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WAMU's Bluegrass Country 105.5 FM moves signal to Bethesda

New location boosts reception to potential audience of 2 million listeners

September 16, 2011

Washington – WAMU's Bluegrass Country today announced it has moved its antenna to Bethesda, Md. 

The antenna's placement – higher in the air than at its previous location – allows for improved reception for those in the region listening to Bluegrass Country at 105.5 FM. The new, more centralized location also gives the station the potential to reach more than two million people via traditional analog radio in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. 

Previously, the terrestrial signal originated near Reston, Va. The FCC granted the station's license to operate from the new location on September 15. 

"This new development will allow Bluegrass Country to better serve our faithful, local listeners who already know and love this special American music, and to reach millions of others, perhaps for the very first time," said WAMU's Bluegrass Country General Manager Caryn G. Mathes. 

The 105.5 FM signal in northern Montgomery County and northern parts of Fairfax County, near the old tower location, is weaker. The WAMU engineering team is working to restore a strong signal for listeners in these areas. WAMU's HD-2 digital station has excellent coverage in these areas. 

Listeners are encouraged to email bgcmembership@wamu.org to let the station know where Bluegrass Country can be heard on 105.5 FM. 

WAMU's Bluegrass Country is a member-supported public radio station dedicated to honoring the past and supporting the future of bluegrass. The station is on air at 105.5 FM in Bethesda, Md., on HD Radio at 88.5-2, online at bluegrasscountry.org and available to iPhone and iPod touch users through the iTunes Store. 

 

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