WMTH
 | |
| Frequency | 90.5 MHz |
|---|---|
| Programming | |
| Format | High School |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Board of Education, Maine Township #207 |
| History | |
First air date | December 20, 1959 |
Call sign meaning | Maine Township High |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 6050 |
| Class | D |
| ERP | 8 watts |
| HAAT | 31 meters (102 feet) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°02′14″N 87°51′30″W / 42.03722°N 87.85833°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | WMTH Online |
WMTH-FM, located in Park Ridge, Illinois, was among the first high school radio stations in the United States when it was licensed in 1959. Established by the Student Council at Maine Township High School, now Maine East High School, the station went on the air during December 1959.[1] The station became known as "The Voice of Maine Township".
The radio station was built by electronics teacher, Theron Whitfield, and electronics students in the school. The first student voice on the station was that of class of 1960 senior, Harrison Ford, who went on to become a major film actor in movies such as Star Wars and the "Indiana Jones" series.
WMTH-FM has studios at all three existing Maine Township High Schools; Maine West High School in Des Plaines and Maine East High School and Maine South High School in Park Ridge. There was also a studio at the former Maine North High School in Des Plaines.
The call letters were chosen "MTH" as in Maine Township High (school). The WMTH-FM antenna is located on the highest point of the school building at Dempster and Potter Roads in Park Ridge. The studio from 1959 through 1970 was located in room 147B, across the hall from the auditorium. When the center courtyard building opened in the fall of 1970, the radio station relocated and the first WMTH-TV television studio was built.
The original power of the station was 16 watts effective radiated power at a frequency of 88.5 MHz. This continued from 1960 until 1983 when the frequency was changed to 90.5 MHz and the power reduced to 8.9 watts. This leaves it as one of the lowest powered FM stations in the United States, and one of few remaining under the now-discontinued Class D license.
WMTH broadcasts between the hours on 9am-5pm on Weekdays only, with each Maine Township school broadcasting on a different day. A full calendar schedule can be found on the station website. WMTH also broadcasts online.
WMTH-FM continues to broadcast a mixture of music, school sports events, and other programs of local interest.
Famous alumni
- Harrison Ford (1960)
- Rich Koz (1970) Svengoolie, Chicago TV
- Scott Cohn (1978) CNBC senior correspondent
- Janet Shamlian (1980) national correspondent NBC News
- Dennis Gambino (2007) Mully and Hanley Morning Show Producer, WSCR-AM Chicago
References
- ^ "Maine FM Station In Operation". Park Ridge Herald. December 1959.
External links
- Facility details for Facility ID WMTH ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- WMTH Alumni general website
- WMTH Alumni blog website