WVSP-FM
{{short description|Radio station in Yorktown, Virginia}}
{{for|the former public radio station in Warrenton–Rocky Mount, North Carolina|WVSP (North Carolina)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WVSP-FM
| logo =
| logo_size = 200px
| city = Yorktown, Virginia
| area = The Peninsula, Middle Peninsula and Southside of Hampton Roads
| branding = Priority Auto Sports Radio 94.1 ESPN
| airdate = {{start date|1975}}
| frequency = 94.1 MHz {{HD Radio}}
| format = Sports radio
| subchannels = HD2: Sports radio (WGH simulcast)
| erp = {{ubl|40,000 watts (analog)|1,600 watts (digital){{cite web |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/fmDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f9181f47dc401823762933c2192&id=25076f9181f47dc401823762933c2192&goBack=N |title=Full Power FM Digital Notification Application [WVSP-FM] |date=July 29, 2022 |website=fcc.gov |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |access-date=September 14, 2022}}}}
| haat = {{convert|162|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = B
| facility_id = 19836
| licensing_authority = FCC
| coordinates = {{Coord|37|12|33.5|N|76|32|33.8|W|type:landmark_region:US-VA_source:FCC|name=WVSP-FM}}
| callsign_meaning = "Virginia Sports"
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WYVA-FM (1975–1978){{cite news|title=Call letters|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1978/1978-05-15-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=May 15, 1978|page=60}}|WYVA (1978–1982){{cite news|title=Call letters|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-04-12.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=April 12, 1982|page=112}}|WKEZ-FM (1982–1991)|WKOD (1991–1992)|WXEZ (1992–2009)}}
| owner = Max Broadcast Group Holdings, LLC
| licensee = MHR License, LLC
| sister_stations = WGH, WGH-FM, WTWV-FM, WVBW-FM
| webcast = [https://player.listenlive.co/34101 Listen Live]
| website = [http://www.espnradio941.com/ espnradio941.com]
| affiliations = ESPN Radio
Baltimore Orioles Radio Network
Norfolk Tides
Old Dominion University Sports
}}
WVSP-FM (94.1 MHz, "Priority Auto Sports Radio 94.1 ESPN") is a sports formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Yorktown, Virginia, United States, serving The Peninsula, Middle Peninsula and Southside of Hampton Roads. WVSP-FM is owned and operated by Max Broadcast Group Holdings, LLC.{{cite web|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WVSP|title=WVSP Facility Record|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}} WVSP's studios are located on Greenwich Road in Virginia Beach, while its transmitter is located in Newport News Park in York County near Colonial National Historical Park.
History
Image:WVSP RDS.png with RDS.]]
The station signed on in 1975 as WYVA-FM, serving Yorktown, Virginia, with a country format.http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1976/C-2%20%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201976.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} In 1986, it changed call letters to WKEZ while retaining the country format.http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1987/B2-BC-YB-1987.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} On October 14, 1991, it began a time-brokered simulcast with then AAA-formatted WKOC "The Coast" in Norfolk. The next year, the simulcast was ended and the station switched to adult contemporary as WXEZ, "EZ94".http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1993/B-Radio-AL-NE-Ter-YB-1993-B&W.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} The transmitter tower was moved to give the station a better signal over the Tidewater area. The station was sold in the mid 1990s to Barnstable Broadcasting and switched to an urban gospel music format as "Star 94.1" in August 2000.[https://web.archive.org/web/20180423033700/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64185429.html HighBeam] Barnstable later sold its Tidewater market stations to locally-based Max Media.
On October 5, 2009, WXEZ swapped formats with WGH (1310 AM) and became a sports radio station, and at that time changed their call letters to WVSP-FM. With this change, there are now two sports stations on the FM dial in Hampton Roads. ESPN Radio also gained an improved coverage area much greater than when they were located on 1310 AM. The black gospel format moved to 1310 AM.{{cite web|title=Press Release: ESPN Radio 94.1-FM (Formerly 1310-AM) Launches October 5 |url=http://www.vartv.com/pdf/WVSP_2009_09_18.pdf |date=September 18, 2009 |publisher=MAX Media Hampton Roads |access-date=September 18, 2009}}
On February 1, 2023, the station rebranded as "Priority Auto Sports Radio 94.1", as part of a naming rights deal with local automotive dealer chain Priority Automotive, one of the few such deals involving a radio station's branding. WVSP-FM's programming, including its ESPN Radio affiliation, did not change.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/248206/wvsp-sells-naming-rights-becoming-priority-auto-sports-94-1/ WVSP Sells Naming Rights, Becoming Priority Auto Sports 94.1]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.espnradio941.com/ ESPN Radio 94.1 Online]
- {{FM station data|19836|WVSP-FM}}
{{Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News Radio}}
{{Sports Radio Stations in Virginia}}
{{ESPN Virginia}}
{{Max Media}}
Category:Sports radio stations in the United States
Category:Radio stations established in 1975
Category:Max Media radio stations
Category:1975 establishments in Virginia
{{Virginia-radio-station-stub}}