WVRT

This article is about the radio station. For the public trail, see Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.

WVRT

City of license	Mill Hall, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area	Williamsport, Pennsylvania, State College, Pennsylvania branding = Variety 97-7
Slogan	"Today's Hit Music" webcast = Listen Live
Frequency	97.7 MHZ
Format	CHR/Pop
ERP	6,000 watts
HAAT	225 meters
Callsign meaning	WVaRieTy
Owner	Clear Channel Communications (Capstar TX)
Website	http://www.variety977.com/

WVRT at 97.7 FM is licensed to Mill Hall, PA with an output power of 6,000 watts. "Variety 97-7" is owned by Clear Channel Communications and plays CHR/Pop music.

History

Variety 97.7 signed on the air November 6, 1995 at 6:00 a.m. as a Hot AC station broadcasting from the Williamsport Chamber of Commerce building with AM sister station WWPA. Williamsport Radio Corporation first owned Variety 97.7, and its format was chosen to sound more adult than top 40 HOT-FM 103.9 WHTO but not as old as gold-based AC 102.7 KISS-FM WKSB. WVRT previously was oldies "3WD 97-7" with the callsign WWWD.

In 1996, WHTO moved down the FM dial to 93.3 with 25,000 watts, up from the 6,000 watts it previously had at 103.9 FM. With the increased power came a more watered down top 40 format, sounding more like the Hot AC Variety 97.7 was playing. Falling ratings caused HOT-FM to eventually switch to oldies in 1997.

WVRT moved its studio to Third Street in Williamsport with KISS-FM and WRAK-AM & FM. The "point" was also left at the Chamber of Commerce building as WVRT would now be known as "Variety 97-7" keeping its top 40 format.

WVRT trivia

• The first song played on Variety 97.7 was "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" by Sting.
• Morning Show Host John Patrick couldn't talk for the first 15 minutes the station was on the air because engineers still hadn't yet finished wiring the audio board.
• WVRT was the first station in Williamsport to utilize digital computer automation. Often the weekday DJs would record voice tracks for the weekend that sounded live, as if the DJ was actually in the studio.
• Variety 97.7's original live remote broadcast vehicle was a Volkswagen Vanagon mini-bus, which often had to be "jump started" just like the one in the movie Little Miss Sunshine.
• As an April Fools' Day joke in 1998, John Patrick looped the end of the song "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" by Journey for almost an hour and played it on the air after the 7 a.m. news. John took calls on the air about his "Compact Disc being stuck."
• The original Variety 97.7 on-air line-up was:
  • John Patrick - Mornings
  • Jeff Austin - Middays
  • Mike Stevens - Afternoons
  • Troy Lee - Evenings
  • Overnights were board-oped until the computer automation was installed.
• Notable on-air personalities are: The Morning Hookup with E-Dub, Troy Lee, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, Vijay, and Open House Party.

Troy Lee evening DJ on the original Variety 97.7 is now the mid-day jock on the new Variety 97.7