WCVE-FM

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WCVE-FM / WCNV-FM / WMVE
City of license Richmond, Virginia /Heathsville, Virginia /Chase City, Virginia
Broadcast area Central Virginia and the Northern Neck
Branding Community Idea Stations
Frequency 89.9 MHz / 89.1 MHz / 90.1 MHz
First air date March 26, 1988
Format Classical music/Public broadcasting
ERP 88.9: 17,500 watts, 89.1: 5,800 watts, 90.1: 5,000 watts
Class B
Owner Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation
Website http://www.ideastations.org/wcvefm/

WCVE-FM is a public radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia. It is owed by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation. The station, which went on the air March 25, 1988, is a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate. It broadcasts at 88.9 MHz in stereo, with transmitter and tower located in downtown Richmond. The studios are located at the WCVE-TV complex located in Chesterfield County at 23 Sesame Street in Bon Air, Virginia. The station also has two simulcasting stations: WCNV-FM, in Heathsville, which serves the Northern Neck region at 89.1 FM another repeater, WMVE, in Chase City on 90.1 FM.

[edit] History

WCVE-FM follows a classical music format. In the mid 1980's, local station WRFK's owners, Union Theological Seminary, were looking to sell their station, which would be highly valuable as a commercial station. Efforts were made to keep WRFK as an NPR and classical station while another station could be found to take up the format.

In less than two months time, Commonwealth Virginia Educational Television (CVET) got special permission to broadcast on 101.1 MHz while a deal could be worked out with WTVR-TV to place a permanent home for the new station on 88.9. On March 25, 1988, with the help of Virginia public broadcasting pioneer Bill W. Spiller,a temporary assignment was granted to CVET for 101.1, which broadcast from a tower on the property of WCVE-TV. WRFK signed off at 12:30 pm with a farewell from longtime staffer Stephanie Pyle who encouraged listeners to tune into the new radio station, WCVE-FM at 101.1. At exactly 12:31pm, WCVE-FM signed on with Aaron Copland's Fanfare For the Common Man.The first voice on the new station was WRFK veteran Henry Wailes.

Because of possible interference from WWDC-FM in Washington, D.C., the station only broadcasted at 3,000 watts at about 300 feet in 101.1. On November 16, 1989, WCVE was allowed to move to 88.9 MHz on WTVR-TV tower, Richmond's largest tower, with 8,300 watts of power.( The tower, now owned by Raycom, not only holds the antennas for WCVE-FM and WTVR-TV, but also separately owned 98.1 WTVR-FM ( Lite 98 ).)

In 2003, FCC regulations changed, so WCVE-FM was permitted to increase its power to 17,500 watts. It is one of the most powerful signals in Richmond, heard as far west as Appomattox, as far North as Fredericksburg, and as far east as Newport News.

[edit] External links

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