WVRT

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WVRT
City of license	Mill Hall, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area	Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Branding	Variety 97-7
Slogan	Today's Hit Music
Frequency	97.7 MHZ
Format	top 40
Callsign meaning	WVaRieTy
Owner	Capstar TX Limited Partnership (Clear Channel Group)
Website	http://www.variety977.com/

WVRT at 97.7 FM is licensed to Mill Hall, PA with an output power of 6,000 watts. "Today's Hit Music, Variety 97-7" is owned by Clear Channel Communications and plays top 40 music.

Contents 1 HISTORY 2 Original On-Air Personalities 3 Current On-Air Personalities 4 WVRT Trivia 5 External References

[edit] HISTORY

Variety 97.7 signed on the air November 6, 1995 at 6:00 AM as a Hot AC station broadcasting from the Williamsport Chamber of Commerce building with AM sister station WWPA. Williamsport Radio Corporation first owned Variety 97.7, and its format was chosen to sound more adult than top 40 HOT-FM 103.9 WHTO but not as old as gold-based AC 102.7 KISS-FM WKSB. WVRT previously was oldies "3WD 97-7" with the callsign WWWD.

In 1996, WHTO moved down the FM dial to 93.3 with 25,000 watts, up from the 6,000 watts it previously had at 103.9 FM. With the increased power came a more watered down top 40 format, sounding more like the Hot AC Variety 97.7 was playing. Falling ratings caused HOT-FM to eventually switch to oldies in 1997.

Williamsport Radio Corporation's parent company, Winston Radio Corporation in Johnstown, PA, sold their chain of stations, including WVRT, to Forever Broadcasting in 1997. Rumours of Forever simulcasting their Froggy 98, in Altoona to Williamsport on WVRT's 97.7 frequency caused management to seek out another owner!

Sab Cupelli, owner of WQBR and WZRZ bought WVRT in 1998. This, coupled with the demise of HOT-FM, led Variety 97.7 to evolve into the top 40 format that is heard today. By the beginning of the new millennium, Cupelli sold WVRT to Clear Channel, who also purchased WKSB, WRAK, and WRAK-FM from Dame Media. This meant rivals Variety 97.7 and 102.7 KISS-FM were now sister stations.

WVRT moved its studio to Third Street in Williamsport with KISS-FM and WRAK-AM & FM. The "point" was also left at the Chamber of Commerce building as WVRT would now be known as "Variety 97-7" keeping its top 40 format.

[edit] Original On-Air Personalities

• John Patrick, Mornings
• Jeff Austin, Middays
• Mike Stevens, Afternoons
• Troy Lee, Evenings

[edit] Current On-Air Personalities

• Edub, Mornings
• Troy Lee, Middays
• Valentine, Afternoons
• DC, Evenings
• Intern Girl

[edit] WVRT Trivia

• The first song played on Variety 97.7 was If I Ever Lose My Faith In You by Sting.
• John Patrick couldn't talk for the first 15 minutes the station was on the air because engineers still hadn't yet finished wiring the audio board.
• WVRT was the first station in Williamsport to utilize digital computer automation for overnights and weekends. Oftentimes the weekday DJs would record voice tracks that sounded live, as if the DJ was actually in the studio.
• Variety 97.7's original live remote broadcast vehicle was a Volkswagen Vanagon mini-bus, which often had to be "jump started" just like the one in the movie The Devil Wears Prada.
• As an April Fools' Day joke in 1998, John Patrick looped the end of the song Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' by Journey for almost an hour and played it on the air after the 7AM news. John took calls on the air about his "Compact Disc being stuck." One of the calls was from station owner Sab Cupelli, who told John to give away $97.70 when the song ended. John thought Sab called to say he was fired...

[edit] External References

• Official Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WVRT