Historic Flooding in Chapel Hill Damaged WCHL's AM Equipment. Here's How to Still Listen

Your Hometown Radio Station is among the many Orange County community members and places that suffered flood damage from Sunday night’s intense flooding.

97.9 The Hill WCHL’s AM operations (1360 AM) along East Franklin Street are among the businesses affected near Booker Creek as a historic amount of rain fell from the remnants of Tropical Depression Chantal. Founded in 1953, WCHL initially ran its AM radio operations out of 1720 East Franklin Street before moving across the street to 1721 East Franklin. The building — now owned and occupied by the Chapel Hill Dentistry Group — had never been reached by floodwaters until Sunday night, with water pooling and rising past four feet in the basement where WCHL kept and maintained vital equipment.

“Tropical Storm Chantal brought severe flooding to our AM transmitter site, and the damage is significant,” said 97.9 The Hill General Manager Aubrey Williams. “But we’ve faced challenges before, and our team is already working toward repairs. We’re so grateful for the support of our listeners and this incredible community as we work to get 1360 AM back on the air.”

WCHL’s AM transmitter and additional equipment were kept in the basement of 1721 East Franklin Street. Because floodwaters breached a berm, the water pooled and remained at the site, destroying nearly everything. (Photo by the Chapel Hill Media Group.)

The radio station’s studio and office at 1525 East Franklin Street were unharmed by the severe weather, as was the FM tower off of Jones Ferry Road. Critically, the station’s broadcast was not interrupted despite the AM frequency going down — continuing its streaming operations and coverage on Chapelboro.com throughout the flooding and its aftermath.

As the station conducts repairs and restoration, listening to 97.9 FM and streaming online are still the primary ways to access 97.9 The Hill. Until AM operations are restarted, WCHL has a Special Temporary Authority granted by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast solely as a FM frequency.

97.9 The Hill WCHL is part of the Chapel Hill Media Group, which also owns and operates Chapelboro.com. More about the radio station’s history can be found here.

As 97.9 The Hill continues its coverage of the area’s flooding, alongside its other local journalism efforts with no subscription fees, please consider directly supporting our efforts with a donation by clicking here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro.com? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Historic Flooding in Chapel Hill Damaged WCHL’s AM Equipment. Here’s How to Still Listen

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