ANNUAL REPORT
A Brief History
1973
WVWR (Virginia Western Radio) is created at Virginia Western Community College to serve as a laboratory for broadcast students and as a forum for on-air college courses. The 4,100 watt station broadcast a variety of shows, including All Things Considered from National Public Radio, classical, jazz and big band music.
1975
WVWR's transmitter is moved from Fishburn Hall on the Virginia Western campus, to Poor Mountain and the power is increased to 100,000 watts.
1979
The Radio Reading Service begins operating on the radio's subcarrier frequency. The service broadcasts readings from current newspapers and magazines to the print-impaired 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The special radio required to receive the signal is provided free of charge. Additional monetary support for the Radio Reading Service is provided by the Voice of the Blue Ridge, a non-profit organization formed by reading service volunteers in 1981.
1980
The call letters are changed to WVTF in 1980, when the Virginia Tech Foundation assumes ownership of the station. WVTF's coverage area on 89.1 FM includes central and southwest Virginia, southern West Virginia and northern North Carolina.
1990
WVTF adds a transmitter in Charlottesville on Bear Den Mountain, WVTU (89.3 FM).
1991
A transmitter is added in Marion, WVTR (91.9 FM), which allows the signal to reach as far west as Bristol.
1997
Another transmitter is added in Charlottesville on Carter Mountain, WVTW (88.5 FM).
1999
WVTF boasts nearly 140,000 weekly listeners and is the most listened-to public radio station licensed in Virginia.
2000
WVTF adds a translator on Candler's Mountain in Lynchburg. Residents of the Hill City can listen to WVTF on 89.5 FM. This translator is later switched to Radio IQ, WVTF's sister station which broadcasts BBC news and NPR talk programs.
April 2001
WVTF announces its licensee, the Virginia Tech Foundation, has purchased land in the City of Roanoke to build its new offices and studios, including a multi-purpose studio.
June 2001
WVTF announces purchase of land to build a new studio/office facility.
November 2001
Construction begins on the state-of-the-art office/studio complex located on Kingsbury Lane in Roanoke.
January 2003
WVTF announces the launch of Radio IQ, a partnership between Virginia Tech and Ferrum College, offering BBC news and NPR talk programs on its translators in Charlottesville and Roanoke at 89.7 FM, in Ferrum at 89.9 FM and in the New River Valley at 1260AM. Get more information about Radio IQ.
May 2003
WVTF moves to its new home at 3520 Kingsbury Lane in the City of Roanoke.
December 2009
WVTF and Radio IQ opens a satellite studio in Charlottesville, Virginia. New state-of-the-art broadcast facility at 216 West Water Street. See Pictures.
Present day
WVTF promises to continually offer the best in news, information, public affairs programs, and classical and jazz music. WVTF's mission statement: To produce and acquire programming and services of value reflecting the culture, events, issues and ideas of our region and the world, and to combine them into an evolving communications service of the highest quality for the people of Virginia and its bordering communities.
3520 Kingsbury Lane Roanoke, VA 24014