Ivy Sheppard Joins WEHC as General Manager
An experienced radio host, producer and audio engineer with strong connections to the region’s traditional music scene has been named general manager of WEHC-FM at Emory & Henry College.
Ivy Sheppard brings radio experience as a program host and producer of her show Born in the Mountain, which is syndicated across several states including WAMU in Washington, D.C., WPAQ in Mount Airy, N..C, and WEHC in Emory.
As she takes on her new leadership role she is joined at WEHC by Leigh Anne Hunter, who has been named programming assistant. In her role, Hunter will handle program scheduling and promotion while providing support to the station’s many show hosts.
Sheppard is the recipient of multiple grants for historical music preservation and a frequent speaker on the traditional music of the Blue Ridge and beyond. Sheppard also has compiled, curated, mastered and written liner notes for multiple recordings, and is currently remastering two projects for Yazoo Records.
As an assistant audio engineer, Sheppard has produced and assisted in mixing bluegrass and old-time recordings. In addition to being sought out for her expertise in old-time music, she spent the better part of two decades as an international touring musician playing fiddle, banjo, guitar, and singing.
“WEHC connects the people of this region through the sharing of important information and great entertainment,” Sheppard said. “I am excited to support this mission and to extend its benefits to a growing and increasingly enthusiastic world of listeners.”
Sheppard continues airing her old-time music show Born in the Mountain on WEHC on Sunday nights, attracting area listeners to the broadcast signal as well as bringing in followers from around the country to the station’s live stream.
“Ivy brings the type of experience to WEHC that will help the station to significantly enhance its appeal to a wide audience through our on-air broadcasts, podcasts and popular live internet stream,” said Dirk Moore, executive director of the McGlothlin Center for the Arts, which is home to WEHC FM, and who recently served as interim general manager for the station. “We are thrilled to have her energy and talent applied to the management of this very important and increasingly relevant enterprise.”
WEHC carries the Radio IQ/NPR signal in the mornings and the popular afternoon program All Things Considered through a programming agreement with Virginia Tech. Approximately 25 volunteers from the community and region present talk and music shows that fill 65 hours per week. Emory & Henry Mass Communications students also have the opportunity to earn real-world experience by contributing to WEHC, as well as EHC-TV and the Whitetopper digital newspaper.
The station carries Emory & Henry football and men’s and women’s basketball as well as weekly Emory First United Methodist Church services. WEHC programming is broadcast on 90.7 FM and streamed at www.wehcfm.com, also the location of archived programs and more information about the noncommercial station.
Open gallery
Ivy Sheppard
Ivy brings the type of experience to WEHC that will help the station to significantly enhance its appeal to a wide audience through our on-air broadcasts, podcasts and popular live internet stream. We are thrilled to have her energy and talent applied to the management of this very important and increasingly relevant enterprise.
- Dirk Moore