WETS-FM is celebrating 50 years of broadcasting excellence, community service and listener loyalty during its annual spring fund drive from March 18-23.

May 14, 2024 · WETS-FM is celebrating 50 years of broadcasting excellence, community service and listener loyalty during its annual spring fund drive from May 20-25.

WETS-FM began broadcasting on February 26, 1974. It is a member station of National Public Radio and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is licensed to East Tennessee State University. The station's studios are located on the university campus and the transmitter is on Holston Mountain, 22 miles east of Johnson City.

Sep 18, 2024 · 89.5 WETS-FM continues to celebrate its golden anniversary with the ribbon-cutting of a brand-new radio tower and its annual Fall Fundraiser on the way.

Fred Sauceman, news director at WETS-FM, will sign off the news desk for the last time on Friday, June 30, 2023, after a decade of delivering local and regional news at the station.

Aug 30, 2023 · This fall, listeners will have an opportunity to partner with the station by participating in the WETS-FM Fall Fund Drive, Sept. 9-15. WETS-FM is an NPR affiliate that is operated as a partnership between East Tennessee State University and the station’s listeners.

WETS-FM, located on the campus of East Tennessee State University, is asking for that support to continue. The station’s spring fund drive runs March 18-24 . “From news stories to informed opinion, public radio is critical here and throughout our country,” said Chad Barrett , …

Like so many businesses and organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic hit WETS-FM hard. The station estimated that fundraising dropped between 30-40% in 2020-21. Public radio is so important here in the Appalachian Highlands and across the United States.

Barrett has climbed the ranks at WETS, a public radio station housed on ETSU’s main campus. Following his internship, he shifted to a part-time announcing role, then to executive aide and eventually program director.

Today, WETS-FM operates in the Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia/North Carolina region and online, covering everything from local news and music to iconic NPR programs. “Fifty years is an incredible accomplishment for the station and the community,” said Chad Barrett, WETS-FM Station Director.