WSVH-FM
Encyclopedia
WSVH FM
91.1 is a 96,000-watt
public radio station
broadcasting from Savannah, Georgia
, and transmitting from the WVAN-TV
9 (GPB TV) tower to the west in Pembroke, Georgia
, north of Fort Stewart
. It serves the upper Georgia
coast and areas well inland, and adjacent areas of far southern South Carolina
.
The station's signal is simulcast
by GPB-owned WWIO-FM 88.9 in Brunswick, Georgia
. Together, the two stations serve the entire Georgia coastline. Their signals can be heard from Beaufort, South Carolina
to Fernandina Beach, Florida
.
The station group is an affiliate
of the statewide
Georgia Public Broadcasting
radio network
. WSVH is one of two member stations of the GPB Radio network to have local
announcer
s and underwriting
during the day. WSVH produces three radio programs for the GPB network: Celtic
program The Green Island Radio Show' with Harry O'Donoghue, folk
show Music Americana with Dick Wallace, and the overnight classical block Coastal Nocturne.
The station began broadcasting on April 20, 1981, the first song being played on the station at 6 am was Aaron Copland
's Fanfare for the Common Man
. The station was independently run until 1988 when it joined the state-wide public radio network called "Peach State Public Radio". In the early 1990s, the listening area was greatly improved with the addition of WWIO in extreme southeast Georgia; an overnight classical music format
was also added. In 1997, the station moved its studio from downtown Savannah to the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography
on Skidaway Island, just south of Savannah. In August of 2011, the WSVH/WWIO studios moved again to space at the Armstrong Center of Armstrong Atlantic State University.
The station plays mostly European classical music, jazz
and news from National Public Radio. This programming is in contrast to SCETV
-owned WJWJ-FM
89.9, a Beaufort, South Carolina
-based NPR station that is primarily news and talk formatted.
When the PBS
Descriptive Video Service
is not running, viewers on DirecTV
hear the programming and hourly station IDs of WSVH/WWIO when listening to the second audio program
("Spanish" selected with green button) of GPB on the standard-definition feed. This is regardless of the location in the state, as it is a single feed for all media market
s statewide.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
91.1 is a 96,000-watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
public 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...
broadcasting from Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, and transmitting from the WVAN-TV
WVAN-TV
WVAN-TV channel 9 is a non-commercial educational television station located in Savannah, Georgia, USA. WVAN-TV is part of the Georgia Public Broadcasting public television network and carries programming from PBS, GPB and other sources...
9 (GPB TV) tower to the west in Pembroke, Georgia
Pembroke, Georgia
Pembroke is a small city in Bryan County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,379 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Bryan County.Pembroke is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, north of Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
. It serves the upper Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
coast and areas well inland, and adjacent areas of far southern South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
The station's signal is simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
by GPB-owned WWIO-FM 88.9 in Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
. Together, the two stations serve the entire Georgia coastline. Their signals can be heard from Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
to Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County in the state of Florida in the United States of America and on Amelia Island. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe...
.
The station group is an affiliate
Network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry , a network affiliate is a local broadcaster which carries some or all of the television program or radio program line-up of a television or radio network, but is owned by a company other than the owner of the network...
of the statewide
State network
A State Network in the United States broadcasting industry is a term which refers to a miniature television network serving an entire state or multiple states...
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia Public Broadcasting is the public broadcasting radio and television state network in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission....
radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
. WSVH is one of two member stations of the GPB Radio network to have local
Local insertion
In broadcasting, local insertion is the act or capability of a broadcast television station, radio station, or cable TV system to insert or replace part of a broadcast network feed with content unique to the local station or system...
announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
s and underwriting
Underwriting
Underwriting refers to the process that a large financial service provider uses to assess the eligibility of a customer to receive their products . The name derives from the Lloyd's of London insurance market...
during the day. WSVH produces three radio programs for the GPB network: Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
program The Green Island Radio Show' with Harry O'Donoghue, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
show Music Americana with Dick Wallace, and the overnight classical block Coastal Nocturne.
The station began broadcasting on April 20, 1981, the first song being played on the station at 6 am was Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
's Fanfare for the Common Man
Fanfare for the Common Man
Fanfare for the Common Man is a 20th-century American classical music work by American composer Aaron Copland. The piece was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens. It was inspired in part by a famous speech made earlier in the same year where vice...
. The station was independently run until 1988 when it joined the state-wide public radio network called "Peach State Public Radio". In the early 1990s, the listening area was greatly improved with the addition of WWIO in extreme southeast Georgia; an overnight classical music format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
was also added. In 1997, the station moved its studio from downtown Savannah to the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography
The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is an internationally renowned marine science research institute located on the northern end of Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1968, it is part of the University System of Georgia as an independent research unit...
on Skidaway Island, just south of Savannah. In August of 2011, the WSVH/WWIO studios moved again to space at the Armstrong Center of Armstrong Atlantic State University.
The station plays mostly European classical music, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and news from National Public Radio. This programming is in contrast to SCETV
South Carolina Educational Television
South Carolina Educational Television is the statewide public television and public radio network in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It consists of all the Public Broadcasting Service member [television stations and National Public Radio member radio stations in the state...
-owned WJWJ-FM
WJWJ-FM
WJWJ-FM is a non-commercial News/Talk radio station licensed to Beaufort, South Carolina. Transmitter is located with co-owned WJWJ-TV near Green Pond, SC in Colleton County and is part of the statewide "NPR News network" from ETV Radio. It covers most of the southeastern part of the state,...
89.9, a Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
-based NPR station that is primarily news and talk formatted.
When the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
Descriptive Video Service
Descriptive Video Service
The Descriptive Video Service is a major United States producer of video description, which makes visual media, such as television programs, feature films, and home videos, more accessible to people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired...
is not running, viewers on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
hear the programming and hourly station IDs of WSVH/WWIO when listening to the second audio program
Second audio program
Second audio program , also known as secondary audio programming, is an auxiliary audio channel for analog television that can be broadcast or transmitted both over the air and by cable TV.-Usage:...
("Spanish" selected with green button) of GPB on the standard-definition feed. This is regardless of the location in the state, as it is a single feed for all media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
s statewide.