Radford University’s public radio station WVRU began October 1978 and has continued since then. Over the years, radio shows such as Twilight Jazz, The Listening Room ,and Jazz Café have come across the WVRU airwaves but one show that hit the station became the longest running show throughout its 30-year run.

John Fox, a student at Radford in 1978, started a show called See You At Nine. The show made its debut on Saturday night from 9 to 11 at the time WVRU began. Fox still laughs at how the show got its name.

The radio director at the time, Jennifer Roth, wanted a “Rock and Roll” name for this show but Fox wasn’t enthusiastic about names, so he joked about simply calling it “See You at Nine” based on the show’s starting time. “When I arrived to do the show, the name See You at Nine was on the program log,” Fox said. “And it has stuck ever since.”

The show later moved from Saturdays to Fridays, still airing at the same time and keeping the name. Music was, and still is, the focal point of the show.

The idea of the show from the beginning was to “play music and keep the talking to a minimum,” Fox said.

The show played a variety of music ranging from country, oldies, rock, and reggae. And three decades later, the format of the show hasn’t changed much, and music still plays a prominent role just as it always has. WVRU General Manager Ashlee Claud said that the show has something you wouldn’t get anywhere else.

“He has a loyal listening fan base,” Claud said.

In a 60-minute period, listeners would hear 13 to 26 songs. Normally on the show, Fox plays three to four sets that range from 15 to 20 minutes each.

And Fox himself hasn’t strayed far from RU. He works at Information Technology as a Mac System Engineer. After work on Friday he puts the show together.

“I come in with a playlist of songs,” Fox said. “I like to keep it short and sweet.”

Fox, a collector of music, owns about 1,200 CD’s that range in variety.

“John Fox is a walking encyclopedia of classic and contemporary pop music from the 1960s to present, rock, blues, and reggae,” WVRU operations director Jon Benfield said.

Themes are also scripted on the show, featuring music that corresponds to things such as cars, clothes, and food, or by a time period—such as the 1960s. Fox keeps the shows scripts and said that some remain special to him, often those that aired around important dates in his life, such as the show that aired before his wedding in 1982 (pictured at left).

Along with hosting his radio show, Fox has contributed to the station in many ways over the years.

“John built both of the equipment racks that we still use today in our studios and participated in a complete rewire of the station of the mid-1980s,” Benfield said.

See You At Nine has aired since WVRU first began and the show is still going strong.

There have been times that Fox took breaks from the show, having his position filled in by a student director. But Fox still loves doing the show and doesn’t see giving it up any time soon. His enthusiasm for music is the reason why the show has lasted for so long and continues on.

“I like the impromptu and the freedom of doing,” Fox said.

“It’s hard to beat See You At Nine’s nearly 30-year run on the air, and it’s really important to me that the listeners get their dosage of nostalgia every Friday,” Benfield said. “I consider his contributions to the station to be extremely valuable both in content and years of service.”

Brian Seay is an intern for the New River Voice.