| The Journey Flagship Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Broadcast area | New River Valley |
| Frequency | 88.3 MHz |
| Branding | The Journey |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary Christian music |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Liberty University |
| History | |
First air date | July 1981; 43 years ago (1981-07) |
Call sign meaning | W Radio Victory Liberty (former branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 37249 |
| Class | C1 |
| Power | 28,000 watts |
| HAAT | 346 meters (1,135 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 37°11′50.0″N 79°21′7.0″W / 37.197222°N 79.351944°W / 37.197222; -79.351944 |
| Links | |
Public license information |
|
| Webcast | WRVL Webstream |
| Website | WRVL MyJourneyFM.com |
WRVL (88.3 MHz) is a non-commercial radio station licensedtoLynchburg, Virginia, serving the New River Valley. WRVL is owned and operated by Liberty University and was founded by Jerry Falwell.[2] It broadcasts a Christian Contemporary radio format known as "The Journey." The station is listener-supported and holds periodic fundraisers on the air. The studios and offices are on Candlers Mountain Road in Lynchburg.
WRVL has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 28,000 watts. The transmitter is on Uphill Trail in Altavista.[3] Programming is also simulcast on 19 rebroadcasters and FM translatorsinVirginia and North Carolina.
WRVL signed on the air in July 1981; 43 years ago (1981-07). It had been powered at 100,000 watts, the maximum for most FM stations in the U.S. but on a shorter tower than it uses today. It originally broadcast Christian talk and teaching programs, including those of founder and televangelist Jerry Falwell, who started Liberty University. WRVL faced a series of technical problems in its early years revolving around interference to television reception near the station site.[4]
In December 1981, the Federal Communications Commission ordered the station to greatly reduce its effective radiated power (ERP) from 100,000 to 5,000 watts.[5] In 1982, its tower was brought down by vandals.[6] While the station was off the air, viewers reported better reception of WDBJ Channel 7, the CBS network affiliate for Roanoke-Lynchburg.[7] WRVL later moved to a new tower in Altavista, reducing interference with Channel 7.
In 2009, WRVL broke ground by forming a partnership with NPR broadcaster 89.1 WVTW, owned by Virginia Tech. This allowed WRVL to repeat Victory FM programming on WVTW's HD-3 digital subchannelinCharlottesville, Virginia. This is noteworthy because it makes WVTW perhaps one of few HD radio stations in the nation funded by the federal Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP).[8]
On December 26, 2014, WRVL dropped nearly all its Christian talk and teaching programs, switching to a Contemporary Christian music format. The station's moniker also changed from "Victory Radio Network" to "The Journey". It uses the slogan "Life, Hope, Music."
"The Journey" is carried on several stations and HD Radio digital subchannels in Virginia and North Carolina.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | State | Facility ID | Class | ERP (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WVRL | 88.3 FM | Elizabeth City | North Carolina | 86560 | C2 | 50,000 |
| WVRA | 107.3 FM | Enfield | North Carolina | 164202 | A | 4,100 |
| WVRH | 94.3 FM | Norlina | North Carolina | 1208 | A | 6,000 |
| WVRP | 91.1 FM | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | 85603 | A | 2,000 |
| WVRD | 90.5 FM | Zebulon | North Carolina | 41094 | A | 1,200 |
| WBOP | 95.5 FM | Buffalo Gap | Virginia | 68304 | A | 6,000 |
| WVTW-HD3 | 88.5-3 FM[a] | Charlottesville | Virginia | 63547 | B1 | 1,000 |
| WVRI | 90.9 FM | Clifton Forge | Virginia | 177072 | B | 1,000 |
| WVTR-HD3 | 91.9-3 FM[a] | Marion | Virginia | 70340 | C2 | 4,500 |
| WHRO-HD3 | 90.3-3 FM[a] | Norfolk | Virginia | 25940 | B | 8,800 |
| WRXL-HD3[b] | 102.1-3 FM[a] | Richmond | Virginia | 11961 | B | 20,000 |
| WVTF-HD3 | 89.1-3 FM[a] | Roanoke | Virginia | 70338 | C | 100,000 |
Notes:
"The Journey" is relayed by additional translators to widen its broadcast area. W236BO at 95.1 served Burlington, North Carolina prior to 2013, until WPCM took it over.
| Call sign | Frequency (MHz) |
City of license | State | Facility ID | Class | ERP (W) |
Rebroadcasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W246DD | 97.1 | Charlottesville | Virginia | 142781 | D | 99 | WVTW-HD3 |
| W234CT | 94.7 | Marion | Virginia | 142574 | D | 99 | WVTR-HD3 |
| W293AS | 106.5 | Pulaski | Virginia | 139561 | D | 10 | WVTF-HD3 |
| W235AI | 94.9 | Richmond | Virginia | 150414 | D | 16 | WKHK-HD3 |
| W293AX | 106.5 | Roanoke | Virginia | 150414 | D | 10 | WVTF-HD3 |
| W297BH | 107.3 | Suffolk | Virginia | 155036 | D | 25 | WHRO-HD3 |
| W270BO | 101.9 | Wytheville | Virginia | 139560 | D | 10 | WVTR-HD3 |
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