A fresh sound could hit the airwaves in Hillsborough soon, as volunteers look to bring a new community radio station to life.
“Hillsborough right now is just crawling with all kinds of creative people and there’s this amazing critical mass of creative energy in the town and we thought that a community radio station would be a good way to catalyze it and provide an outlet for some of that,” says Bob Burtman, one of the organizers hoping to launch the low-power station.
The station, known as WHUP 104.7, will take to the air next May. Burtman says the organizers chose the call letters after finding more traditional choices were not available.
“WHUP came up and people were just going ‘WHUP, whoop, that sounds pretty interesting- that sounds like fun.’ Then there’s all these permutations like ‘put a whoopin’ on you’, or ‘big whup’, or one that’s probably not appropriate for broadcast. We all just sort of gravitated towards it.”
The station will broadcast a variety of music, talk and current affairs programming, but Burtman says the signature sound will be live music.
“We’re going to have a focus on live music, which is not being done in very many places. Live in-studio, live from various venues on a weekly basis, live from special events and rebroadcasts of live music. There’s a treasure trove of that out there floating around that has never been heard.”
The station will broadcast to a small geographic area, but will be accessible outside Hillsborough through online streaming. About 70 people are already volunteering their talents to the planning effort. The group is looking to outfit studio space in January and launch the station in the spring. To make that happen, organizers hope to raise $70,000.
The organizers are hosting the first WHUP fundraiser Tuesday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at the Mystery Brewing Public House in Hillsborough. The event will feature an evening of music by Yep Roc recording artist Josh Rouse.
Tickets are $5 and are available either at the door or in advance via etix. For more information, click here.
Related Stories
‹
![]()
Hillsborough Restaurants To Raise Money For Local RadioHillsborough radio station WHUP is getting a boost from local restaurants next week.
Howdy Hillsborough: Episode 29 - Local Radio!This week on "Howdy Hillsborough," Alexis and Eryk are joined by the fantastic Bob Burtman, president of WHUP in Hillsborough and host of the community radio station's flagship show, 3-D News, airing weekdays at 8 a.m.
![]()
Hillsborough: Board Meeting, America 250, Reservoir CapacityHillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, June 23, discussing town news and events. He recapped the recent meeting of the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners, which revisited the data center moratorium, and more. He also continued to look ahead to the town's July 4th celebration, discussed reservoir capacity, and more.
Local Government Meetings: June 22-26, 2026This week in local government, Durham County and Hillsborough consider extending their existing moratoriums on AI data centers.
Juneteenth Holiday to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange CountyAcross the country on Friday, Black Americans and communities will celebrate Juneteenth — the national recognition of when the final slaves were freed in the 19th century and of African-American culture. As a holiday, government services around the Orange County community will be affected on June 19 and the surrounding days. Here’s what residents can […]
![]()
Hillsborough: Budget, No Tax Hike, America 250Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, June 9th, discussing town news and events. He talked about he passage of the town's budget, which ultimately did not include a tax increase, instead pulling from the town's fund balance. He discussed the process that lead to the decision, and more. He also previewed several plans the town is making for this summer's "America 250" celebration, and more.
Orange County Juneteenth Celebrations to Take Place Across Two Weekends. Here's What to KnowThis year's local Juneteenth events are set to take place across various weekends. Here’s how Orange County’s governments are celebrating.
Local Government Meetings: June 8-12, 2026This week in local government: final budget votes in Hillsborough, Pittsboro, Chapel Hill, and Durham County.
As Ebola Spreads in Congo, a Radio Station Tries to Stop Health MisinformationA show from Radio Télévision Mont Bleu has emerged as a vital tool to win over some residents who have been skeptical about the illness.
'We Are Extremely Concerned': Carrboro, Hillsborough Weigh Tough Budget ChoicesTough budget decisions are looming in Carrboro and Hillsborough, where officials have to choose between higher taxes and major cuts.
›
