Vermont Public Radio

Vermont Public Radio
Broadcast area Vermont and bordering areas of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Quebec
Frequency See tables below
Repeater(s) See tables below
First air date 1977
Format Main VPR stations: Public Radio and Jazz
VPR Classical stations: Classical and Opera
Owner Vermont Public Radio
Webcast VPR Webcast PLS
Website www.vpr.net

Vermont Public Radio (VPR) is a network of public radio stations covering the state of Vermont. In addition to locally produced programming, the network broadcasts programming from NPR, Public Radio International, and American Public Media. It is headquartered in Colchester, a suburb of Burlington. Other studio facilities are located in Montpelier, Manchester and Norwich.

History

In 1975, four Vermonters met to make preliminary plans to form a member station for the then-fledgling National Public Radio. Two years later, in 1977, Vermont Public Radio signed on from studios at the historic Windsor House in Windsor. Despite criticism that Vermont was too small and too rural for listener-supported public radio, the network has expanded to 13 full-power stations and 12 low-power translators covering almost all of Vermont as well as parts of New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Quebec.

In terms of market size, VPR is the smallest NPR member station/network in New England and one of the smallest in the nation. However, since the mid-1990s, it has been one of the most listened-to public radio stations per capita in the country, with approximately 194,000 listeners each week and 27,000 members who support VPR with a voluntary financial contribution.

For many years, VPR broadcast a mixed format of news and information programming, classical, jazz, and folk music. In 2004, VPR launched a separate 24/7 classical service, VPR Classical.

In October 2007, all classical and opera music was moved to VPR Classical. VPR News carries news, information, cultural, and entertainment programs throughout the day, with the BBC World Service airing weekday mornings for one hour following NPR's Morning Edition and every night during the post-midnight hours. Weekend evenings feature jazz, rock, and folk music programming.

Controversy

In 2013, VPR confirmed that a listener found lead inside the ink used in VPR's Artist Mugs. The health department found that the outer rim of the 2011 VPR cup contained 3.18 percent lead. That greatly exceeds the level considered safe for children, .01 percent.[1] VPR has since stopped using Artist Mugs as gifts for donors.

VPR News

Vermont Public Radio's news and information service, VPR News carries most of the more popular news and talk programs from NPR, APM, PRI, and the CBC, as well as several local shows.

Local Programs on VPR

Full-Power Stations

VPR News
Call sign Frequency City of license ERP
W		 Class Founded FCC info
WBTN-FM 94.3 FM Bennington, Vermont 3,000 A August 21, 1978[2] FCC
WRVT 88.7 FM Rutland, Vermont 4,000 C2 March 13, 1987[2] FCC
WVBA 88.9 FM Brattleboro, Vermont 8,900 B1 2012 FCC
WVPA 88.5 FM St. Johnsbury, Vermont 850 C2 March 19, 1999[2] FCC
WVPR 89.5 FM Windsor, Vermont 1,700 B 1975 FCC
WVPS 107.9 FM Burlington, Vermont 48,400 C February 25, 1981[2] FCC

Low-Power Translators

Broadcast translators of WRVT
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license ERP
W 		Class FCC info
W237BF 95.3 Middlebury, Vermont 38 D FCC
W256CW 99.1 Rutland, Vermont 130 D FCC
Broadcast translators of WVPR
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license FCC info
W223AV 92.5 Manchester, Vermont FCC
W227CA 93.3 Rupert, Vermont FCC
W258AZ 99.5 Newbury, Vermont FCC
Broadcast translators of WVPS
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license FCC info
W231BQ 94.1 Montpelier, Vermont FCC
W234BD 94.7 Bolton, Vermont FCC
W258AW 99.5 Middlebury, Vermont FCC
W258BJ 99.5 Island Pond, Vermont FCC

VPR Classical

Since 2007, VPR has broadcast classical and opera music on a separate network. The main station is WOXR (90.9 FM), which is licensed to Schuyler Falls, New York and serves the Burlington, Vermont/Plattsburgh, New York area.

The former WAVX took the WOXR calls and VPR Classical format at 9:09 AM on August 31, 2007. VPR President Mark Vogelzang, when asked about the new call letters' origin, said that they were an "homage" to New York City classical music station WQXR.[3]

VPR Classical continues to air on its original full-power home station, WNCH (88.1 FM) in Norwich, as well as full-power WVTQ (95.1 FM) in Sunderland and WVTI (106.9 FM) in Brighton. It is also available on VPR HD Radio throughout Northwestern Vermont via WVPS HD-2 (107.9-2 FM).

In April 2014, WOXM moved its signal from 90.1 FM to 89.1 FM.

Local Programs on VPR Classical

Full-Power Stations

VPR Classical
Call sign Frequency City of license ERP
W		 Class Founded FCC info
WNCH 88.1 FM Norwich, Vermont 1,550 B September 4, 2003[2] FCC
WOXM 89.1 FM Middlebury, Vermont 3,100 A May 27, 2010 on 90.1; current facility launched April 2014[2] FCC
WOXR 90.9 FM Schuyler Falls, New York 2,700 C2 July 8, 2004[2] FCC
WVNK 91.1 FM Manchester, Vermont 115 A FCC
WVTI 106.9 FM Brighton, Vermont 1,420 A July 4, 2007[2] FCC
WVTQ 95.1 FM Sunderland, Vermont 96 A October 3, 1990[2] FCC
WVXR 102.1 FM Randolph, Vermont 11,000 C3 October 25, 1982 FCC

Low-Power Translators

Broadcast translators of WNCH
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license FCC info
W272AU 102.3 Hanover, New Hampshire FCC
W280CS 103.9 Hanover, New Hampshire FCC
W295AL 106.9 Woodstock, Vermont FCC
W295AU 106.9 Manchester, Vermont FCC
Broadcast translators of WOXR
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license FCC info
W233BD 94.5 Burlington, Vermont FCC
Broadcast translators of WVTQ
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license ERP
W 		Class FCC info
W266AK 101.1 Rupert, Vermont 10 D FCC

VPR Jazz 24

In October 2012, VPR launched an online-only 24-hour jazz music service, dubbed "VPR Jazz 24," for jazz-music listeners on its website, www.vpr.net. The station launched the service after George Thomas, its longtime evening jazz host, retired. The station also launched a new weekly jazz program, "Friday Night Jazz," hosted by Reuben Jackson, a music teacher at Burlington High School (Burlington, Vermont).

See also

References

  1. ↑ Poston, Pamela (October 1, 2013). "Cream, Sugar and ... Lead? VPR Tests Its Artists Mugs". Seven Days. Burlington, Vt.: Da Capo Publishing. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Exact dates reflect the date on which the FCC issued a license for the station. The station will normally have been operating under program test authority for some months prior.
  3. ↑ Fybush, Scott (2007-08-27). "NorthEast Radio Watch by Scott Fybush". FybushMedia.com. Retrieved 2007-08-27.

Coordinates: 44°30′29″N 73°09′03″W / 44.50792°N 73.15077°W / 44.50792; -73.15077

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