Roanoke NPR station WVTF is opening a downtown Charlottesville studio. They’ll have a grand opening of the 1,780 square foot facility weekend after next, and use the facility for conducting interviews. It’s at 216 W. Water St. (here, I think), across from the Ice Park. This is constitutes the station’s latest salvo in their quiet battle for listeners against Harrisonburg’s WMRA, both of which broadcast in Charlottesville. Since both stations lean heavily on listener contributions, there’s potentially some real financial benefits that come of getting a bigger chunk of the audience here. Last year’s recruitment of Sandy Hausman as their Charlottesville bureau chief (and sole C’ville employee) was a sign of things to come—they’ve clearly increased the number and depth of their local stories since she came on.
Disclaimer: I’m a weekly guest on WVTF’s “Weekend Virginia.” I’m not compensated for my time, so I’ve got no skin in the game, but it’s worth calling up.
Will WVTF have a grand opening reception we can crash?
From WVTF.org:
WVTF is proud to invite you to visit our new Satellite Studio in Charlottesville Saturday, December 5th from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Bring friends or the family to tour the new facility. Meet our team as well as NPR’s “Political Junkie”, Ken Rudin, and NPR ombudsman, Alicia Shepard. 216 West Water Street.
-sigh- I’ve been on the Internets too long.
I saw the call letters and read them as VWTF
I’d be happy if only I could get radio signals from either station and get them from locations on the very outskirts of Albemarle County. As it is to hear any public radio I need to be almost within city limits. Which stinks.