NEWS

Local angles: Edenton, Elizabeth City, Washington, Williamston

WUNC public radio begins broadcasting at 88.9 FM in Columbia, serving Northeastern N.C.

CHAPEL HILL -- WUNC Public Radio will begin broadcasting Monday (Sept. 1) at a new radio station located in Columbia. WUNC’s award-winning news and information service will be heard at 88.9 FM, reaching west to east from Greenville to the Outer Banks, and north to south from Elizabeth City to Hyde County.

The addition of the new station at 88.9 FM means that listeners will be able to tune in to WUNC’s signal in 36 counties across a five-station network, providing uninterrupted coverage from Greensboro to Manteo.

"I am excited about the opportunity to provide quality public radio programming to all our listeners, including residents of Edenton, Elizabeth City, Washington and Williamston," said Joan Siefert Rose, WUNC general manager. "These communities have been among the few in North Carolina that have not had access to a strong signal for National Public Radio news and North Carolina-based local programming. I also am glad to extend our service to listeners in some of the most rural counties in the state."

WUNC is licensed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Said Chancellor James Moeser, "WUNC’s expansion represents UNC-Chapel Hill’s commitment to serving all citizens of the state by offering information that connects them with the rest of the world. WUNC’s decision to provide the first public radio service to this region reaffirms its public service mission to the residents of North Carolina."

The completion of construction on the 50,000-watt station follows many years of advocacy for enhanced public radio service to the region by North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight. "I’m thrilled that WUNC is expanding the presence of public radio in eastern North Carolina," Basnight said. "I’m a big fan of its programs, and I hope it will bring as much education and entertainment to other listeners as it does to me."

WUNC broadcasts a combination of news and talk programs from National Public Radio (NPR) and its Chapel Hill-based programming staff. In addition, the station broadcasts weekend entertainment programs such as "A Prairie Home Companion," "Car Talk" and WUNC’s long-running bluegrass music program "Back Porch Music." A complete programming schedule can be found at the website www.wunc.org.

The new radio station at 88.9 FM will provide weather and community service announcements for northeastern North Carolina, but will not have a local staff. WUNC reporters will include the news of the region in regularly scheduled newscasts.

In October, WUNC will convert two low-powered stations licensed to Manteo and Buxton to a 24-hour classical music service. This change will provide listeners on the Outer Banks with a choice of an all-news and an all-classical station. WUNC’s programming in other parts of North Carolina will not be affected.

WUNC is heard at 91.5 in the Triangle and Triad regions, at 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount/Wilson, and at 90.9 and 90.5 FM along the Outer Banks. WUNC serves more than 300,000 listeners each week with its news and information format.

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WUNC contact: Joan Siefert Rose, (919) 966-5454, jsrose@wunc.org
News Services contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu