WROV-FM (96.3

MHz 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 one he ...

) is a commercial FM

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 A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

Martinsville, Virginia Martinsville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,485. A community of both Southside and Southwest Virginia, it is the county seat of Henry County, althou ...

. WROV-FM is owned and operated by iHeartMedia and airs a

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when radio was compelle ...

. WROV-FM's signal covers the Roanoke- Lynchburg

media market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

, including the

New River Valley The New River Valley is a region along the New River in Southwest Virginia in the United States. It is usually defined as the counties of Montgomery (including the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg), Pulaski, Floyd, and Giles and the ...

and the Southside of Virginia. WROV-FM has studios and offices on Brandon Avenue in Roanoke and its

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the ...

is in

Boones Mill, Virginia Boones Mill is a town in Franklin County, Virginia, United States. The population was 239 in 2018, down from 285 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Boones Mill was incorporated in 1927. It was ...

WROV-FMHD2

WROV-FMHD2 carries an African-American-oriented

news/talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

format under the branding "Roanoke's BIN 96.7". On November 18, 2020, WROV-FMHD2 and W244AV changed their format from alternative rock to programming from the Black Information Network, branded as "Roanoke's BIN 96.7". The alternative rock format continues on WSTV-HD2 and W245BG.

History of call letters

WROV-FM first signed on the air in January 1950 as WMVA-FM. It was a sister station to WMVA and served Martinsville. In 1989, new ownership purchased WMVA-FM and WROV (now

WGMN WGMN is a news/talk broadcast radio station licensed to and serving Roanoke, Virginia. WGMN is owned and operated by Three Daughters Media. The station went on the air in 1946 as WROV and broadcast a Contemporary hit radio format in the 1970s. WRO ...

), and undertook a move of WMVA-FM to Roanoke. The call letters WROV-FM were previously assigned to a station in Roanoke, Virginia. It began broadcasting on 103.7 MHz in 1948. It was a sister station of WROV and duplicated that station's programming. In 1955, WROV radio's ownership had decided to leave broadcasting altogether after the disastrous effort to start

WROV-TV WROV-TV, UHF Channel 27 in Roanoke, Virginia, was an early TV station in Roanoke and the second oldest (having signed on shortly after WSLS-TV). Established February 15, 1953, it left the air on July 13, 1953, becoming the first UHF television st ...

; new management saw the FM station as a money pit and turned in the license in June 1957.

References

External links

96.3 WROV Online
* {{IHeartMedia ROV-FM Radio stations established in 1950 Classic rock radio stations in the United States IHeartMedia radio stations