Financial feasibility problems are leading to the end of a secondary station from North Carolina Public Radio. WUNC Music (WUNC-HD2) will be cut from its Chapel Hill signal and from streaming at the end of June. The AAA station has been operating since 2016.
Originally, WUNC Music aimed to acquire a terrestrial signal, but recent shifts in listener behavior and budgetary issues have challenged this objective.
As the station phases out its dedicated music channel, it plans to add more music content and coverage across its website and social media platforms. To do so, Music Director Brian Burns will be redirected to the digital news team, where he will be tasked with enhancing the station’s music-related storytelling and coverage, leveraging his extensive experience and connections within the local music industry.
WUNC’s President and General Manager Paul Hunton said in a statement, “By realigning our resources, we aim to bring more music coverage to our original programs, website, and social media channels. Our goal is to solidify WUNC’s position as an important source of information for the music scene in the Triangle and beyond. This strategic shift will allow us to better serve our community by providing richer, more diverse content that highlights the dynamic music culture of North Carolina.”
WUNC coverage is heard in Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Fayetteville, and on the Outer Banks.
North Carolina Public Radio isn’t the first public media outlet to shutter a station in the face of economic uncertainty. In April, Chicago Public Media announced it would end Vocalo 91.1, an NPR music station focused on Hip-Hop, Rap, and Dance, alongside a reduction in force. Vocalo had been on-air for 17 years.
