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To the Editor:

I was recently informed that the radio station had been sold yet again. I wanted to make the new owners aware of how much the local station is appreciated by the community.

What concerns me most is the heritage and the actual honorary name of the current studio. My late husband, Don Upchurch, was a local historian and broadcaster that dedicated 54 years of service to local radio and the community. He attended Atlantic Broadcast College after high school and immediately came back to work his beloved radio.

He created Roanoke Chowan Trivia which was a wealth of knowledge in the form of a contest for decades. He promoted the Roanoke Chowan area continuously. He interviewed leaders and local heroes. Utilizing his own recording studio, he preserved much local history and community events. The station live broadcasted ballgames and church services. The station was involved.

I personally relocated hundreds of his own Skye Studios recordings to the Ahoskie Chamber of Commerce and to local citizens. The Ahoskie Museum houses much of his work.

Don, as the manager, did all the prep work for the new building and recording studio. I actually drove him to work during the last month of his cancer fight so that he could work. He was that dedicated.

His then new owners valued his knowledge and input. I was beyond proud when they named the new studio, The Don Upchurch Studio. I am so hopeful that the new owners will not remove his name. He was very beloved in the community. Most of the stores played the station and he kept them informed. I personally have worked many hurricanes with him to keep the public informed when we did not have the internet availability that we do now.

As a broadcaster, historian, business owner, private pilot, author, craftsman and videographer he was valued in the community and his name means Ahoskie.

Lucy Daniels

Edenton