View source for VOWR

{{short description|Radio station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = VOWR
| logo             = VOWR logo.jpg
| city             = [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]
| area             = [[St. John's Metropolitan Area]]
| branding         = VOWR
| airdate          = {{Start date and age|1924|7|20}} as 8WMC
| frequency        = 800 [[Hertz|kHz]] [[AM broadcasting|AM]]
| format           = [[Full service radio|Full-service]]/[[community radio]]<br>[[Christian radio]]
| former_callsigns = 8WMC (1924–1932)
| power            = 10,000 [[watt]]s days<br>2,500 watts nights
| class            = B
| owner            = Wesley [[United Church of Canada|United Church]] Radio Board
| webcast          = [http://easylink.playstream.com/seawm1/VOWR.wvx Listen Live]
| website          = [http://www.vowr.org/ vowr.org]
| callsign_meaning = '''V'''oice '''O'''f '''W'''esley '''R'''adio
}}
'''VOWR''' (800 [[Hertz|kHz]]) is a [[non-commercial educational station|non-commercial]], listener-supported [[radio station]] in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], [[Canada]].  The station is operated by the Wesley [[United Church of Canada]] with studios and offices at 101 Patrick Street.  

VOWR is a [[list of broadcast station classes|Class B]] AM station.  By day, it transmits 10,000 [[watt]]s.   To avoid interference at night, VOWR reduces power to 2,500 watts.  It uses a [[omnidirectional antenna|non-directional antenna]].  The [[transmitter]] is off Mount Scio Road in the Pippy Park section of St. John's.<REF>[https://fccdata.org/?call=vowr&ccode=2&city=&state=&country=CA&cansvc=B&party=&party_type=CDN&lang=en FCCdata.org/VOWR]</REF>

==Programming== 
VOWR airs a mix of 30% [[Christian radio]] programming and 70% secular programming.  Secular programming includes [[adult standards]] from the 1940s through the 1970s, along with [[classical music|classical]], [[folk music|folk]], [[classic country]], [[oldies]], [[marching band]] and [[beautiful music]].  There are also interviews and informational programs including "Consumer Reports," a gardening show, the 50+ Radio Show and others on a wide range of subjects.

VOWR is staffed by volunteers, many of them former broadcasters in the public and private local broadcasting industry.<ref name="VOWR"/> 

==History==
VOWR first [[sign-on|signed on]] the air on July 20, 1924.  Its original experimental [[call sign]] was '''8WMC''', which stood for the '''W'''esley '''M'''ethodist '''C'''hurch. Reverend Joseph G. Joyce (1889–1959) started the station to provide a companion to people unable to get to services; however, it soon expanded to provide public service programming and entertainment.<ref name="VOWR">{{cite news |title=St. John's radio station VOWR going strong after 96 years |url=https://www.thetelegram.com/lifestyles/local-lifestyles/st-johns-radio-station-vowr-going-strong-after-96-years-492342/ |access-date=September 4, 2020 |work=St. John's Telegram |date=September 3, 2020}}</ref>

==Callsign==
VOWR is one of just four broadcast radio stations in Canada whose callsigns do not begin with '''CB''' (for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]), '''CF''', '''CH''', '''CI''', '''CJ''', or '''CK'''. The others, [[VOCM (AM)|VOCM]], [[VOCM-FM]] and [[VOAR-FM]], are also based in the St. John's area. With exception of VOCM-FM, which launched in 1982, all of these stations were founded before Newfoundland joined the [[Canadian Confederation]] in 1949. The [[ITU prefix]] VO was originally assigned to Newfoundland and remains in use by [[amateur radio|radio amateurs]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.vowr.org/ VOWR]
* [https://broadcasting-history.ca/radio/radio-stations/newfoundland-labrador/VOWR-AM VOWR] at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
* {{RecnetCanada|VOWR}}

{{St. John's radio}}
{{Christian radio stations in Canada}}

{{coord missing|Newfoundland and Labrador}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vowr}}
[[Category:Radio stations in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[Category:Christian radio stations in Canada]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1924]]
[[Category:Full service radio stations in Canada]]