New WCHL Owner on Station’s Future

Leslie Rudd is a Colorado-based entrepreneur and philanthropist with Chapel Hill ties, who will also be the new owner of WCHL and Chapelboro.com, once the final administrative hurdles are cleared.

WCHL has a history of serving Orange County that dates back to 1953.

READ MORE: New Owner Announced for WCHL and Chapelboro

Rudd says he is excited to continue the work of WCHL and Chapelboro, as one of the few remaining commercial radio stations in the country with a mission of serving the local community.

“We are very excited about owning WCHL and Chapelboro.com in a community that is near and dear to my heart. There have been some questions about the new ownership, and what we plan to do with the station and website, which are unique properties in a vibrant college town. Although we do not officially take over until the FCC license transfer is complete and the actual sale closes, our plans are to continue to serve the community with informative, entertaining and educational programming and content, much like it has in the past.

“Our business model when acquiring an existing company is to keep the operation in place and help the staff get even better at what they are doing as we go along. In some cases, we have brought in partners that make up a local ownership group, and we are exploring that option with WCHL. Of course, we will continue to carry the Tar Heel games and cover high school sports and have Ron Stutts in the morning and Aaron Keck in the afternoon. In my years having a home in Chapel Hill, I met so many wonderful people and still have great friends there. I know how much having their own dedicated radio station means to them, and that is what they will continue to have.”

READ MORE: New Bidders Vie for WCHL

WCHL TIMELINE:

1953 Roland “Sandy” McClamroch begins WCHL as a daytime operation with 1,000 watts at 1360 AM

1958 Jim Heavner joins WCHL as a part time summer announcer

1967 Heavner purchases first interest in WCHL from then Mayor McClamroch

1978 Heavner purchases McClamroch remaining ownership, owns 100%

1993 Curtis Media purchases WCHL

2002 Heavner buys WCHL back from Curtis

2009 Barry Leffler buys controlling interest in WCHL from Heavner

2011 WCHL establishes Chapelboro.com, a community news and feature website

2012 WCHL adds FM translator at 97.9FM

2014 Heavner repurchases Leffler interest when he leaves for Dallas role with Tenet Health Care, places it in VilCom.  WCHL is offered for sale.

2015 Leslie Rudd purchases WCHL

‹

Top Stories of 2025: Federal Funding Cuts Hit UNC, Nonprofits and Local Residents

One of the defining stories of 2025 was the impact of federal funding cuts on our community - from nonprofits to research and beyond.

Photo Gallery: No Kings Day In Carrboro, Pittsboro, and Hillsborough

Here's our collection of photos from Saturday's No Kings Day demonstrations in Carrboro, Pittsboro, and Hillsborough.

'No Kings' Demonstrators Take To The Streets In Carrboro, Pittsboro, and Hillsborough

Thousands of demonstrators in Carrboro, Pittsboro, and Hillsborough stepped out to voice their distaste with President Donald Trump.

PHOTOS: 'No Kings' Rallies in Orange County, Durham Draw Thousands

Joining in with "No Kings" rallies across the country on Saturday, many Orange and Durham County community members took part in local protests.

Chapel Hill And Carrboro Hold 'No Kings' Protest, Joining Communities Nationwide

On Saturday, June 14, hundreds of Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents held their very own “No Kings” protest against the Trump administration.

Misinformation, Disinformation, Social Media, and You

UNC scholar Shannon McGregor discusses misinformation and disinformation in politics - and what we can do about it.

Changing the Channel on the Bad Rerun of Shooting Coverage

Revulsion over the weekend’s twin mass shootings and the nagging sense that it’s all an inconclusive rerun has frustrated the news media and those who rely upon it — and triggered the stirrings of a new debate over how such tragedies should be covered. “It’s time for journalists to take sides,” tweeted prominent Columbia University […]

Focus Carolina: Penny Abernathy

For nearly a decade, Penny Abernathy from the UNC School of Media and Journalism has been documenting the decline of local newspapers.

Post-Debate Poll: Clinton Leads Trump in North Carolina

Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump in North Carolina and several other key battleground states in the race for the presidency, according to a survey done by Public Policy Polling.  The survey was conducted after Monday night’s debate between the two candidates.  Public Policy Polling conducted the survey on behalf of VoteVets Action Fund. In North Carolina, […]

New WCHL Owner on Station’s Future

Leslie Rudd is a Colorado-based entrepreneur and philanthropist with Chapel Hill ties, who will also be the new owner of WCHL and Chapelboro.com, once the final administrative hurdles are cleared. WCHL has a history of serving Orange County that dates back to 1953. READ MORE: New Owner Announced for WCHL and Chapelboro Rudd says he is […]

›