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WATA
The High Country’s favorite for local News, Talk, and Sports!
COUNTRY
The Highway
The Highway is your country music powerhouse
70s – 80s HITS
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Classic Hits of the 70s & 80s, bringing you back to the good ‘ol days of music!
TOP 40
Pulse Boone
Playing all of the newest Top 40 hits and the throwbacks!
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UNC HEALTH APPALACHIAN AND HIGH COUNTRY RADIO
Wakin’ Up In The High Country
Mark in the Morning welcomes in guests daily from all over the High Country!
NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
We want to introduce you to new faces and new places all over the area that you will want to discover! High Country Radio brings you New Business Spotlight twice a month presented by First Community Bank!
HIGH COUNTRY RADIO
LATEST LOCAL NEWS
WATA 1450 & 96.5 Named NCAB's 2026 Non-Metro Station of the Year
WATA 1450 & 96.5 Named NCAB's 2026 Non-Metro Station of the Year BOONE, N.C. - For the first time in its 75-year history, WATA 1450 AM & 96.5 FM has been honored as the best in the state by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB). The NCAB named WATA its 2026 Non-Metro Station of the Year on Wedne...
Oct 7, 2026
State Of The Community 2026 (Boone Area Chamber)
The Annual State of the Community was held by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and included key updates on the next steps in Helene Recovery, healthcare, and the state of the chamber. Hosted Tuesday by The Beacon Restaurant, todays story focuses on the healthcare report. President and CEO of UNC Health Appalachian,...
Oct 7, 2026
High Country Voter Registration Deadline Approaches
The voter registration deadline for the November 3rd midterm election is approaching. Eligible voters who want to cast their ballot by mail or on Election Day need to register by 5 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 9th. Individuals with a North Carolina driver's license or North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) iden...
Oct 6, 2026
HIGH COUNTRY RADIO
LOCAL SPORTS
APP STATE FIGHTS BACK AND COMES CLOSE IN RALEIGH!
RALEIGH, N.C. - App State Football showed plenty of fight during a dramatic fourth-quarter rally on the road, but NC State responded to the Mountaineers' game-tying touchdown by regaining the lead for good with 5:08 left in a 41-31 victory Saturday night. App State (3-1) fell behind 21-0 in its final nonconference game...
Sep 21, 2026
HIGH COUNTRY HUDDLE IS BACK!
We are four weeks into the new season of High Country Huddle as Jakob Pearsall hosts and brings you athletes and coaches from Watauga, Ashe and Avery High Schools! In case you missed any of these, here are the first four episodes, including the first as a preview of this school year followed by Jakob sitting down with ...
Sep 14, 2026