WCHS (580

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...

) is a

news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the tes ...

talk Talk may refer to: Communication * Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people * Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people * Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...

/ sports formatted

broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...

radio station licensed to

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...

, serving

Southern West Virginia Southern West Virginia is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Southern West Virginia is known for its coal mining heritage and Southern affinity. The region is also closely identified with southwe ...

and Southwestern West Virginia. WCHS is owned and operated by West Virginia Radio Corporation. WCHS-AM is the Primary Entry Point Emergency Alert System station for West Virginia.

FM Translators

In addition to the main station broadcasting at 580

, WCHS is relayed by two FM translators which are used to widen its broadcast area.

Programming

WCHS is the flagship station of the statewide West Virginia MetroNews network. Prior to the mid-1990s switch to talk radio, WCHS was Charleston's oldies station; the oldies format would move to 107.3

WKAZ-FM WKAZ-FM (107.3 MHz, "107.3 KAZ") is a radio station licensed to Miami, West Virginia. Owned by West Virginia Radio Corporation, it broadcasts a country music format serving the Charleston area. History When the station was initially launched, it ...

. Programming heard on WCHS consists of local and national news, talk and sports programs. The station's weekday morning schedule begins with the nationally syndicated " America in the Morning". "The Morning News" hosted by West Virginia MetroNews anchors Chris Lawrence and Shauna Johnson follows. A locally produced "Ask The Expert" then airs, followed by "MetroNews Talkline" hosted by Hoppy Kercheval. The weekday afternoon lineup beings with the nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show. "MetroNews Hotline" and "MetroNews Sportsline", hosted by Dave Weekley and Tony Caridi respectively, round out the afternoon. Various sports programs air in the evenings, with Dave Ramsey Show and "The Jim Bohannon Show" rounding out the night. Red Eye Radio is heard during the overnight hours. The weekend lineup includes nationally syndicated shows from John Batchelor and Kim Komando. "West Virginia Outdoors" and "Sunday Sportsline", hosted by Chris Lawrence and Travis Jones respectively, are also heard. "The Don Nehlen and Bob Pruett Show" also airs on WCHS. The program is hosted by former West Virginia Mountaineers football head coach Don Nehlen and former Marshall University football head coach

Bob Pruett Robert Lewis Pruett (born June 20, 1943) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach Marshall University for nine seasons, from 1996 to 2004. During his tenure at Marshall, the Marshall Thundering Herd f ...

. Various programs, produced by West Virginia MetroNews, cover high school sports either live or with highlights during the week. The "MetroNews High School Scoreboard" airs highlights of games already played or to-be-played around the state. "High School Sportsline" is a mid-week call-in show, hosted by Garrett Cullen, exclusively about high school sports. "High School Game Night" is a live Friday evening program which features continuous score updates, interviews, and analysis. WCHS is also an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds Radio Network

Awards

A 1942

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

for Outstanding Public Service by a Regional Station for "The Home Front," a twice-weekly feature. A 2007 National Edward R. Murrow Award, in the category of "Continuing Coverage", for their reporting on the

Sago Mine disaster The Sago Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion on January 2, 2006, at the Sago Mine in Sago, West Virginia, United States, near the Upshur County, West Virginia, Upshur County seat of Buckhannon, West Virginia, Buckhannon. The blast and coll ...

in Sago, West Virginia. The station was presented with two 2011 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. The first, in the category of "Breaking News Coverage", was given for the station's coverage of the

Upper Big Branch Mine disaster The Upper Big Branch Mine disaster occurred on April 5, 2010 roughly underground in Raleigh County, West Virginia at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine located in Montcoal. Twenty-nine out of thirty-one miners at the site were killed ...

in Montcoal, West Virginia. The second, in the category of "Audio News Documentary", was for "The Life of U.S. Senator

Robert C. Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician and musician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A ...

". In 2011, the station was presented with a National Edward R. Murrow Award, for their Upper Big Branch Mine disaster coverage. WCHS, along with four other stations, were nominated for the 2011 Marconi Radio Award for "News/Talk Station of the Year" by the

National Association of Broadcasters The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a trade association and lobby group representing the interests of commercial and non-commercial over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States. The NAB represents more than ...

. WSB in Atlanta, however, won the award. In 2014, WCHS anchors and reports Chris Lawrence, Fred Persinger, Jeff Jenkins, Shauna Johnson, and Hoppy Kercheval were presented with various awards at that year's West Virginia Broadcasters Association "Excellence in Broadcasting Awards". In 2015, the station was again presented with two Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, one for "Overall Excellence" and the other for "Best Newscast".

References

External links

96.5 FM 580 AM WCHS Online
{{West Virginia Radio Corporation 1927 establishments in West Virginia News and talk radio stations in the United States Sports radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1927

CHS CHS may refer to: Businesses and organizations Healthcare bodies * Canadian Hemophilia Society, a non-profit * Center for Healthy Sex, a therapy center in Los Angeles, U.S. * Community Health Systems, an American hospital network Other businesses ...