WRJR
Encyclopedia
WPMH is a Christian Talk formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia
, serving Hampton Roads
. WPMH is owned by The Walt Disney Company
, brokered
to Christian broadcaster Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation.
Chesapeake, VA) was built in the early 60's with studios to host large music bands. It was owned by Ralph Epperson. The station was later sold to Stuart Epperson in 1992. Stuart Epperson (after the purchase of the radio station in 1992) wished the station to be no longer local, but a satellite station of his existing network.
One of the longest serving managers (under the call letters of WPMH) was Les Litchfield. He managed from 1979 to 1994. It was during this time that WPMH gained direction as a prominent local Christian talk radio. In fact, the station with only 5,000 watts of power, made arbitron status being a Christian talk station. Broadcasts included John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, Minirth meier clinic (nationally syndicated), Money Matters by Larry Burkett, and other local and national pastors and Christian commentators.
Henry Hoot became manager in 1994 and has continued to present. Henry changed the direction of station, and the station slowly became more secularly oriented (Hence, the final purchase of the station by Disney). There is some evidence that 90.7, WAZP KLOVE for the Hampton Roads area was brought to the area on the direction change of WPMH. For a while the staffing for the local syndicate for KLOVE was operated by the staff of WPMH. Stuart Epperson also began ownership of WAZP the local KLOVE syndicate in or around 1994.
The call letters, WRJR, became available in the early 1980s when Bates College changed its call letters to WRBC.
Chesapeake-Portsmouth purchased WRJR outright from Disney, along with WHKT
, in January 2010. In the interim, despite having previously brokered the station to Chesapeake-Portsmouth, Disney, in a Federal Communications Commission
filing, stated that it took WRJR, along with five former Radio Disney
stations slated to be sold (including WHKT), off the air on January 22. WRJR did not leave the air.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, serving Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
. WPMH is owned by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, brokered
Brokered programming
Brokered programming is a form of broadcast content in which the show's producer pays a radio or television station for air time, rather than exchanging programming for pay or the opportunity to play spot commercials...
to Christian broadcaster Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation.
History
The physical station of the call letter WPMH (2202 Jolliff RdChesapeake, VA) was built in the early 60's with studios to host large music bands. It was owned by Ralph Epperson. The station was later sold to Stuart Epperson in 1992. Stuart Epperson (after the purchase of the radio station in 1992) wished the station to be no longer local, but a satellite station of his existing network.
One of the longest serving managers (under the call letters of WPMH) was Les Litchfield. He managed from 1979 to 1994. It was during this time that WPMH gained direction as a prominent local Christian talk radio. In fact, the station with only 5,000 watts of power, made arbitron status being a Christian talk station. Broadcasts included John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, Minirth meier clinic (nationally syndicated), Money Matters by Larry Burkett, and other local and national pastors and Christian commentators.
Henry Hoot became manager in 1994 and has continued to present. Henry changed the direction of station, and the station slowly became more secularly oriented (Hence, the final purchase of the station by Disney). There is some evidence that 90.7, WAZP KLOVE for the Hampton Roads area was brought to the area on the direction change of WPMH. For a while the staffing for the local syndicate for KLOVE was operated by the staff of WPMH. Stuart Epperson also began ownership of WAZP the local KLOVE syndicate in or around 1994.
The call letters, WRJR, became available in the early 1980s when Bates College changed its call letters to WRBC.
Chesapeake-Portsmouth purchased WRJR outright from Disney, along with WHKT
WHKT
WHKT is a conservative Talk broadcast radio station, licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia serving the Hampton Roads market. WHKT is owned by Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation.-Station Sold:...
, in January 2010. In the interim, despite having previously brokered the station to Chesapeake-Portsmouth, Disney, in a Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
filing, stated that it took WRJR, along with five former Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
stations slated to be sold (including WHKT), off the air on January 22. WRJR did not leave the air.