Blogger: Heath Sorey, business manager

WUVT is the non-profit, educational, independent radio station at Virginia Tech. This year, the station is preparing for one of the most drastic improvements in its history, and the station just turned 60 in April! In the coming months, Projects in Progress will document the progress WUVT is making with photos and blog entries.

Over the course of this year, we’re upgrading our transmitter facility from a site on top of one of Virginia Tech’s on-campus residence halls to a tower site on Price’s Mountain. The station will also increase its power from 3kW to 6.5kW ERP. Different staff members will give updates throughout the year on this photoblog. I’d like to thank Chriss Scherer and Radio magazine for giving us this opportunity.

Behold, a majestic view from Price’s Mountain. Our new transmitter building will actually be located behind where I was standing. (Click the image to enlarge it.)

This is a stream near the mountain site. One of our biggest problems in the residence hall was extreme weather conditions, be they heat or cold. At the new site, this stream could cause some headaches for our great team of engineers. (Click the image to enlarge it.)

If you will, imagine that the random pieces of scrap metal are gone and a new transmitter there. We hope this fully comes into fruition in the near future. (Click the image to enlarge it.)

Currently, our website (www.wuvt.vt.edu) features a splash entry page. It’s on a rotating basis, with different images taking the spotlight. Our IT Director, Jason McKillican, decided it needed a change earlier this month. Using my picture, he did a little design work, adding the “Insert WUVT here,” using our logo. The idea is to show the progress we’re making and to get people thinking about the transmitter upgrade.