West Virginia Radio Corporation

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West Virginia Radio Corporation

Type	Private
Founded
Headquarters	Morgantown, West Virginia
Key people	The Raese family, Owners
Industry	Entertainment
Products	radio
Website	www.wvradioadvertising.com

West Virginia Radio Corporation is a media corporation in West Virginia. It is controlled by John Raese, a recent candidate for the United States Senate as a Republican.

The company consists of four main business segments.

WV RC controls about half of the radio stations in the Charleston radio market and most of the radio stations in the north-central West Virginia radio market of Fairmont , Clarksburg and Morgantown, including Charleston's WCHS (AM), and Morgantown's WAJR-AM which are high rated news talk stations.

The two largest markets in the state where the company is not present are Huntington and Wheeling, where Clear Channel Communications has offered its market dominant station groups for sale. WV RC seems to be the anticipated buyer.

WV RC operates the West Virginia Metro News Radio Network which programs political and sports talk radio programming, and on the hour news, on WV RC stations, and to other stations throughout the state. It is the only provider of statewide radio news and talk programming. The networks news is heard throughout the state.

WV RC operates the Mountaineer Sports Network which syndicates West Virginia University sports and sports talk shows to radio and television stations.

WV Rc operates Pikewood Creative which produces radio and television commercials.

Mr. Raese also separately owns the primary newspaper in the Fairmont, Clarksburg, Morgantown area, the Morgantown Dominion-Post. He has been a strong opponent of the investment of West Virginia University of its endowment in rival West Virginia Media Holdings.

Much speculation has centered on the use of the WV RC and Dominion-Post as a political platform for Mr. Raese, however this has not occurred. Mr. Raese has told many voters that he is placing his media holdings in a blind trust.

In December 2004, West Virginia Radio Corporation was selected as one of the top radio companies in America. [1]