At VPR, we often hear from listeners wondering why they don’t always hear their VPR News or VPR Classical station announced during our FCC-mandated station identification at the top of each hour.
First, let us just say that we love your "station pride!" In most cases, the answer is that the specific station you listen to is a translator, rather than a transmitter.
What the heck is the difference? We're glad you asked!
Translators are low-power frequencies that pick up signals from existing full-power transmitters and extend them into small, concentrated areas. Because radio waves travel in straight lines, Vermont's lovely trees and mountains can make it difficult for people in some areas to hear our stations. Translators help us improve reception in areas that have had no, or weak, reception around the state.
The FCC requires us to identify our full-power transmitters (like WVPR 89.5 in Windsor) every hour, but translators, such as 94.1 in Montpelier, only need to be identified three times per day. With 10 VPR News stations and 20 for VPR Classical, it would take quite a bit of air time to name all of them every hour. Currently, we identify two translators per hour, along with all full-power transmitters.
You can find our coverage maps and station list here. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us!
