AGENDA #15a(1)

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Council Member Flicka Bateman

SUBJECT:       Resolution Welcoming WCHL Back to the Community

DATE:             February 11, 2002

WCHL Radio has served the Chapel Hill community since 1953, and many view it as the Town’s “homegrown” radio station.  In recent years, the station moved to Durham to share studio space with its sister station, WDNC, and much of our local coverage was lost.  The station is making an effort to relocate to Chapel Hill once again and has renewed its local coverage, including the return of the WCHL Good Morning Show.  The station is seeking public input and suggestions for programming, which can be sent to Ron Stutts at [email protected], or (919) 929-WCHL.

I ask that the Council consider adoption of the attached resolution, welcoming WCHL back to the community and expressing appreciation for its years of service to Chapel Hill.

A RESOLUTION WELCOMING WCHL RADIO BACK TO THE CHAPEL HILL COMMUNITY AND EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR ITS YEARS OF SERVICE TO CHAPEL HILL (2002-02-11/R-16)

WHEREAS, WCHL Radio has a strong tradition of serving the Chapel Hill community; and

WHEREAS, WCHL was founded in 1953 by Sandy McClamroch and nurtured over the years by Jim Heavner and many other hard-working people, fostering the old village atmosphere for many years; and

WHEREAS, over the years, WCHL won an abundance of awards for news and sports coverage and was seen as the flagship station for University of North Carolina athletics; and

WHEREAS, many outstanding people have worked for WCHL over the years, establishing standards of quality and providing a forum for discussion of local issues, including the WCHL Good Morning Show; and 

WHEREAS, WCHL has traditionally provided a public service by covering local issues such as elections and wall-to-wall coverage of weather emergencies; and

WHEREAS, when WCHL moved to Durham Bulls Athletic Park in the late 1990s to share studio space with its sister station, WDNC, much of our local coverage was lost; and

WHEREAS, WCHL owners and managers have expressed desire to get WCHL back to its roots and have formulated plans to bring the station back to Chapel Hill, beginning with the WCHL Good Morning Show, which has returned to the airwaves; and

WHEREAS, WCHL is seeking citizen input for renewing its role as the homegrown radio station, including establishment of a web site at 1360WCHL.com and a new Carolina sports talk show in the afternoon;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill hereby welcomes WCHL Radio back to the Chapel Hill community and expresses appreciation for its years of service to Chapel Hill.

This the 11^th day of February, 2002.