VA Radio: Martinsville Media Group Adds AM Station

The Martinsville Media Group, which owns a radio station and television station, has purchased WMVA 1450, an AM radio station that's been operating since 1941.

According to roanoke.com, Bill Wyatt, owner of the Martinsville Media Group, said he plans to change WMVA's adult contemporary format. He declined to say what the new format would be, saying that he's still negotiating programming contracts.

WMVA 1450 AM (1Kw) Coverage

Wyatt already owns WHEE, an AM station that has operated since 1953 and offers a mix of talk and Americana music, as well as WYAT, a television channel that consists largely of network programming but also includes some local news and special interest shows.

One of the reasons for acquiring WMVA is that it includes a building with two television studios. Wyatt said he was "within months" of trying to build or purchase additional studio space for WYAT, so buying WMVA made sense for his TV station.

Wyatt made headlines during the mid-1990s when he was fired as news anchor from Martinsville's Channel 57 and immediately went to work for Cable 6, a competitor. He worked there less than a year before resigning. He purchased WHEE in 1997 and went on the air with WYAT in December.