WCHL (AM)

WCHL is a radio station based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina broadcasting on 1360 AM, with a translator on 97.9 FM. It is the flagship station of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill radio sports broadcasts and an affiliate of the CBS Radio Network. Much of its programming is geared towards the Chapel Hill/Carrboro community, with a focus on local news and community-affairs programming.
History.
Chapel Hill's oldest continuous broadcaster signed on January 25, 1953 under the ownership of Sandy McClamroch, who went on to become the town's longest-serving mayor. Originally a 1,000-watt station, the station boosted its daytime power to 5,000 watts in 1978. WCHL served as the launching point for the Village Broadcasting Companies, which bought Burlington's WBAG-FM in 1983, moving it to Raleigh as WZZU (now WNCB "B93.9").
Over the years, the station developed a loyal following for being highly community-oriented. The WCHL news department brought home many Associated Press awards and launched the career of several nationally renowned journalists and sports broadcasters. Charles Kuralt and Jim Lampley began their broadcast careers at WCHL while students at The University of North Carolina. WCHL played top 40 music, and later adult contemporary before going news/talk in the early 1990s. In 1997, The Village Companies (now Vilcom) sold WCHL to the Raleigh-based Curtis Media Group for $400,000. Curtis moved WCHL's studios to the WDNC studios at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and dumped the highly acclaimed local news and community-driven talk for an automated middle-of-the-road/oldies format, limited news and a simulcast morning show with co-located WDNC. However, in 2002, Vilcom regained control of its former property's sales and programming under a local marketing agreement. Vilcom moved the station back to Chapel Hill and returned the station's format to local news and talk on November 25, 2002, just two months before the station celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2003. In June 2004, Vilcom bought the station back from Curtis Media Group for $775,000.
Vilcom's longtime owner, Jim Heavner, sold a minority stake in WCHL to Barry Leffler, former president of WNCN in Raleigh, in late 2009. By this time WCHL had become a progressive talk-formatted station. Leffler became the station's CEO and managing partner. Heavner remained as chairman. Under Leffler, WCHL added more local news, an FM signal, and the Chapelboro web site.
On January 21, 2010, WCHL's affiliated network Air America filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and ceased live programming the same night. Reruns of Air America's programming continued to air until Monday, January 25 at 9PM Eastern Time.
In 2014, Leffler, who had run WCHL since 2009, left the station for Tenet Healthcare in Dallas, Texas.
In August 2015, WCHL was purchased by Leslie Rudd who brought in several local investors, Chris Ehrenfeld, Jim Kitchen and Mark Vitali to form Chapel Hill Media Group, LLC. Soon after, the station switched formats to incorporate music along with its lineup of live shows each weekday morning and afternoon. It is an Adult album alternative station, which has a more diverse playlist than most formats.
At the end of 2016 WCHL moved to University Place and re-branded as 97.9 The Hill WCHL. It is currently known for continuing the tradition of community programming by providing information about community news, events, and sports, while incorporating local and hit music into the programming.
Its website is Chapelboro.com, a daily local news source for Chapel Hill and the surrounding area.
Ron Stutts retired December 18, 2020 after 43 years as morning host. His show was replaced in 2021 by "This Morning with Aaron Keck", while news director Brighton McConnell took over Keck's afternoon shift.
Sports programming.
WCHL is best known as the flagship station of North Carolina Tar Heels football and basketball. Vilcom was the rights holder for Tar Heel sports until selling them to Learfield Communications in the early 21st century, and Heavner was Woody Durham's color commentator on Tar Heel broadcasts for 18 years.
Ron Stutts, the station's morning drive-time host from 1977 until his retirement in 2020, hosts an hour-long pregame show before the Tar Heel Sports Network begins its coverage.
WCHL also airs high school sports.
Transmission.
WCHL's 5,000-watt non-directional daytime signal cuts back to 1,000 watts directional toward the southeast at sunset. Even with all the changes in recent years, the station has continuously broadcast from its two-tower array on Franklin Street, noticeable for being emblazoned with metal call letters on one and frequency on the other.
In 2012, WCHL expanded to the FM band by acquiring a translator station from Liberty University in Virginia. The station, previously licensed to Creedmoor, North Carolina at 98.5 FM, moved to Chapel Hill and to 97.9 FM under the callsign W250BP. The new signal is intended to improve nighttime coverage of the station. Starting in the fall of 2012, WCHL rebranded itself as 97.9 WCHL, while retaining its AM 1360 signal.
"Chapelboro".
Using materials produced by its news team, WCHL owns and operates the online local newspaper "Chapelboro".