What happened to Toy radio?
On Sunday, I was asked what happened to Roanoke’s Toy Radio, which I was told had not aired since September. According to Veronica Gill Hughes via Facebook, WTOY is currently off the air while waiting for the transmitter to be repaired.
WTOY has been a staple in the Southwest Virginia African American Community and surrounding areas since 1956. “Located at 910 on the AM dial” (as the DJs used to say), children, teens, young adults, and parents listened to their favorite Soul music on the station.
It was common to hear WTOY blasting R&B hits from vehicles, home stereo systems, and transistor radios as you walked or drove through Roanoke, Salem, Bedford, and Botetourt County.
“Toy{” now plays Gospel music at 1480 am. Hughes said many people had been asking her about the radio station, and she hopes they will soon be back on the air.