
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, October 18, 1994                   TAG: 9410180094
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

WJJJ PLANS TO MOVE TOWER

The new owners of radio station WJJJ (1260 AM) plan to move the station's transmitting tower from its North Franklin Street site near the intersection with Cambria Street to part of a 4.6-acre tract of farm land at 1226 Walton Road.

Walton Road runs from U.S. 11 to Peppers Ferry Road through a rural section of Montgomery County between Christiansburg and Radford.

The property's owners, C. Randall and Brenda DeHart, have requested a special use permit from Montgomery County for the entire tract, which is zoned agricultural, to allow the move. If the permit is approved, the DeHarts intend to lease the property to New River Media Group, which owns WJJJ, its sister station WVVV (104.9 FM) and WPSK (107.1 FM), licensed to Pulaski.

New River Media Group would use a 400-by-500-foot area on the tract to erect a nearly 200-foot tower, an adjacent microwave antenna and support, and a small building for the station's transmitter and other accessory equipment.

The transmitter would be remotely operated from the former Eleven West retail store complex on U.S. 11 near Fairlawn, which will house studios and offices for all three stations.

In an application to the Montgomery County Planning Commission filed Sept. 26, the DeHarts and New River Media Group say the new location will permit "better planning and utilization" of the present North Franklin Street site. They also say the tower will have "minimal impact" on its agricultural surroundings and that relocating the WJJJ transmitter site could boost the station's payroll.

The Planning Commission is expected to set a date for a joint public hearing with the Board of Supervisors when it meets Wednesday. The hearing likely will take place in late November.

New River Media Group already has received approval to install a new transmitting antenna for WVVV on land owned by Virginia Tech Foundation on Price Mountain in Montgomery County. WVVV's present antenna is side-mounted on the WJJJ tower at North Franklin Street. The move to Price Mountain will permit WVVV to change its dial position from 104.9 to 105.3 and increase its power from 2,800 watts to 25,000 watts.

by CNB