Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 6, 1994 TAG: 9407060039
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The media group's chief executive officer, Ralph Davis, has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. today in Blacksburg to "explain what changes will soon be occuring," according to a station announcement.
Responding to widespread speculation that WVVV will switch from rock to country music or trade formats - and perhaps call letters - with WPSK (107.1 FM), Dave Roederer, the new general manager for all three stations said, "I'm not closing the door to any kind of format change, or opening it." He said WVVV "has been very successful with its present format."
However, "Rock 105" - as the station is known - will switch its dial position. Roederer said his company is moving forward with plans to swap FM channels with WVRV (105.3 FM) in Roanoke and raise the station's power from 2,700 watts to 25,000 watts, making it the most powerful FM station in the New River Valley. He said he expects the power boost and the switch to 105.3 on the FM dial to be complete by early 1995.
Roederer said the stations will beef up their news programming "on AM especially." WJJJ, or "1260-J," now has an oldies format.
New River Media Group also plans to house all three stations in one place, but Roederer said no site has been picked yet. He said the stations' staffs would work together.
"We're in the middle of an extensive research project at this point," he said.
Recent changes in Federal Communications Commission rules now permit common ownership of multiple stations within the same market provided no single station attracts over 25 percent of the total audience.
Roederer said New River Media Group plans to reveal more specific details and "what direction the stations will take" at its press briefing.
New River Media's parent company, Cumberland Group Limited of Richlands, also owns country-formatted WYVE (1280 AM) in Wytheville. It's been over a year since New River Media Group announced its plans to buy WVVV and WJJJ. The company paid Blacksburg-Christiansburg Broadcasting Co. approximately $550,000 for the two stations, including real estate and a non-competition agreement.
The WVVV and WJJJ studios are on North Franklin Street in Christiansburg.
by CNB