ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – As efforts to revitalize the Melrose area of Roanoke continue following the creation of the Melrose Plaza, another new project for that community is about to kick off over the airwaves.
A new community nonprofit radio station for the Melrose area will launch at the L.H. Hamlar Event Center during a special event on Saturday. 96.9 FM Radio Melrose will bring a focus on community programming to the area.
“The idea of this particular station is to serve the underserved and unserved community members with information, community programming that would encourage their health development, education development, and finances,” said Radio Melrose Executive Director Dr. David S. Points.
Dr. David S. Points has led a full life. He has a law degree, he has been a public school teacher and a college professor, a court magistrate, a Michigan state representative, and served 22 years in the military, retiring as the Director of Joint Information Bureau Task Force for Guantanamo Bay. But no matter where he’s been and what he’s done, he has always had a passion for radio.
“I’ve been a radio lover since 10. I built my first radio at 10, and I’m 71, so I’ve had 61 years in radio. Radio put me through school, graduate school, law school, my doctorate, etc,” said Points. ”It allowed me to expand myself. To say, ‘Where do I get additional information?’ Because you can be in the privacy of your car, you can be in your kitchen or your home, and you hear something on the radio that piques your interest, and you go on and learn more about it.”
Points has worked at radio stations around the country throughout his life, and for the last decade has operated WFJX 910 AM and 104.3 FM in Roanoke. Now, he sees Radio Melrose as a way to give back in his final professional chapter.
“If they listen and enjoy one program, one show, one ounce of information, that’s the total satisfying method for me because we’ve done our job,” said Points.
Radio Melrose is in the process of filling out more of its programming and is interviewing for additional weekend and evening personalities. It will offer people and organizations in the community the chance to host their own programs.
“We have health programs, how to eat healthy food, we’ll have those on a weekly basis. We’re asking people to come in and have their own programs, maybe the YMCA program, maybe one of the non-profit community programs,” said Points. “I emphasize that we have to learn to read and read to learn. So those are the types of programs we’ll have on the weekend to encourage dinner table conversations in the community.”
The station will also play jazz music. This is something that will be celebrated during the switch-on event on Saturday.
“We have the event to allow other people to see what other listeners look like, what other jazz listeners look like. There’s no up and down, tall or short, brown and blue and green, it’s everybody. So they get a chance to get together, because it’s something that we enjoy,” said Points.
Radio Melrose will include a wide variety of programming targeted at different people around Roanoke.
“In the evening, we just signed a contract for a smoking and toasting show for cigar aficionados. Believe it or not, jazz listeners sometimes like the high end of things, those expensive cars, BMWs, and things of that nature, high-end clothes, they eat at the fine restaurants, but also they enjoy good quality jazz music to relax. Hopefully, this will go into businesses and offices and be background music,” said Points.
The station is a non-profit that is being funded through donations. Points said that the Virginia Tech Foundation, Dr. Eddie Amos, and WVTF FM General Manager Roger Duvall played a big part in putting the project together.
Points said a big goal will be to encourage education and highlight other community resources.
“Because of the Plaza. There’s a library there. We emphasize the library, using those resources, and reminding people that it’s free. These are community services that are free and available for us to improve our lives, everyone’s life,” he said.
The station will also air on 89.1 HD4, which will allow its signal to reach beyond Roanoke into Lynchburg and other areas.
The Radio Melrose “Switch On” celebration will happen at noon on Saturday. Everyone who attends will receive a free ticket, and one ticket holder will be selected to appear on the air during the kickoff event.
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