WEHC is a
Public Radio-formatted
broadcast radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
licensed to
Emory, Virginia
Emory is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a com ...
, serving the
Abingdon/
Marion Marion may refer to:
People
*Marion (given name)
*Marion (surname)
*Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion"
*Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992)
Places Antarctica
* Mario ...
area.
WEHC is owned and operated by
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College (E&H or Emory) is a private liberal arts college in Emory, Virginia. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry College is ...
.
History
The original incarnation of WEHC was a 100-watt AM station, which signed on October 24, 1929 on 1370 kHz. This WEHC was the first station to go into operation in Virginia outside of
Richmond and
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
. The station was programmed mostly by students and represented to the FCC by faculty member W. Byron Brown. After three years of operation, the
Great Depression prompted the college to sell to Brown for $5,000 () in the fall of 1932. The station went off the air that December as Brown moved the physical facilities to
Charlottesville, Virginia, where it is still in operation as
WCHV.
The current WEHC, which is legally unrelated to the original station, was founded in 1992. The original station kept the WEHC callsign until 1935, but it was never reused and remained available for the new station.
New transmitter and tower
WEHC worked with US Representative
Rick Boucher
Frederick Carlyle Boucher (; born August 1, 1946) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1983 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was defeated in his bid for a 15th term by Republican Morgan Griff ...
(D-VA) to raise the $187,932 needed to build a brand new 199 foot tower and increase the station's power from 500 watts to nearly 10,000.
On October 27, 2009, WEHC turned on their new transmitter, dramatically increasing their power from 500 to 8,700 watts.
Programming
WEHC is a mix of national, international, and local programming. During the afternoon and evening hours, WEHC airs locally produced music and public affairs programs. Through an arrangement with
Roanoke station
WVTF
WVTF is the National Public Radio affiliate serving most of southwestern Virginia. The station is licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, and owned by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) through its fundraising arm, the ...
, WEHC simulcasts Radio IQ programs, including
BBC World Service news,
Morning Edition
''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 A ...
,
All Things Considered
''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...
, and
1A. As of November 12, 2022, WEHC also airs its entire line of local programs on
Wise, Virginia
Wise is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,286 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wise County. It was originally incorporated as the town of Gladeville in 1874. The town's name was changed to Wise in ...
station
WISE-FM, which is owned by WVTF's parent company the
Virginia Tech Foundation
The Virginia Tech Foundation (VTF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nonstock corporation established in 1948 to receive, manage, and disburse private gifts in support of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University programs. The purpose of the fou ...
.
References
External links
90.7 WEHC Online*
{{NPR Virginia
1994 establishments in Virginia
Public radio stations in the United States
Radio stations established in 1994
EHC
EHC
EHC