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WNCW (88.7 FM) is a noncommercial public radio station licensed to Isothermal Community College in Spindale, North Carolina, with a Triple A/Americana format.
The station's main signal, at 88.7 FM, covers Asheville from a tower on Clingman's Peak near Mount Mitchell.[1] Its main tower on Clingman's Peak has an effective radiated power (ERP) of about 17,000 Watts [2] but covers a larger listening area because of the tower's elevation. It operates three translators--92.9 FM in Boone, North Carolina, 100.3 FM in Charlotte, North Carolina, and 97.3 FM in Greenville, South Carolina.
Until 2003, it operated a translator at 96.7 FM in Knoxville, Tennessee.[3] The station was granted a license (though currently silent) for a new Knoxville translator at 99.7 FM in early 2008. It also has pending CP applications for translators in east Charlotte and Knoxville to improve coverage in those cities. The station hopes to have both translators on the air by 2010.
Combined with its translators, WNCW provides at least secondary coverage of portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia
[edit] History
After almost 20 years on the air, the station has played numerous different styles though has never played classical or mainstream country. Artists featured in the past include The Grateful Dead, Ben Harper, Richard Thompson, Widespread Panic, Bruce Cockburn, Santana, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. [4] At one time, WNCW aired the morning and afternoon newsmagazine shows Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and All Things Considered from National Public Radio, but the station decided to expand its music and cultural programming and discontinued airing these shows (though it continues to air hourly NPR and BBC headlines each morning and hourly NPR headlines throughout each weekday). [5] WNCW also airs The World, a newsmagazine from Public Radio International at 6 PM weeknights. WNCW has a substantial global audience online via their webstream. Email requests have been received from all over the world and support comes from the same during their biannual pledge drives.
[edit] References
- ^ Mike Benzie, "WNCW trying to clear air", Asheville Citizen-Times, April 1, 2003
- ^ FCC FM Database entry for WNCW
- ^ Metro Pulse/Citybeat
- ^ Tony Kiss, "Happy Birthday, WNCW; Local Radio Station Celebrates 10 Years on the Air With a Fall Fund-Raising Drive", Asheville Citizen-Times, September 24, 1999
- ^ Mike Benzie, "WNCW to drop 2 news shows - Move by Public Radio Station Upsets Some", Asheville Citizen-Times, December 19, 2002
[edit] External links
