McNeil Drive is named in honor of Samuel P. McNeil, the leading sponsor and founder of WBRA and educational television of Roanoke and Southwest Virginia. Mr. McNeil served as Chairman of WBRA for 25 years from its beginning in 1966 until he retired in 1992. He was a co-founder of the local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also served as Chairman of the Roanoke City School Board from 1970 to 1976.
Blue Ridge PBS is comprised of WBRA-TV/DT in Roanoke, WSBN-TV/DT in Norton, and WMSY-TV/DT in Marion, VA. Founded in 1967, it is the sole public multimedia enterprise serving 2.5 million individuals in portions of five states. The station’s 26,000 square-mile coverage area includes southwestern Virginia and bordering counties in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina. As the region’s storyteller, Blue Ridge PBS offers informational, educational, and cultural programming, along with an award-winning local production team devoted to regional issues and interests.
Over 200,000 schoolchildren and their teachers benefit from the station’s education services that provide a safe, trusted environment for innovative on-air and online learning. Sam McNeil was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2001.
Sam McNeil was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2001.
