WHOV explained

WHOV
Country:US
Area:Hampton Roads
Branding:Smooth 88.1 WHOV
Format:Jazz, gospel, urban contemporary
Class:B1
Facility Id:25952
Coordinates:37.0172°N -76.3369°W
Callsign Meaning:Hampton's Own Voice[1]
Owner:Hampton University
Licensing Authority:FCC
Former Frequencies:88.3 MHz (1964–1992)

WHOV is the radio station of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It broadcasts jazz, gospel, and R&B music to the Hampton Roads area from its studios in the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communication and transmitter located separately on the Hampton University campus.

The history of radio at what was then the Hampton Institute began with the 1941 establishment of a carrier current station, which by 1950 was known as WHOV. The station became a broadcast FM service in 1964 and over the years increased its broadcast power to cover most of Hampton Roads. It serves as a training ground for students.

History

In 1941, the Hampton Institute established a carrier current station audible in campus dormitories to support students interested in broadcasting.[2] By 1950, the station was known as WHOV—"Hampton's Own Voice"—and providing regular programming.[3]

The Institute filed on November 8, 1962, to build a new non-commercial FM station at 88.3 MHz in conjunction with a new communications building; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the construction permit on April 9, 1963.[4] [5] The communications building was dedicated in February 1964,[6] and WHOV began broadcasting on March 5 or March 16, 1964. It originally operated for six hours a day, five days a week, with blocks of educational programming.[7]

By 1977, WHOV was operating for seven hours each weekday and twelve hours daily on weekends, offering listeners jazz, soul, and rock music. One reason that hours had been limited was the regular theft of albums and equipment from the studio.[8] The station applied in 1979 to raise its effective radiated power from 10 watts to 1,240; the station made the switch by 1982 and, to meet FCC regulations, planned to its weekday broadcasting to 12 hours.[9] It added its first Spanish-language programming in 1980, which grew from one 30-minute show to six hours a week by 1992[10] and hours by 1996.[11]

WHOV was reformatted in 1984 to emphasize jazz music; station manager Evonne Whitmore described the new music policy as "more jazz, less rhythm and blues and no punk, funk and rappin' music".[12] This emphasis persisted for years; in 1991, a sign in the studio warned student DJs, "R&B Announcers: Do Not Play More than 3 Rap Songs Per Hour" on penalty of immediate termination.[13] Later that year, the station was off the air for two months and on reduced power for another two after a dump truck snared one of the tower's guy wires, causing it to collapse.[14] During that time, Hampton Institute renamed itself Hampton University (HU) to reflect its expanded graduate offerings.[15] By the late 1980s, WHOV aired specialty programs featuring Hispanic and Caribbean music on weekends in addition to its primary format of jazz music.[16]

In 1988, Hampton University began planning to increase the power of WHOV to as much as 20,000 watts, which would relocate the station to 88.1 MHz and add Virginia Beach to the coverage area.[17] The move became entangled in several other frequency changes and power increases among noncommercial radio stations in Hampton Roads. The insertion of the new WHRO-FM 90.3 led to the relocation of WFOS to 88.7 MHz, which in turn caused issues for reception of WJLZ. That led the FCC to hold off on permitting the upgrade to WHOV,[18] which took effect on July 1, 1992.[19]

WHOV affiliated with ABC Radio Networks in 2000. The affiliation was seen as giving the station prestige and allowed the station to air the nationally syndicated Doug Banks Morning Show, aimed at urban contemporary stations, in morning drive.[20] [21] In 2002, Hampton University opened a new communications school, replacing the media arts department, and a new communications building funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation, which included studios for WHOV radio as well as television studios.[22]

Hurricane Isabel in 2003 resulted in substantial damage to the transmitter facility. In the wake of Isabel, WHOV received new equipment and became a 24-hour operation.[23]

Notable alumni

Notes and References

  1. News: Institute FM Radio Station Slated Feb. 1 . September 21, 1963 . 10 . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 3, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203809/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-institute-fm-radio-station-s/154540938/ . live .
  2. News: Growth Of Cable Debated . April 3, 1982 . 12 . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203810/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-growth-of-cable-debated/155348706/ . live .
  3. News: Ohio State Prof. Hampton Founder's Day Speaker . February 1, 1950 . . . 2 .
  4. Web site: History Cards for WHOV . . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203819/https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=70359 . live .
  5. News: HI Will Build Radio Station . March 15, 1963 . 14 . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203819/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-hi-will-build-radio-station/155219408/ . live .
  6. News: Heckscher To Dedicate Hi Building . January 18, 1964 . 3 . Seymour . Kopf . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203812/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-heckscher-to-dedicate-hi-bui/155219608/ . live .
  7. News: Hampton Institute FM Radio Station Begins Five-Day Broadcast Schedule . March 17, 1964 . 3, 18 . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203821/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-hampton-institute-fm-radio-s/155219562/ . live .
  8. News: Students Enjoy College Radio Station . November 27, 1977 . 3 . Mark . Lacter . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203811/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-students-enjoy-college-radio/154793674/ . live .
  9. News: WHOV-FM Radio . August 28, 1980 . 20 . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915203811/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-whov-fm-radio/154804501/ . live .
  10. News: The voices of HU: 'Reggae Extravaganza' explores new territory for campus radio station . March 3, 1992 . C1, C2 . Kris . Worrell . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204316/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-the-voices-of-hu-reggae-ex/154804340/ . live .
  11. News: Hispanic Sounds . January 18, 1996 . 46 . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204319/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-hispanic-sounds/154804441/ . live .
  12. News: WHOV format to change . January 25, 1984 . 14 . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204407/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-whov-format-to-change/154804533/ . live .
  13. News: The Mambo kings: Hispanic listeners hear a little bit of home . B1 . Mark . Mobley . . May 25, 1991 .
  14. News: Hampton University's WHOV to go back on air . November 2, 1984 . C8 . Lynda R. . Page . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204317/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-hampton-universitys-whov-to/154804565/ . live .
  15. News: Hampton Institute to be university . August 8, 1984 . B-3 . Richmond Times-Dispatch . Richmond, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204318/https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-hampton-institut/154804624/ . live .
  16. News: Jazz and More! The stereotypical's not on HU station's playlist . May 7, 1989 . I1, I6 . Joseph . Pryweller . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204318/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-jazz-and-more-the-stereotyp/154793487/ . live .
  17. News: HU station anticipates power boost . September 23, 1988 . Splash! 12 . Billy . Warden . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204319/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-hu-station-anticipates-power/154804386/ . live .
  18. News: WGH-AM swings to country beat . March 23, 1991 . D1, D4 . Joseph . Pryweller . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204416/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-wgh-am-swings-to-country-bea/73945887/ . live .
  19. News: Touch that dial: HU radio moves, adds power . July 16, 1992 . D1, D4 . Monette . Austin . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204923/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-touch-that-dial-hu-radio-mo/155352375/ . live .
  20. News: Tuned in: College radio stations offer an eclectic variety that is worth a listen . November 5, 2000 . J1, J2 . Sam . McDonald . David . Nicholson . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204822/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-tuned-in-college-radio-stat/154793558/ . live .
  21. News: HU, NSU stations teach real world skills . November 5, 2000 . J2 . Sam . McDonald . David . Nicholson . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Newspapers.com . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204924/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-hu-nsu-stations-teach-real/154793515/ . live .
  22. News: Hampton U. names interim media school director . B3 . The Virginian-Pilot . September 6, 2002 .
  23. News: On-the-air pressure rises . September 19, 2005 . Daily Press . September 15, 2024 . September 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240915204824/https://www.dailypress.com/2005/09/19/on-the-air-pressure-rises/ . live .
  24. News: Hampton University alum and radio DJ wins Grammy . . February 18, 2016 . Andrew Bisnaught, better known as DJ Babey Drew, was recognized for his contribution to the Diplo and Skrillex award winning album, Jack Ü. A song on Jack Ü called "Jungle Bae" sampled DJ Babey Drew's "In the Air." Bisnaught graduated in 2002 and got his start in radio at WHOV 88.1 FM. He was also an on-air DJ at Virginia Beach's Hot 102.1 for over four years. He currently can be heard on Z-104.5 FM in Virginia Beach and Power 96.1 FM in Atlanta. .

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