WSVS

Infobox Radio station
name = WSVS


city = Crewe, Virginia
area = Southside Virginia
branding = "Virginia's Country Legend WSVS"
slogan = "Southside Virginia's Voice of Service"
airdate = April 6th, 1947
frequency = 800 kHz
format = Classic Country
Bluegrass
Americana
power = 10,000 Watts daytime
270 Watts nighttime
erp =
haat =
class = B
facility_id = 320
coordinates = coord|37|11|43.0|N|78|10|1.0|W|type:landmark
callsign_meaning = W Southside Virginia's Voice (of) Service
former_callsigns =
owner = Gee Communications, Inc.
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast = [http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/mini.cgi?membername=wsvs&site=pro&tm=8990 WSVS Webstream]
website = [http://www.wsvsam.com/ WSVS Online]
affiliations = Jones Radio Network, AP Radio

WSVS is a Classic Country/Bluegrass/Americana formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Crewe, Virginia, serving Southside Virginia. WSVS is owned and operated by Gee Communications, Inc.

History

WSVS began as the American economy and population grew in a post-World War II society. Radio was the top entertainment medium of the age. Local stations were springing up in every community to provide up-to-the-minute information, music and entertainment to people right in their homes.

On April 6, 1947, WSVS AM commenced broadcasting from downtown Crewe, Virginia. The station quickly grew in popularity.

Remote stations were added to provide information from surrounding localities to provide a service to listeners in a quickly expanding technological environment. Many local musicians provided live performances daily. Live programming was very much in demand at the time.

As the station grew and progressed, it filled this mission with enviable success. This is where timing and fate met to move WSVS into the country music history books.

WSVS was broadcasting with such a strong signal that its coverage area was impressive. This capacity, along with the state-of- the-art studio and sound system WSVS had developed, attracted musicians from beyond Virginia, to perform there. This led to WSVS employing and developing the best known personality it has ever known. In the late 1940s and 1950s, with the growing popularity of live music and live broadcasts being produced, WSVS worked to keep up with the growing musical trends of the age. Musicians were brought in to perform live country music and a popular growing form of country music called bluegrass.

In the early 1950s Charles Johnson, otherwise known as Little Jody Rainwater, was the promoter and bassist in the bluegrass group Flatt and Scruggs and The Foggy Mountain Boys. When Jody (as he was known to all) decided to leave the Foggy Mountain Boys and settle down, he chose WSVS and Crewe as his home. Jody’s programming became extremely popular with the listeners and Jody’s ongoing support of the bluegrass movement endeared listeners to him.

In early 1954, Flatt and Scruggs, then sponsored by Martha White Mills, decided to change location. They moved from Nashville, TN where they performed on WSM’s daily, early-morning broadcast, to WSVS in Crewe. Starting daily in July of 1954 until January of 1955, the Foggy Mountain Boys played a daily show on WSVS from the studios on Melody Lane.

During this time, with the help of budding technology, Lester and Earl and the Foggy Mountain Boys taped all of their Grand Ole Opry broadcasts and performed on the local Old Dominion Barn Dance on WRVA in Richmond, Virginia.

After shows were performed on WSVS, Lester, Earl and the rest of the Foggy Mountain Boys would travel to their local tent show or travel to their next big appearance, sometimes going as far as New York City or Detroit, Michigan and returning to the station in Crewe after their performances were complete. Musicians during this time worked without ceasing; often traveling by car from show to show. The Foggy Mountain Boys would sometimes play up to four full shows daily!

Curly Seckler, who played in the Foggy Mountain Boys during their time at WSVS, remembers the show and studio.

“After moving to Nashville in June of 1953, the Foggy Mountain Boys were sponsored by Martha White Mills on a daily morning radio show for many years. During our time in Crewe, thanks to the wonders of budding technology, we were able to tape all of our Martha White shows in the studio at WSVS and send them back to Nashville to be aired. Thus we not only performed our daily noontime show on WSVS, but we were able to maintain our presence on Nashville’s WSM throughout the period we spent in Virginia.”

Curly also remembers his leisure time in the studio.

“In 1954, the Foggy Mountain Boys included Lester Flatt on guitar, Earl Scruggs on banjo, Paul Warren on Fiddle, Jake Tullock on bass, and myself on mandolin. I have many fond memories of our time at WSVS. I still remember looking out of the station’s window and seeing cows grazing contentedly in the surrounding pastures. Seems like I also remember a card game or two!” In 2006, the Flatt and Scruggs Studio was restored and revitalized. The original imported wall tiles with their acoustical qualities are intact. Photos of the bluegrass greats who performed there grace the walls. A plaque outside the door dedicates the studio to Flatt & Scruggs, a name that will remain forever in the proud annals of bluegrass music.

Recordings are again being produced in this studio. Live shows are being broadcast from within its walls. The spirit of bluegrass is alive and well in this studio. It has been completely restored to the original luster enjoyed by the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1954!

WSVS now uses the studio for live performances very much as it did in 1953 and 1954. The staff and management respect and maintain the history provided with a room that has hosted some of the world’s greatest musicians and stars. Shows like High Noon Hoedown feature and record many musicians of local and regional prominence to this day.

References

Rosenburg, Neil V. (1998). "Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys".Private recollections from John Ray (Curly) SechlerPrivate recollections from Charles Johnson (Jody Rainwater)The Crewe Chronicle dated April 6, 1947

External links

* [http://www.wsvsam.com/ Virginia's Country Legend WSVS Online]
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