Lehigh University partners with public media to expand WLVR-FM's reach and student opportunities
Lehigh University and Lehigh Valley Public Media have announced a new partnership to expand programming on WLVR-FM, the university’s long-standing college radio station. The collaboration will bring professional media expertise to students while preserving the station’s student-led operations. WLVR-FM has been broadcasting since 1946, growing steadily over the decades into a well-known campus and community outlet. Under the new agreement, Lehigh Valley Public Media—a community-owned organisation serving eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey—will manage the station’s main digital and analog signals. The station will also upgrade to a multi-channel HD transmitter, allowing simultaneous broadcasts over both digital and analog frequencies.
Lehigh University will keep full control and authority over WLVR-FM, while the public media group handles day-to-day programming. A second channel will remain entirely student-run, overseen by A.J. Fritzinger Jr., ensuring that Lehigh’s radio tradition continues.
The partnership will create more learning opportunities for students, including paid internships, classroom teaching, and service-learning courses. Interns will gain hands-on experience in journalism, storytelling, media production, and marketing. Additionally, the agreement will support the student-driven Lehigh radio channel and provide professional development for those involved. The collaboration between Lehigh University and Lehigh Valley Public Media will strengthen WLVR-FM’s reach while offering students real-world media experience. The station’s upgrade to HD broadcasting and the introduction of professional mentorship aim to benefit both the university and the wider community.
