WVOW Radio Station
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
WVOW Radio, owned and operated by the Logan Broadcasting Corporation Inc., has been in operation for over 60 years. It was the second radio station to be in Logan. The first was WLOG, which went bankrupt in the 1990s. The radio station was founded by former governor Clarence Meadows; Chauncey Browning, Sr., who was to become West Virginia's attorney general; and Logan county business man Grover Combs. WVOW has been a staple in the coalfields of Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky since its inception. Notable alumni from WVOW include: Doc Thompson, guest host for Glenn Beck on the Glenn Beck Radio Program; and Jack Harris from WFLA Radio in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Images
WVOW's Logo
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
WVOW Radio had their first broadcast on May 8th, 1952. Former West Virginia governor Clarence Meadows, now former West Virginia Attorney General Chauncey Browning, and Logan county businessman Grover Combs wanted to start a radio station that would compete with the Republican-based radio station WLOG and The Logan Banner (owned by the same man) and be a voice of the Democratic party in the coal-rich areas of southern West Virginia. Two years after the christening of the infant radio station, WVOW hired Bill and Martha Jane Becker, who would take the radio station into a whole new era.
Bill Becker was renowned for his ingenuity, while his wife was well known for her desire loving spirit and also financial well-being. Mr. Becker, who as of April 2015, would have turned 100 years old, always knew how to get people's attention. He also knew how to make money. Bill is credited both locally and nationally for his innovation of Little League Baseball. Still to this date, WVOW broadcasts the Little League baseball State Championship tournament every July.1
Becker also sold a remote to local businesses for coverage of Sputnik's flight over Logan County!2 Mr. Becker's coverage of the Buffalo Creek disaster helped speed the process along with getting relief from the state and federal governments to help the Buffalo Creek area. WVOW was the first broadcasting entity to break the news of the disaster.
WVOW is noted for handling over 200 sporting events a year: Cincinnati Red's baseball; Logan High School, Man High School, and Chapmanville Regional High School football, basketball, and baseball games; West Virginia University football and basketball; Marshall University football and basketball; and Little League baseball every summer.3
Bill Becker was renowned for his ingenuity, while his wife was well known for her desire loving spirit and also financial well-being. Mr. Becker, who as of April 2015, would have turned 100 years old, always knew how to get people's attention. He also knew how to make money. Bill is credited both locally and nationally for his innovation of Little League Baseball. Still to this date, WVOW broadcasts the Little League baseball State Championship tournament every July.1
Becker also sold a remote to local businesses for coverage of Sputnik's flight over Logan County!2 Mr. Becker's coverage of the Buffalo Creek disaster helped speed the process along with getting relief from the state and federal governments to help the Buffalo Creek area. WVOW was the first broadcasting entity to break the news of the disaster.
WVOW is noted for handling over 200 sporting events a year: Cincinnati Red's baseball; Logan High School, Man High School, and Chapmanville Regional High School football, basketball, and baseball games; West Virginia University football and basketball; Marshall University football and basketball; and Little League baseball every summer.3
Sources
The author of this entry - An employee of WVOW.
History of WVOW, Logan, WV.
WVOW Program Director Jay Nunley