Senator Steven Baddour during a recent interview at WHAV’s Edwin V. Johnson Newsroom.

Stopping just short of spinning off WHAV as a public charity, COCO+CO. Inc. this week reorganized WHAV’s on-air, Internet and cable television operations as a separate not-for-profit unit.

The decision does not affect programming or advertisers, but rather it reassures the public any surplus revenues are used solely to expand community benefits. WHAV continues its 24-hour-a-day schedule.

“Serving the public interest, convenience and necessity was the aim of restoring WHAV seven years ago this month. It has remained a community service project with all revenues committed solely to this purpose. No one has ever personally benefitted financially,” said COCO+CO. President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Coco. WHAV is not seeking tax exemptions, Coco said.

Coco began his communications career at the original WHAV in 1978. He helped organize a reunion of WHAV personalities in 2007, bringing together Tom Bergeron, Gary LaPierre and Phil Christie. Last year, the station dedicated WHAV’s newsroom in honor of Edwin V. Johnson, a 34-year-employee of the station and Haverhill High School instructor who passed away in 2003. The station also restored the popular Open Mike Show with its last host, Jack Bevelaqua, and brought back former on-air personnel Christie and Marc Lemay. Christie got his start at WHAV in the late 1940s, while Lemay served as news director during the 1990s.

The WHAV call letters have been associated with local broadcasting since 1947. For seven years, the WHAV call has served the Merrimack Valley’s pioneer Internet radio station at WHAV.net and a number of public access cable television stations in Andover, Haverhill and Methuen, and Plaistow and Sandown, N.H. The station is also heard over AM 1640 in northern Haverhill and Plaistow, N.H.

To listen, or for more information, visit www.whav.net.

Answers to Several Common Questions

What prompted the change?
It is more of a statement of truth rather than an actual change. There is an irrational belief — held by too many locally — that another’s success somehow comes at their expense. WHAV staff has witnessed outlandish jealousy, even rage, by some who think WHAV one way or another competes with their interests. Making this move is a step toward taking WHAV out of the perceived competition.

Will advertisements still be heard on the station?
Yes. Not-for-profit organizations may raise revenues by any legal means. However, any “profits” must be used to support the operation rather than enrich stockholders.

Isn’t public broadcasting prohibited from airing ads?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) places commercial advertising restrictions on non-commercial radio and television stations regulated by the agency. WHAV is not regulated by the FCC except for certain technical rules on its AM transmitter at 1640 kHz. Most people listen to the radio station’s digital feeds over the Internet and cell phones or cable television.

In this multimedia age, what is WHAV’s reason for being?
There is a proliferation of media choices. No entity, however, has committed itself to presenting local news, weather, community announcements, emergency messages and related content 24-hours-a-day. WHAV is addressing this vital community need.

Isn’t this ‘digital stuff’ over the heads of most people?
Admittedly, WHAV was ahead of its time. More and more people though are discovering how easy it is to listen to CD-quality audio — and frequently video — over their computers or cell phones. Listening usually requires no more than pressing a single button.