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WTVR-FM

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WTVR-FM
Broadcast areaCentral Virginia
Frequency98.1MHz(HD Radio)
BrandingMix 98.1
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatAdult contemporary
SubchannelsHD2:Talk radio(WRVA)
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
February 17, 1947(1947-02-17)[1]
Former call signs
WCOD (1947–1966)[2]
Former frequencies
96.3 MHz (1947–1948)
Call signmeaning
"Television Richmond" (previous co-ownership withWTVR-TV)
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID54387
ClassB
Power50,000watts
HAAT256 meters (840 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
37°34′0.0″N77°28′36.0″W/ 37.566667°N 77.476667°W/37.566667; -77.476667
Translator(s)HD2:96.1W241AP(Midlothian)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live(viaAudacy)
Websitewww.audacy.com/mix981richmond

WTVR-FM(98.1MHz) is aradio stationlicensed toRichmond, Virginia.WTVR-FM servesCentral Virginiawith anadult contemporary musicformat. The station is owned and operated byAudacy, Inc.with studios and offices located north of Richmond's city limits on Basie Road inDumbarton.[4]It formerly shared a nearby broadcasting tower with its former TV sister station,WTVR-TV.(WTVR-TV no longer broadcasts from this tower.) Currently, it shares a tower with PBS member stationsWCVE-TVandWCVW.[5][6]

WTVR-FM is agrandfathered"superpower station". The station has aneffective radiated powerof 50,000 watts at 256 meters. This exceeds the maximum allowable ERP for the station's antennaheight above average terrainaccording to current FCC rules, which is 17,500 watts at 256 meters.

History

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WTVR-FM began broadcasting in February 1947 as WCOD (standing for "Capital Old Dominion" )[7]and was owned by the Richmond Broadcasting Company.[1]It was the sister station of AM 1380, which is todayWBTK.For many years, it was also co-owned withWTVR-TV.Thecall lettersfor all three stations were WTVR, signifying "Television Richmond." WTVR-FM operates at 50,000watts,standard for most FM stations in the Richmond market. However, at 256 metres (840 ft), its tower is taller than theFM Class Blimit of 150 meters.

For much of its early history, WTVR-FM airedbeautiful music,although by the 1980s, that mostly instrumental format was falling out of favor with younger listeners.

At its original site with WTVR-TV Main Street studios at 3314 Cutshaw avenue in downtown Richmond, Virginia, one could see its free standing Broadcast tower for miles around. The TV and AM/FM radio stations, shared a parking lot at that time with the radio studios across the parking lot, in the house on Cutshaw avenue, situated behind the TV station.

During the Stereo Country FM98 mid 1980s era, the WTVR-FM had a live personality line up, and was simulcasting their live country format with its 1380 AM counterpart. In the mid 1980s it competed with small 3,000 watt class A facility WKHK-FM 95.3 nearby but they were always second banana to WTVR-FM having a 50,000 watt class B signal, and better personalities. In their Stereo Country FM98 era, at the helm was program director Mike Allen who did weekday morning drive 5:30am to 10am, followed by Hillary Kane on middays 10am-3pm, Dave Shannon in afternoon drive from 3pm-7pm, and then the stations assist automation system took over from 7pm to 5:30am with only recorded carted weather during breaks. The facility was owned by Roy H. Park in this era. Eventually the station moved away from their country format, and gradually added more soft vocals to its playlist, transitioning to the adult contemporary format heard today.

On November 13, 2015, WTVR-FM switched toChristmas music,and began calling itself "The All-New Christmas 98.1." In recent years, along with many other adult contemporary radio stations, WTVR-FM switches to all holiday music from mid-November to Christmas Day. As the holidays ended, iHeartMedia rebranded the station as "Mix 98.1" on December 28.[8]Despite the new branding, the format remains adult contemporary, although more uptempo.

On November 1, 2017,iHeartMediaannounced that WTVR-FM, along with all of their sister stations in Richmond andChattanooga,would be sold to Entercom (nowAudacy, Inc.) as part of that company's merger withCBS Radio.[9]The sale was completed on December 19, 2017.[10]

WTVR-HD2

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WTVR-FM broadcasts a simulcast of news/talk-formattedWRVAon its HD2 sub channel. On May 5, 2014, translator W253BI (98.5 FM) began simulcasting WRVA via WTVR-HD2.[11]The simulcast on W253BI ended on July 23, 2015; WRVA's signal is still relayed via WTVR-HD2.[12]

Broadcast translatorfor WTVR-HD2
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP(W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W241AP 96.1 FM Midlothian, Virginia 139538 145 255.2m(837ft) D 37°30′31.5″N77°34′37.0″W/ 37.508750°N 77.576944°W/37.508750; -77.576944 LMS

References

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  1. ^ab"WCOD, WMBG Richmond FM Outlet, Formally Opened With 47 kw, 96.3 mc"(PDF).Broadcasting.February 24, 1947. p. 84.
  2. ^"New call letters requested"(PDF).Broadcasting.August 22, 1966. p. 84.
  3. ^"Facility Technical Data for WTVR-FM".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^"WTVR Facility Record".Federal Communications Commission,audio division.
  5. ^"TV Query Results".Retrieved2023-09-12.
  6. ^"FM Query Results".Retrieved2023-09-12.
  7. ^"[WCOD Ad]"(PDF).
  8. ^"WTVR Richmond To Relaunch As Mix 98.1 - RadioInsight".radioinsight.com.18 December 2015.Retrieved14 April2018.
  9. ^"Entercom Trades Boston & Seattle Spin-Offs To iHeartMedia For Richmond & Chattanooga - RadioInsight".radioinsight.com.1 November 2017.Retrieved14 April2018.
  10. ^"Consummation Notice".CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.December 19, 2017.RetrievedDecember 21,2017.
  11. ^"WRVA Adds FM Signal - RadioInsight".radioinsight.com.5 May 2014.Retrieved14 April2018.
  12. ^"HD Radio Guide for Richmond, VA".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-09-14.Retrieved2023-09-12.
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