Radio in Mitchell County
Ground conductivity in the region is poor, and high terrain causes problems for FM and TV reception. Local AM signals from Spruce Pine, Burnsville, Newland and Erwin, Tennessee place the strongest signals into the area. The county is not part of any metro ratings area, nor is it considered part of any Arbitron ADI. FM stations from the Charlotte market are received in Mitchell County.
Did You Know?
Mitchell County was almost the home of a powerful FM station. Businessman Brad Ragan (founder of the Carolina Tire chain of Goodyear Tire and furniture stores), along with other investors sought to bring to Spruce Pine a FM station in the 1950s, at the start of the development of the FM band commercially. Their plans didn't materialize due to the limited commercial successes of early FM stations (and a paucity of FM receivers). The frequency moved west, and eventually became the home of WQUT (101.5 FM) in Johnson City, Tennessee
Radio Stations by City
Spruce Pine
