{{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox radio station | name = WCVE-FM | logo = WCVE-FM VPM News logo.png | logo_upright = .4 | city = Richmond, Virginia | country = US | area = Greater Richmond Region | branding = VPM News | airdate = {{start date|1988|5|8}}<ref name="LaunchDate"/> | frequency = {{Frequency|88.9|MHz}} {{HD Radio}} | former_frequencies = 101.1 FM (1988–1990) | format = Public news/talk | erp = 10,000 watts | haat = {{convert|302|m|ft|sp=us}} | class = B | licensing_authority = FCC | facility_id = 10016 | coordinates = {{coord|37|34|45.5|N|77|36|5|W|type:landmark_region:US-VA_source:FCC|display=inline,title}} | callsign_meaning = "Central Virginia Educational" | owner = VPM Media Corporation | licensee = | sister_stations = {{hlist|WCVE-TV|WCVW-TV|WWLB|WBBT-FM}} | webcast = {{listenlive|1=https://vpm.org/listen/stream?channel=news}} | website = {{URL|https://vpm.org/news}} | affiliations = {{ubl|National Public Radio|American Public Media}} }}
'''WCVE-FM''' ("VPM News", 88.9 MHz) is a public radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia, serving the Greater Richmond Region. WCVE-FM is owned and operated by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation.<ref name="FCC"/> CPBC also owns Channel 23 WCVE-TV, the PBS member station in Richmond, as well as other TV and FM stations in Virginia.
WCVE-FM broadcasts two channels in the HD Radio format.<ref>http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=56 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914212443/http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=56 |date=September 14, 2016 }} HD Radio Guide for Richmond, Virginia</ref>
Two additional stations, WWLB (93.1 FM) and WBBT-FM 107.3, broadcast classical and specialty music programming to Richmond under the brand "VPM Music". WWLB serves the southern portion of the market, while WBBT serves the northern portion. Two stations in outlying areas originally built as repeaters of WCVE-FM, '''WCNV''' (89.1 FM) in Heathsville and '''WMVE''' (90.1 FM) in Chase City, now air programming from both networks.
==History== ===WRFK=== In May 1957, the Union Theological Seminary of Richmond (now known as the Union Presbyterian Seminary) signed on an FM radio station at 90.1, WRFK.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1958/Radio-NE-Ter-1958-BC-YB.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1958 page A-387]{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Its non-commercial schedule of classical music, religion and talk programs proved to be popular. The station relocated to 106.5 in the 1960s and boosted its power, first to 16,000 watts, and later 50,000 watts, covering all of Richmond and its suburbs. When National Public Radio debuted in the 1970s, WRFK became the organization's member for Richmond, airing programs such as ''All Things Considered.'' It operated as a noncommercial broadcaster despite being on a commercial frequency.
In the late 1980s, the seminary discovered that its charter did not allow it to operate a radio station and put WRFK on the market. It initially reached a deal to sell the station to the Federated Arts Council. However, it opted to take a larger offer from a commercial broadcaster.<ref>"U.S. appeals court grants extension to group for fine arts radio station", ''The Richmond Times-Dispatch'', September 25, 1987.</ref><ref>"WRFK pact may come in a couple weeks", ''The Richmond Times-Dispatch'', November 25, 1987.</ref> Meanwhile, Richmond's PBS member, WCVE-TV, which signed on in 1964, expressed an interest in operating a public radio station as a companion to Channel 23. With the help of interested businessmen and lawmakers who wanted to see the NPR/fine arts format preserved in Richmond, Commonwealth Public Broadcasting won a radio license.<ref name="The Richmond Times-Dispatch 1988">"Silent void possible with WRFK", ''The Richmond Times-Dispatch'', January 2, 1988.</ref><ref name="February 1988">"Music lovers awash in February's stormy seas", ''The Richmond Times-Dispatch'', February 27, 1988.</ref>
===WCVE-FM=== In 1988, WRFK was sold to The Daytona Group of Virginia, Inc.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1989/B-2%20Radio%20Neb%20to%20Terr%201989-5.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1989 page B-313]{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The station switched to a commercial adult contemporary format as WVMX (now urban contemporary station WBTJ). WRFK signed off for the last time on May 6, 1988. Soon afterward, WCVE-FM signed on from 101.1 FM as Richmond's new NPR member station. Most of WRFK's staff transferred to WCVE-FM, along with nearly all of WRFK's programming and music library.<ref name="The Richmond Times-Dispatch 1988"/><ref name="February 1988"/>
In the summer of 1989, a new commercial allocation was granted at 101.1. By the following year, WCVE-FM had moved to its current home at 88.9 FM.<ref name="fybush">{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=Site of the Week 1/21/2022: VPM, Richmond VA |url=https://www.fybush.com/site-20220121/ |work=Fybush.com |date=21 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New FM Station, Translator Grants |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-BC/FMedia/FMedia-1989.pdf |work=FMedia! |date=August 1989}}</ref> Its effective radiated power was 8,300 watts, with its transmitter at the WCVE-TV tower, at 840 feet in height above average terrain.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1990/B-Radio-NE-Terr-BC-YB-1990.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1990 page B-327]{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> It originally aired classical music much of the day, with some NPR programs, jazz and local news. With the expansion of NPR's schedule in the 1990s, more NPR shows were added, to the point where the station became all news and information on weekdays, with music heard at night and on weekends.
In the early 2000s, WCVE-FM nearly doubled its power, to 17,500 watts, from the same 840-foot tower. In the 2010s, the station reduced its power to 10,000 watts, coupled with an increase in antenna height, now at {{convert|990|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref>[https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=wcve&arn=&state=&city=&freq=0.0&fre2=107.9&serv=&vac=&facid=&asrn=&class=&list=0&ThisTab=Results+to+This+Page%2FTab&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9 FCC.gov/WCVE-FM]</ref> That gives WCVE-FM the same coverage but at less power due to the use of a taller tower.
===News and music split=== {{see also|WBBT-FM|WWLB}} On December 20, 2017, Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation announced that they would acquire stations WBBT-FM 107.3 and WWLB (93.1 FM) from Alpha Media. As part of the purchase, the station would move its music programming to the new acquisitions. WCVE-FM began simulcasting on the two new stations on February 15, 2018; on June 1, 2018, WCVE-FM rebranded as "WCVE News", while the two new stations became "WCVE Music". WCNV and WMVE, WCVE-FM's existing repeaters, began airing programs from both services.<ref name="co">{{cite news |last1=Griset |first1=Rich |title=WCVE marks 30 years with new stations, gala |url=http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2018-05-30/Front_Page/WCVE_marks_30_years_with_new_stations_gala.html |work=Chesterfield Observer |date=May 30, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> On August 5, 2019, WCVE-FM was rebranded as "VPM News" while both WBBT-FM and WWLB were rebranded as "VPM Music".
==Network== WCVE-FM built two full-powered repeaters in 2007 to serve outlying parts of its coverage area.<ref name="co" /> As they are the only public radio stations in their broadcast areas, these stations are split between the VPM News and VPM Music networks; news airs in morning and evening drive times on weekdays, while music takes the rest of the day and weekends.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Richmond Area Public Stations Rebrand As VPM |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/179294/richmond-area-public-stations-rebrand-as-vpm/ |work=RadioInsight |date=30 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Quarterly Issues and Programs Report HYBRID JULY - SEPTEMBER 2024 |url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/e3888584-996c-16eb-621f-3ff847bbcd44/79ab2f93-08dc-495c-8d48-948a9ab9f8b6.pdf |website=FCC Public Information File}}</ref><ref name="fybush" /> {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Call sign ! data-sort-type="number" | Frequency<br />(MHz) ! City of license ! data-sort-type="number" | Facility ID ! Class ! data-sort-type="number" | ERP<br />(W) ! data-sort-type="number" | Height<br />(m (ft)) ! class="unsortable" | Transmitter coordinates |- | {{rh}} | WCNV || 89.1 || Heathsville, Virginia || {{FID|90292}} || A || 3,800 || {{convert|97|m|ft|abbr=on}}|| {{coord|37|54|22.5|N|76|29|7.8|W|type:landmark_region:US-VA_source:FCC|name=WCNV}} |- | {{rh}} | WMVE || 90.1 || Chase City, Virginia || {{FID|90273}} || C3 || 8,000 || {{convert|113|m|ft|abbr=on}}|| {{coord|36|46|29.5|N|78|20|40.0|W|type:landmark_region:US-VA_source:FCC|name=WMVE}} |}
==References== {{reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="LaunchDate">{{cite book|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2010/D4-2010-BC-YB-7.pdf|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 2010|date=2010|access-date=July 10, 2015|publisher=ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V.|page=D-569}}</ref> <ref name="FCC">{{cite web|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WCVE|title=WCVE Facility Record|access-date=July 10, 2015|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}}</ref> }}
==External links== * [http://www.vpm.org/news VPM News] * {{FM station data|10016|WCVE}}
{{Clear}}
{{Richmond Radio}} {{Roanoke Rapids Radio}} {{NorthernNeck Radio}} {{NPR Virginia}}
Category:1988 establishments in Virginia Category:Public radio stations in the United States Category:NPR member stations Category:Radio stations established in 1988 CVE-FM CVE-FM Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States