Sounds of the Valley to go on air Dec. 2

MILLHEIM — WSOV, the Sounds of the Valleys, a low-power FM community radio station for Penns Valley that was four years in the making, has announced it will be broadcasting starting Dec. 2, according to a press release.  

“This represents an enormous accomplishment for our tiny community,” comments Nick Engle, the new station’s general manager. “People have waited and watched and hoped for this.”

WSOV, 101.7 on the dial, is a project of the Penns Valley Conservation Association, and received its license to build in March of 2014.  Since then, the community has raised nearly $20,000 to get the license to broadcast. 

“We’ve had to build two studios, as our first one was lost to us in a zoning dispute,” notes Larry Wolken, one of the station’s founders. “Having to start all over again when we were almost on air really set us back, so I’m especially delighted that we’re finally going live.”

The first month’s programming will have a holiday music focus, along with readings of notable Christmas classics such as Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by well-known Penns Valley English teacher Carl Gaffron.

After that, programming will include Valley history, a wide variety of music, environmental education programs, gardening, fishing and hunting, children’s stories, poetry readings, and programs on wellness “as well as any other programs the community brings us,’ says Engle.  “We very much want this to be a community- focused station, so we’ll work with folks to make the programs they want.  They may be a little rough, but they’ll be real Penns Valley.” 

The station’s studio is now located next to Hosterman & Stover’s Hardware store on Rt 45.  “One good thing that came out of our move is that it got the broadcast tower up higher, so we can reach a slightly larger audience. We now can be heard from Hartleton to nearly

Centre Hall, and almost to Livonia as well as Madisonburg, out in George’s Valley and through the Millheim Narrows,” Wolken observed. 
Engel said, “And when we’re streaming in a few weeks, folks can listen us anywhere. That’s the exciting part — we can be local and world-wide simultaneously. You’ll log on to WSOV.org, our website, and be able to listen through your computer or your phone.”