Allegheny Mountain Radio

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Allegheny Mountain Radio
Branding "Allegheny Mountain Radio"
Slogan "The Little Radio Stations with the Great Big Sound!"
Format Full Service/Freeform
Affiliations Virginia News Network
Owner Pocahontas Communications Cooperative Corporation
Webcast Allegheny Mountain Radio Webstream
Website Allegheny Mountain Radio Online

Allegheny Mountain Radio or AMR is a network of Full Service and Freeform formatted broadcast radio stations.

The stations broadcast from and to Pocahontas County in West Virginia and Bath and Highland counties in Virginia.

This network of stations is unique as it is the only radio stations that are broadcast from these counties. The area sits within the National Radio Quiet Zone, which surrounds the Green Bank Radio Telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia.[1][2] Due to the NRQZ and surrounding mountainous terrain, few out-of-area radio signals penetrate these counties.

All stations in the network are owned and operated by Pocahontas Communications Cooperative Corporation.

History

Pocahontas Communications Cooperative Corporation was formed in April 1979 as a non-profit organization to operate the community radio stations for educational and charitable purposes. Financial support for AMR comes from individual donations, underwriting from businesses and grants.

Radio transmission operations began in June 1981.[3] WVMR 1370 is the only radio station operating within the inner core of the Radio Quiet Zone. WVMR is also the only AM station in the Pocahontas Communications Cooperative Corporation network.

Logo used until September 2009

In a span of three years, AMR's other stations went on the air. In May 1995, the Monterey, Virginia-based WVLS launched, followed by WCHG from Hot Springs, Virginia in June 1995, and the translator FM station W278AL from Durbin, West Virginia in July 1998.

During a "filing window" for applications for non-commercial educational FM stations, in 2007 and 2008, the Pocahontas Communications Cooperative Corporation applied for construction permits for stations in Marlinton, Hillsboro, and Franklin, West Virginia. WVMR-FM was constructed and began test transmissions on October 6, 2010, with full operation beginning on October 26, 2010. WNMP was constructed and began test transmissions on September 27, 2011, with full operation beginning on September 30, 2011. Due to a lack of funding, and a lack of interest on the part of public that was to be served, WVPC was not constructed. Its construction permit was allowed to expire on December 18, 2010.

Stations

Call Sign City of License Frequency Wattage Coverage Area Founded Additional Information
WVMR Frost, West Virginia 1370 kHz 5,000 watts day only Pocahontas County June 1981
WVLS Monterey, Virginia 89.7 MHz 360 watts Highland County May 1995
WCHG Hot Springs, Virginia 107.1 MHz 160 watts Bath County June 1995
W278AL Durbin, West Virginia 103.5 MHz 50 watts Durbin/Bartow July 1998
WVMR-FM Hillsboro, West Virginia 91.9 MHz 550 watts Hillsboro October 2010
WNMP Marlinton, West Virginia 88.5 MHz 1,000 watts Marlinton/ Huntersville September 2011

Music programming

Allegheny Mountain Radio (AMR) has no set format, unlike most other radio stations in the United States.

Music heard on the Allegheny Mountain Radio (AMR) stations varies from country music to rock music, and from contemporary hit radio to adult standards. News broadcasts are updated throughout the day from a team of AMR reporters. During the high-school football season, local football games are broadcast as well. Allegheny Mountain Radio also broadcasts informational programming such as the local "Book Talk", which comes from the McClintic Public Library in Marlinton, West Virginia.

In the late night hours, WVMR-FM, WCHG, WVLS, WNMP, and W278AL simulcast classical music formatted radio station WCPE.

Air shifts

Most shifts are between 2 and 3 hours, with the exception of the Morning and Afternoon shows which run between 4 and 5 hours.

The 2 to 3 hour shifts are hosted by volunteers who are on the air only on certain days, while some DJs broadcast Monday through Friday.

Public service education projects

Pocahontas County Communications serves the public and uses the radio station as an expression of the public's needs. A recent project returned G.D. McNeil's "The Last Forest: Tales of the Allegheny Woods" back into print and created radio plays from several short stories within the collection. Currently, Allegheny Mountain Radio offers a free multi-disciplinary cirriculum The Last Forest for students 6-10, but it is seeing use in college-level applications.[4]

References

  1. Sandy Hevener. "Frost, WV - It's a radio time warp". American Profile. Retrieved 2008-08-11. 
  2. Maryanne Reed and Ralph E. Hanson, P.I. Reed School of Journalism, West Virginia University. "Back to the Future: Allegheny Mountain Radio and Localism in West Virginia Community Radio" (PDF) (HTML version in AEJMC archives). Journal of Radio Studies, November 2006, V. 13, No. 2, pp. 214-231.
  3. Pocahontas Communications Cooperative Corporation. "WVMR, Frost West Virginia". The WELL. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-11. 
  4. Welcome to The Last Forest

External links

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