WSVS HISTORY

WSVS is a pioneer radio station in Southside Virginia. It is one of the oldest radio stations in Virginia. WSVS officially signed-on and began broadcasting on April 6, 1947. WSVS has been continuously broadcasting ever since. 

Throughout it's lifetime, WSVS has aired various genres of music, as well as sports, religious programs and talk shows.  However, country music seems to have always been at its roots. 

Many country and bluegrass artists have passed through the doors of WSVS. The legendary bluegrass duo Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs made WSVS their home base in 1954. For several months, Flatt & Scruggs recorded their daily radio shows at the WSVS Studios and then had the recordings transported to Nashville, Tennessee to air on 650-AM WSM. 

Charles Johnson, otherwise known as Little Jody Rainwater, was the promoter and bassist Flatt and Scruggs and The Foggy Mountain Boys. When Jody (as he was known to all) decided to leave the Foggy Mountain Boys and settle down in the early 1950s, he chose WSVS and Crewe, Virginia as his home. Jody's programming became extremely popular. 

In 1955, WSVS received the Douglas Southall Freeman Award for public service in radio journalism from the Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters. The award was for the station's coverage of three hurricanes, Connie, Diane and Hazel.

WSVS was owned by Colonial Broadcasting until early 2005. Though WSVS has changed ownership several times, the last time it was sold was in April of 2005 and it was acquired by Gee Communications, Inc. 

In April 2019, Gee Communications, Inc. hired new management and the station was rebranded as "Pure Country 97.1 FM & 800 AM WSVS" playing country favorites from the 1970s through 2000s with a splash of classic oldies and new Top-40. 

Pure Country 97.1 FM & 800 AM WSVS  has also made its debut in the social media world by launching a new website, facebook, X (formerly known as twitter) and Instagram pages. 

Pure Country 97.1 FM & 800 AM WSVS is streaming live online worldwide so you can now listen to your pure country favorites in crystal clear digital stereo!