| Broadcast area | Ashland, Virginia Hanover County, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1430kHz |
| Branding | "WNRN" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult album alternative[1] |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Stu-Comm, Inc. |
| WNRN,WNRN-FM,WNRS-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | May 1,1962[2] |
Former call signs | WDYL (1960 – 1962,CP) WIVE (1962 – 1977) WKDH (1977 – 1980) WIVE (1980 – 1987) WMMM (1987 – 1989) WPES (1989 – 1998)[3][4] |
Call sign meaning | HANover |
| Technical information[5] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 8438 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 1,000Watts daytime 31Watts nighttime |
Transmitter coordinates | 37°44′46.0″N77°29′44.0″W / 37.746111°N 77.495556°W /37.746111; -77.495556 |
| Translator(s) | 102.9MHz W275BQ (Ashland) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | WHAN Online |
WHAN is anadult album alternative formattedbroadcastradio station licensed toAshland, Virginia, servingAshland andHanover County, Virginia as well as the northern half of the MetroRichmond, Virginia region.[1] WHAN is owned by Stu-Comm, Inc.[6] WHAN currently simulcastsWNRN-FM.
On February 1, 2015,Charlottesville-basedpublic broadcasterWTJU began simulcasting its programming on WHAN in an attempt to use its FM translator to reach the Richmond market.[7] WTJU operated the station daily from 1:00 am to 6:00 pm as part of a three-yearlocal marketing agreement.[8] Through a separate agreement with WTJU,Virginia Commonwealth University webcasterWVCW broadcast on WHAN Monday through Thursday from 6:00 pm to 1:00 am and Friday from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am, with additional broadcasting time allowed for special events. Local programming filled the remaining timeslots 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm on Fridays and 6:00 pm – 1:00 am on weekends.[9]
WTJU terminated the local marketing agreement effective August 16, 2017, citing financial reasons. WHAN returned to a locally programmed music format, branded "102.9 The Mater", which it described as a mix of classicSouthern rock and 1990salternative rock but has transitioned since 2018 to "The RVA's Best Music Variety" featuring artists and genres from the past 65 years.[10][11]
On August 10, 2020, Fifth Estate Broadcasting filed an agreement to donate WHAN and W275BQ to Stu-Comm, Inc., operator of Charlottesville-basedadult album alternative stationWNRN-FM, which complements its existing Richmond pair ofWFTH (1590 AM) and W203CB (88.5 FM). This action came less than a week after theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed a longstanding rule that prevented co-owned AM stations with overlapping signals from broadcasting the same programming. The sale was completed on October 9, 2020.[12][13] WHAN and W275BQ now simulcast WNRN-FM.
In addition to the main station, WHAN is relayed by an FM translator to rebroadcast the daytime signal of 1430 AM on the FM band 24 hours a day.[14]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W275BQ | 102.9 FM FM | Ashland, Virginia | 155027 | 250 watts | 96.9 m (318 ft) | D | LMS |