ROCKINGHAM — After more than six decades, one of Richmond County’s radio stations is moving downtown.
WAYN, which first hit the AM airwaves in 1946, is currently in the process of moving from its location behind Richmond Plaza on Rockingham Road to IncSpace, a business incubator on South Lawrence Street.
“Our studio and production facilities will remain at our transmitter and tower location for a few months,” Bill Futterer, WAYN president, said in a statement. “We have all new equipment arriving and it will take a while to incorporate that into our operations. We will install the new console at the South Lawrence location and then complete the move.”
Futterer’s father, William Futterer, and local investors acquired the station in 1964. Three years later, the elder Futterer bought all the stock and the station has remained in the family since.
“I’ve enjoyed seeing old friends during the last few months and meeting the talented and energetic people that are now driving Rockingham and Richmond County,” continued Futterer. “My sister Mary Julian Morgan, brother John Futterer and WAYN talent Carlton Hawkins and Cecilia Giddens share the excitement of being in the middle of the local resurgence.”
IncSpace currently houses the Speckled Paw Rock coffee shop, Art Wonders Gallery and the Richmond County Partnership for Children, as well as the Richmond Observer.
Kenny Melvin, along with his son, Charlie, and wife, Leah, put in a $53,000 bid for the former Community One Bank property at a public auction and the Rockingham City Council approved the purchase in September 2018.
Kenny and Charlie Melvin are also co-publishers of the RO, which moved into the upstairs portion of the building in December of 2018.
