WSVA

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WSVA
Image:Station_wsva.JPG
City of license Harrisonburg, VA
Broadcast area Central Shenandoah Valley
Branding "NewsRadio 550 WSVA"
Frequency 550 kHz
Format News/Talk
Power 5,000 Watts daytime
1,000 Watts nighttime
Class B
Callsign meaning We Serve Virginia Agriculture
Affiliations ABC News, Neal Boortz, Bruce Williams, Jim Bohannon
Owner VerStandig Broadcasting
Sister stations WBHB, WHBG, WJDV, WQPO
Website WSVA Online

WSVA is a radio station based in Harrisonburg, Virginia transmitting on AM 550 in a news/talk format, and owned by VerStandig Broadcasting.

WSVA went on the air in 1935, and was a "full-service" AM station until the late 1980's, when the station began airing talk during the day. From 1953 to 1976, it was co-owned with WSVA-TV, channel 3 (now WHSV-TV).

WSVA's current lineup includes Early Mornings with hosts Jim Britt & Frank Wilt, with Karl Magenhoffer News and Bill Phipps with Sports from 5:30 am til 9:00 am. In addition to local information, the show features agricultural news with Jeff Ishee, who started with the station and produces the nationally syndicated On The Farm Radio program, Stuff & Nonsense at 7:50 and 8:50am, and Paul Harvey News & Comment. The morning show is number one in the market and has reached the pinnacle of number one nationally. Britt has been with the station since 1987.

After Early Mornings, it's Frank Wilt and Bill Phipps with Candid Comment, where listeners are invited to call in and talk about both local and current events.

WSVA Middays features Jim Britt and a variety of guests including gardening expert Andre Viette. Viette's popular appearances led to the nationally syndicated weekend program In The Garden With Andre Viette, with Britt as the host and WSVA as the flagship station. Local pet expert Mike Reisenberg and Jim Britt include the annual Dog & Cat debate where listeners call in and simply vote for dogs or cats ...with the dogs almost always emerging the victor. Andy Schmookler's appearances are sure to invoke emotion with sometimes liberal viewpoints discussed in a conservative community. And once a month segments such as The Civil War On The Air, Jim Bishop with Warped Records, Ask The Governor, and Ask The Attorney General are mixed in with the Tag Sale every Friday, billed as The Shenandoah Valley's Largest Yard Sale.

The afternoon begins with The News at Noon, which features local news, stocks, agricultural news and Paul Harvey, followed by Neal Boortz from 1pm to 4pm.

Mike Schikman anchors Late Afternoons from 4pm to 7pm. Schikman has been with the station since 1977, with Charles Graves alongside with weather, who has been with WSVA since 1973, with Tim Murphy at the news desk. Late Afternoons features news and information, the Question of the Day, where listeners can call in and comment on the hosts inquisitions, the dreaded afternoon oldie, where listeners decide to “keep or flush” a song from yesteryear, and a trivia question or two for the chance to win prizes. At 6:30, guests from all over the spectrum join in for the half hour of “Speaking Of With Mike Schikman. Schikman is also known as “The Voice Of The JMU Dukes,” with WSVA being the flagship station of the JMU Sports Network.

Evenings on WSVA include syndicated programming from Bruce Williams and Jim Bohannon, as well as numerous broadcasts of high school football, basketball and baseball.

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