Valley Voice
Valley Voice is a radio reading service for the visually impaired.
The Valley Voice focuses on local news and information by presenting readings of publications from our region.
Daily Schedule:
(may be preempted on cable access channels by occasional municipal or school meetings)
At 7, 10, 1 and 4: Portions of Staunton News Leader, and Waynesboro News Virginian.
At 8, 11, 2 and 5: Portions of Harrisonburg Daily News-Record.
At 9, 12, 3 and 6: Portions of CharlottesvilleDaily Progress.
Trained volunteers read aloud portions of newspapers for broadcast.
Around 4,000 listeners each week rely on the service to hear time-sensitive print matter. We primarily serve Harrisonburg, Staunton, Bridgewater, and portions of the surrounding countryside.
Listener primarily access this service through our online stream - https://media.wmra.org:8001/voice.mp3
Some listeners hear Valley Voice through Cable TV as the audio background of certain PEG (public / educational / governmental) channels. Valley Voice audio is present for all or part of the day on: Staunton CitySpan, and also some in-house stations at retirement homes and adult care facilities. Valley Voice is not responsible for visible text, Valley Voice only does audio.
Medically-qualified people without access to Cable TV or internet services may be able to hear the service through specialized single-channel subcarrier radio receivers (known in the broadcast-world as as SCA's). Unfortunately, the airborne SCA signal is weak and is subject to interference from hilly terrain, buildings, and from some broadcast signals. SCA's only service portions of the Shenandoah Valley from Woodstock to Staunton and are loaned out by Valley Voice. To request, call (540) 568-6221 and ask for the Valley Voice, or send an email to WMRA@JMU.EDU with Valley Voice SCA in the subject line.
When scheduling or weather-issues prevent volunteers from appearing, a recording of the show's most recent edition should play in place of the live reading.
More Info
Valley Voice
JMU WMRA Radio Bldg
983 Reservoir St
Harrisonburg VA 22801
You can contact us by phone at (540) 568-6221 and ask for the Valley Voice, or send an email to WMRA@JMU.EDU with Valley Voice in the subject line.
The Valley Voice main contact is Matt Bingay, Executive Director & General Manager - bingaymc@jmu.edu
Valley Voice is a department of listener-supported public radio station WMRA, with a broadcast facility on the James Madison University grounds within the WMRA building. The FCC first authorized Valley Voice for broadcast on October 8, 1981, which is considered the Valley Voice's birthday (FCC File BMSCA-81094BA re WMRA). Founders are Jane Fuller and Ron Carrier. The service was only available via SCA units until 1999 when Cable TV distribution began.
Valley Voice and WMRA are both non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations through JMU.
More Resources for those with print impairments
Non-textbook books:
Staunton Talking Book Center
1-800-995-6215
1-540-885-6215
Staunton Talking Book Center serves residents of counties Augusta, Bath, Highland, and Rockbridge --and the cities of Buena Vista, Lexington, Staunton, and Waynesboro.
Textbooks:
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
Virginia's other reading services: