City Councilors Praise WHAV for Five Years of FM Service, Expansive Local News Coverage

97.9 WHAV’s Silver Hill tower site. (WHAV News photograph.)

Main on-air studio at 97.9 WHAV. (WHAV News photograph.)

Haverhill’s WHAV received accolades from members of the Haverhill City Council last week.

Councilor Joseph J. Bevilacqua, who placed the item on the City Council agenda, praising the station for five years of FM service to the community and introducing WHAV President and General Manager Tim Coco.

“Today’s WHAV is Greater Haverhill’s only public radio station and nonprofit news source and that wasn’t always true because, when it went away in the 90s, it was the same time that across the nation, local news was disappearing. I thought, can we bring back WHAV and can we bring back local news?  I appreciate the community support,” he said.

The anniversary and recognition by the City Council is timely as WHAV begins its critical fall membership drive. Coco thanked councilors for their support used the opportunity to remind listeners that keeping the station depends on them.

“I’ll note that today’s WHAV is member-supported and, at some point, you may be hearing our Fall membership appeal. So, thank you very much for this recognition. I certainly appreciate it,” he said.

Other councilors also expressed praise for the station’s contributions to the city. Among them, Councilor William J. Macek.

“I want to thank Councilor Bevilacqua for putting this item on the agenda because I believe it is extremely important to make note of what Tim Coco has accomplished by providing news both by radio and online. He does an incredible job of getting the stories out and he reports things that you can only find through WHAV,” he said.

Other councilors also offered kudos, including Councilor Thomas J. Sullivan who called WHAV “invaluable,” noting that without the station there simply wouldn’t be local news.

As a reminder, radio listeners and online readers are asked to become ongoing members by clicking on “Membership” here.

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