In the heart of North Carolina's Inner Banks, a story of radio preservation is unfolding. Episode 2 of "Broadcasting History: The HBCU Radio Legacy" takes listeners to Elizabeth City State University, where WRVS-FM has served as a vital community voice since 1986 and where our preservation team uncovered decades of audio history that almost disappeared forever.
A Station Born to Serve
Elizabeth City State University was founded in 1891 as a normal school training teachers for the region's African American children. Nearly a century later, WRVS-FM took to the airwaves, providing live coverage of home football and basketball games that connect families across the country with their students. The station has launched careers at WHUR, ESPN, Voice of America, and iHeartMedia.
The Locked Cabinet Mystery
When the preservation team arrived in October 2023, they encountered locked cabinets that no one could open. Bryce Rowe, Director of Audio Preservation at NEDCC, made his recommendation clear: "Find a locksmith, open those cabinets, see what you've got."
What they found include boxes of cartridges, cassettes, and digital audio tapes with handwritten labels. But the materials were fragile. Without intervention, decades of community memory would have been lost.
Capturing Living History
While archivists handled tapes and vintage equipment, Dr. Will Tchakirides captured the voices of people who created that programming. His interview with gospel host Sheila Lee revealed a tradition of mentorship. She was trained by Dorothy Keith, the previous host. Another interview with Oliver Holly transported listeners back to homecoming celebrations featuring Run DMC and Big Daddy Kane.
The Urgency of Now
The stakes have never been higher. Four of WRVS's five staff members are paid through Title III funding, funding which is now under threat. As Breighlynn Polk, the project's inaugural fellow, frames it: "There is a sense of urgency now more than ever. A lot of these things are at risk of being erased."
The preservation work sparked institutional change: Elizabeth City State hired Paige Hendrickson as university archivist to continue the effort. And the team's work yielded one powerful discovery: the station's very first broadcast from March 18, 1986, including "Job Link," a vignette WRVS still runs nearly four decades later.
Featured Voices
- Melba Smith, Director of Radio and Television Services, ECSU
- Cynthia Wise, Circulation Librarian, ECSU
- Paige Hendrickson, University Archivist, ECSU
- Bryce Rowe, Director of Audio Preservation, NEDCC
- Dr. Will Tchakirides, Oral Historian, HBCU Radio Preservation Project
- Breighlynn Polk, Inaugural Fellow, HBCU Radio Preservation Project
