR call letters and the tower off West Broad Street, a landmark on the Richmond skyline. WTVR-FM operates at 50,000 watts, standard for most FM stations in the Richmond market. However, at 256 metres (840 ft), its tower is taller than the FM Class B limit of 150 m.

WTVR-FM's logo under previous "Lite 98" branding

For much of its early history, WTVR-FM aired beautiful music, although by the 1980s, that mostly instrumental format was falling out of favor with younger listeners. It gradually added more soft vocals to its sound, transitioning to the adult contemporary format heard today.

On November 13, 2015, WTVR-FM switched to Christmas music, and began calling itself "The All-New Christmas 98.1." In recent years, along with many other adult contemporary radio stations, WTVR-FM switches to all holiday music from mid-November to Christmas Day. As the holidays ended, iHeartMedia rebranded the station as "Mix 98.1" on December 28.[5] Despite the new branding, the format remains adult contemporary, although a bit more uptempo.

On November 1, 2017, iHeartMedia announced that WTVR-FM, along with all of their sister stations in Richmond and Chattanooga, would be sold to Entercom due to that company's merger with CBS Radio.[6] The sale was completed on December 19, 2017.[7]

WTVR-HD2

WTVR-FM broadcasts a simulcast of news/talk-formatted WRVA 1140 AM on its HD2 sub channel. On May 5, 2014 FM translator W253BI 98.5 FM Glen Allen, Virginia began simulcasting WRVA via WTVR-HD2.[8] The simulcast on W253BI ended on July 23, 2015. WRVA's signal is still relayed via WTVR-HD2.[9]

References
  1. "WCOD, WMBG Richmond FM Outlet, Formally Opened With 47 kw, 96.3 mc" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 24, 1947. p. 84.
  2. "New call letters requested" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 22, 1966. p. 84.
  3. "WTVR Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. "[WCOD Ad]" (PDF).
  5. "WTVR Richmond To Relaunch As Mix 98.1 - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  6. "Entercom Trades Boston & Seattle Spin-Offs To iHeartMedia For Richmond & Chattanooga - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  7. "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  8. "WRVA Adds FM Signal - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  9. http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=56 HD Radio Guide for Richmond, Virginia
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