Next time you're scanning through your radio near St. Albans, you might happen upon a nostalgic sensation. WWSA 96.9, a low-power FM station, is unique to the city and only tuned in a few weeks ago.
The mayor of St. Albans, Dick Callaway, started a local station for the city and its residents. He calls it a "hometown information center" and it's running entirely on volunteers.
Since its debut, WWSA has featured a "Celebrate Nostalgia" theme, playing oldies and sharing the history of St. Albans, including interviews with individuals who have historical backgrounds related to the city. This will continue until the end of June.
When asked about future themes for the station, Callaway said it's up to the city. He said he believes community involvement is what makes this station so great.
"It brings opportunity for members of the community to have a voice," he said.
This initiative is part of Callaway's mission to establish St. Albans as a tourist destination. He said he believes the station will help the city promote its events and rich history, drawing in tourists.
As of now, Callaway is the only personality for the station, and he happens to have an extensive history in radio.
Callaway began a career in broadcasting while still in high school and worked in various roles across the state, including owner and operator of stations in Madison and Charleston. He was inducted into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2014 and has his own home studio.
He helped partially fund the startup of WWSA, although it is owned by the city and is a nonprofit.
Callaway said WWSA is similar to a station you might have heard of in Charleston, WTSQ 88.1.
WTSQ, also known as The Status Quo, also is a nonprofit, independent radio station that is staffed with dedicated volunteers.
Rick Steen, a host from WTSQ, is now the music director for WWSA.
For the first few weeks, the station operated completely out of a broom closet at the city's municipal building. However, the Museum of Radio and Technology has donated a majority of the equipment and is building a vintage studio in City Hall for the station to move into.
Until then, you can still tune into the oldies as you cruise through town and experience the vintage feel.
Reach Jennifer Gardner at jennifer.gardner@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5102 or follow @jennc_gardner on Twitter.