WMRA 90.7 FM

An NPR member station licensed to serve the central Shenandoah Valley region, operating through a network of full-power repeaters and low-power translators that extend coverage from Winchester to Lexington and into the Charlottesville area. Owned and operated by James Madison University, the station signed on in 1969 broadcasting at just 10 watts on 91.1 MHz, with all programming produced by students. It relocated to 90.7 MHz and increased power to 19.5 kilowatts in November 1975, at which point it joined NPR and began hiring professional staff. The programming shifted from a typical college format to public radio's signature blend of news, talk, and classical music, supplemented by folk and jazz specialty programs. A progressive rock block that had occupied the late-night slot was discontinued in 1980 due to low listenership. Student programming subsequently migrated to WXJM 88.7 FM when that outlet launched in 1990. In January 2008, the station assumed operation of Eastern Mennonite University's WEMC 91.7 FM, redistributing programming across both signals to accommodate additional NPR offerings that had previously been unavailable due to scheduling constraints.