WITF-FM

Last updated

WITF-FM
Broadcast area South Central Pennsylvania
Frequency 89.5 MHz
BrandingWITF
Programming
Format Public radio; news/talk
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerWITF, Inc.
WITF-TV
History
First air date
April 1, 1971 (1971-04-01)
Call sign meaning
"Where It's Top Flight" [1]
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 73084
Class B
ERP 5,900 watts
HAAT 415 meters (1,362 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 40°20′44.3″N76°52′5.9″W / 40.345639°N 76.868306°W / 40.345639; -76.868306 (WITF-FM)
Translator(s) See § Simulcast and translator
Repeater(s) See § Simulcast and translator
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website www.witf.org

WITF-FM (89.5 FM) is a non-commercial, public FM radio station licensed to serve Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by WITF, Inc., and broadcasts NPR talk and news programming. It is co-owned with the area's Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member station, WITF-TV (channel 33). Both stations are based at the Public Media Center in Swatara Township (with a Harrisburg mailing address), and broadcast from a shared tower located on Blue Mountain in Susquehanna Township. [3] [4]

Contents

Like most NPR member stations, WITF-FM broadcasts fundraising appeals, seeking contributions from its listeners to support the station.

History

On April 1, 1971, WITF-FM signed on the air, becoming the first station in Central Pennsylvania to broadcast a full-time classical music radio format. [5] It was originally licensed to Hershey (the license moved to Harrisburg in 1982). WITF-FM was founded as the sister station to WITF-TV, which signed on seven years earlier.

At first, the stations broadcast from "temporary" studios at the former Hershey Middle School, moving to Locust Lane in Harrisburg in 1982. On July 22, 2005, WITF-FM-TV began construction on their current 75,000 square foot facility in Swatara Township. Staff began moving into the facility on November 27, 2006. [5]

After airing a mix of classical music and NPR programming for much of its history, the station dropped all classical music programming on June 25, 2012. [5] WITF-FM began a 24 hour schedule of news and information consisting of syndicated programs from NPR and other providers, along with local news and cultural arts reporting by the WITF staff. [6] WITF has its own Multimedia News Department. [7] It provides local and regional news coverage for both radio and TV.

In 2012, StateImpact Pennsylvania won one of three 2013 Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Awards for its outstanding reporting on energy issues for focusing on the fiscal, environmental and social issues of gas drilling on Pennsylvania's economy. [8] WITF reporter Scott Detrow contributed to the report.

In 2016, WITF's reporting was honored with six regional Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association for excellence in broadcast and online journalism. [9] [10]

Following the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021, WITF's news department began adding language to political news reports to point out that state legislators or members of Congress mentioned in the story advocated against certifying the Pennsylvania 2020 presidential election results. The Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan highlighted this move in a May 2021 column. [11]

Simulcast and translator

Due to the crowded state of the lower end of the FM dial in the Northeast, WITF-FM broadcasts at 5,900 watts, which is fairly modest for a full NPR member on the FM band. As a result, even with its transmitter located atop Blue Mountain, it only provides a grade B signal to the largest city in its service area, Lancaster. [12] [13] To provide a stronger signal to listeners in Lancaster, WITF-FM programming is simulcast on the following translator:

Broadcast translator for WITF-FM
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinatesFCC info
W260CC99.9 FM Lancaster, Pennsylvania 730823860.1  m (197  ft)D 40°2′17.4″N76°18′21.9″W / 40.038167°N 76.306083°W / 40.038167; -76.306083 (W260CC) LMS

On January 9, 2009, WITF-FM also began simulcasting its programming on WYPM: [5]

Call sign Frequency City of license Facility ID ERP
W 		Height
m (ft)		 Class Transmitter coordinates
WYPM 93.3 FM Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 49384350412 m (1,352 ft)A 40°2′54.3″N77°45′0.9″W / 40.048417°N 77.750250°W / 40.048417; -77.750250 (WYPM)
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Related Research Articles

WHYY-FM is a public radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its broadcast tower is located in the city's Roxborough section of the city at while its studios and offices are located on Independence Mall in Center City Philadelphia. The station, owned by WHYY, Inc., is a charter member of NPR and contributes several programs to the national network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXPN</span> Public radio station in Philadelphia

WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) radio format, along with many other format shows. WXPN produces World Cafe, a music program distributed by NPR to many non-commercial stations in the United States. The station's call sign, which is often abbreviated to XPN, stands for "Experimental Pennsylvania Network". The broadcast tower used by WXPN is located at, in the antenna farm complex in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNYE (FM)</span> Public radio station in New York City

WNYE is a non-commercial educational FM radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is operated, along with WNYE-TV, by NYC Media, a division of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Studios are located at the City University of New York's Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue, and the transmitter is at the former Condé Nast Building.

KPBX-FM is a non-commercial, listener-supported, public radio station in Spokane, Washington. It airs news, talk and information programs on weekday morning and afternoon drive times, with a mix of music shows featuring classical, jazz, blues, folk and other genres the rest of the day, and the BBC World Service overnight. KPBX-FM, along with sister stations 91.9 KSFC and 90.3 KPBZ, are owned and operated by Spokane Public Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBAL (AM)</span> Radio station in Maryland, United States

WBAL is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Baltimore, Maryland. It is owned by the broadcasting division of Hearst Communications and broadcasts a news/talk radio format. The station shares its studios and offices with sister stations WBAL-TV and WIYY on Television Hill in Baltimore's Woodberry neighborhood. WBAL and WIYY are the only two radio stations owned by Hearst, which is primarily a publishing and television company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPHT</span> Talk radio station in Philadelphia

WPHT is a commercial radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts a talk radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. Its studios are in Audacy's corporate headquarters on Market Street in Center City, and its transmitter and broadcast tower are on North Church Street in Moorestown, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTPA-FM</span> Radio station in Pennsylvania, United States

WTPA-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a classic rock format. Its broadcast tower is located on Reesers Summit in Fairview Township, York County, at.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAMC</span> Public radio network based in Albany, New York

WAMC-FM is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Albany, New York, United States, featuring a public radio format. Owned by "WAMC Northeast Public Radio" with a legal name of "WAMC", WAMC-FM's primary signal encompasses the Capital District, along with parts of eastern New York, southern Vermont, Western Massachusetts and the Litchfield Hills region as the regional affiliate for National Public Radio (NPR), American Public Media, Public Radio Exchange and the BBC World Service. The station's reach is extended into west-central Connecticut, northeastern Pennsylvania and the Monadnock Region, Champlain Valley, Skylands Region and North Country areas, along with portions of Quebec, via a network of twelve full-power repeaters and sixteen low-power translators. One of these satellite stations operates on the AM band, WAMC in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WITF-TV</span> TV station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

WITF-TV is a PBS member television station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States, serving the Susquehanna Valley region (Harrisburg–Lancaster–Lebanon–York). It is owned by WITF, Inc., alongside the area's NPR member, WITF-FM (89.5). The two stations share studios at the WITF Public Media Center in Swatara Township ; WITF-TV's transmitter is located in Middle Paxton Township, next to the transmitter of CBS affiliate WHP-TV. WITF's programming is relayed on low-power digital translator station W20EU-D in Chambersburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFAE</span> Radio station in North Carolina, United States

WFAE is a non-commercial public radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the main NPR news and information member in the Charlotte region. The station's main studios and offices are at One University Place in the University City neighborhood of northeast Charlotte. The WFAE Center for Community Engagement is located at 301 E. 7th Street in Uptown Charlotte, where live shows and other community gatherings are held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLCC (FM)</span> Radio station in Eugene, Oregon, US

KLCC 89.7 FM is a National Public Radio member station based in Eugene, Oregon. It operates on various other repeater frequencies at other cities in Western, Southern and Central Oregon. The station is licensed to Lane Community College.

WYPM is a non-commercial, public FM radio station that is licensed to serve Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by WITF, Inc., and simulcasts the NPR talk and news programming of WITF-FM in Harrisburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLAN-FM</span> Radio station in Pennsylvania, United States

WLAN-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. through licensee iHM Licenses, LLC. WLAN-FM broadcasts a contemporary hit radio music format. Studios are located on Crown Avenue in Lancaster and the station's broadcast tower is located near Prospect Road in West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRVV</span> Radio station in Pennsylvania, United States

WRVV is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and broadcasts a classic rock format. The station's studios and offices are located at 600 Corporate Circle in Harrisburg.

WVIA-FM is a non-commercial, public FM radio station in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It is the National Public Radio member station for Northeastern Pennsylvania. The station is owned by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Educational Television Association along with its sister television station, WVIA-TV, with studios in Jenkins Township, near Pittston. It airs a mix of NPR news and talk shows, classical music in middays, jazz at night and the BBC World Service overnight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHP (AM)</span> Radio station in Pennsylvania, United States

WHP is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving the Harrisburg metropolitan area of South Central Pennsylvania. It broadcasts a talk radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on Corporate Circle in Harrisburg, off North Progress Avenue.

WDEL is a commercial AM radio station in Wilmington, Delaware, airing a news/talk radio format. Its programming is simulcast on co-owned station 101.7 WDEL-FM. WDEL broadcasts at 5,000 watts using a directional antenna, with its transmitter, studios and offices located on Shipley Road in Wilmington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDLG (AM)</span> Radio station in Dillingham, Alaska

KDLG is a non-commercial, public and community radio station in Dillingham, Alaska, broadcasting on 670 AM. Station programming includes a mix of nationally available NPR shows, Alaska Public Radio Network and local news, and music. It came on the air in 1975. KDLG is a Class A station broadcasting on the clear-channel frequency of 670 kHz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCNV</span> Classical music public radio station in Las Vegas

KCNV is a listener-supported public radio station broadcasting a Classical music format. Licensed to Las Vegas, Nevada, the station is owned by Nevada Public Radio and features programming from American Public Media, National Public Radio and Public Radio International. KCNV airs nationally syndicated shows in the evening and on weekends, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. The NPR program From the Top, showcases young classical musicians. Pipedreams features organ music. And Sunday Baroque, which originates from WSHU-FM in Connecticut, features music composed in and around the Baroque Era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTOP-FM</span> All-news radio station in Washington, D.C.

WTOP-FM – branded "WTOP Radio" and "WTOP News" – is a commercial all-news radio station licensed to serve Washington, D.C. Owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, the station serves the Washington metropolitan area, extending its reach through two repeater stations: WTLP in Braddock Heights, Maryland, and WWWT-FM (107.7) in Manassas, Virginia. The WTOP-FM studios, referred to on-air as the "WTOP Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center", are located on Wisconsin Avenue in the Washington D.C. suburb of Chevy Chase, Maryland, while the station transmitter is located on the American University campus. Besides a standard analog transmission, WTOP-FM broadcasts over three HD Radio channels, and is available online.

References

  1. ↑ "Call Letter Origins: The List". Oldradio.com. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WITF-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "FM Query Results for WITF-FM". Federal Communications Commission . Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ "TV Query Results for WITF-TV". Federal Communications Commission . Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "WITF History". Witf.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  6. ↑ Dunkle, David (June 25, 2012). "WITF format change leaves some listeners in classical music 'withdrawal'". Pennlive.com. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  7. ↑ "WITF Radio Schedule". Witf.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  8. ↑ Philbin, Cara (December 19, 2012). "Give Them A Hand: NPR, StateImpact And StoryCorps Honored With DuPont-Columbia Awards". NPR.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  9. ↑ Lambert, Tim (April 19, 2016). "WITF honored with multiple Regional Murrow Awards". Witf.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  10. ↑ "RTDNA 2016 Edward R. Murrow Awards". rtdna.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  11. ↑ Sullivan, Margaret (May 2, 2021). "The politicians who tried to overturn an election — and the local news team that won't let anyone forget it". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ "60 dBu Service Contour for WITF-FM, Harrisburg, PA, 89.5 MHz BMLED-20040130ADW". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission . Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  13. ↑ City grade and grade B coverage maps
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.