Update: The next WVMR-FM meeting will be 7 p.m. March 11th at the Hillsboro Library.

It has been years in the making, but community radio is closer than it has ever been to becoming a reality in Hillsboro and southern Pocahontas County. Nine years after we first applied for an FM station to serve Hillsboro and nearby communities, we finally received an FCC permit to establish a station.

This station must be on the air by July 27, 2011, the date our construction permit expires – but we’re hoping to have it operational as a Christmas present to the community in 2010.

The tower and transmitter will be located next to the Forest Service Kramer grazing allotment. Broadcasting as WVMR-FM 91.9 Hillsboro, this new station will allow residents of Hillsboro and southern Pocahontas County to hear music and entertainment, as well as timely reports of local and state events, including weather, news, and community happenings. And we hope that you and your neighbors will take advantage of the opportunity to share your own stories, thoughts and talents with Allegheny Mountain Radio listeners.

(The coverage map shown is subject to change. The blue line illustrates a preliminary estimate of the coverage area of WVMR-FM.)


If you’d like to help Hillsboro and southern Pocahontas County grow its own radio station, contact:

Drew Tanner
Allegheny Mountain Radio
(304) 799-6004
dtamr@frontier.com

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will the station be?
The transmitter will be located at the upper end of the High Rocks property, just below the USFS Kramer grazing allotment. From 6 AM until WVMR 1370 AM goes off the air the same programming will be on both stations.

What about night time?
The station will be on the air 24 hours per day. Night time programs will be done by volunteers. Programs will come from Hot Springs, Monterey and possibly Frost between 6 PM and midnight. After midnight there will be canned network programming until 6 AM, when local programming will resume.

When can I hear it?
We hope to have the transmitter on-line as a Christmas gift to the community in December 2010. Our absolute deadline is July 23, 2011. If it’s not on the air by then we lose our FCC permit to build a station.

Where will I be able to hear it?
We can’t answer this for sure until the station is on the air. We expect that the vast majority of Little Levels District and much of Falling Spring District of Greenbrier County will receive an excellent signal. We hope it will cover the Southern part of Edray and Huntersville Districts as well, but can’t be sure.

What about Warrior Sports?
By being on the air at night, WVMR-FM will be able to carry Warrior football and basketball broadcasts. The degree to which we are able to do this will depend on the availability of volunteers who are willing to be trained as play-by-play announcers.

What can I do?
We need people to help with getting the word out in the community, raising matching money for the grant we received to buy the equipment, and being trained to be volunteer DJs, reporters and sports broadcasters.

How much money needs to be raised?
The Allegheny Mountain Radio Board has committed $10,000. $12,000 was raised back in 1999-2000 from the public when we first applied for a Hillsboro station. Senator Helmick has allocated $25,000 in state funds to come through the County Commission. We have about $55,000 in equipment grant money from the US Department of Commerce. That leaves about $8,000 to be raised in the community and from other sources.

How can I start doing a show?
To be a DJ you will need to take lessons at the Frost Studio. Once you qualify, you will submit a “program proposal” to Cheryl Kinderman, the AMR General Manager. For the most part, programs will air between 6 PM and 10PM weekdays. They can be either 2 hours or 4 hours. Some Saturday and Sunday slots may also be available.

Can my civic group or organization have updates or meeting notices broadcast?
Absolutely!