 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Baltimore metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 89.7MHz |
| Branding | 89.7 WTMD |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult album alternative |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | February 12, 1976; 49 years ago (February 12, 1976) |
Former call signs | WCVT (1976–1991)[1] |
Call sign meaning | Where Towson Makes a Difference[2] |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 67461 |
| Class | B1 |
| ERP | 7,400watts |
| HAAT | 122 metres (400 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.wtmd.org |
WTMD (89.7FM) is anon-commercialpublicradio stationlicensed toTowson, Maryland, and serving theBaltimore metropolitan area. It broadcasts anadult album alternative (AAA)radio format and is owned byBaltimore Public Media, along withNPRaffiliate WYPR 88.1 FM. It holds periodic on-airfundraisers and seeks donations on its website.
WTMD has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 10,000watts. It uses adirectional antenna. Thetransmitter is on Olympic Place in Towson.[4] WTMD broadcasts usingHD Radio technology.
For most of its time on the air, WTMD was thecollege radio station ofTowson State University. It has its origins in a network of closed-circuitcarrier current transmitters on the Towson campus, inaugurated in Spring 1972. Although carrier current stations are not licensed by theFederal Communications Commission (FCC), the operation adopted the unofficialcall sign of WVTS ("Voice of Towson State") as a familiar form of identification.[5]
Efforts began to build out an FM station, although it was hampered by a lack of available frequencies as other educational broadcasters built their stations first. A plan to partner withMorgan State University to launch a shared station (later to becomeWEAA) fell through. A 1973 letter toThe Towerlight was reflective of the overall mood surrounding the station, bemoaning the fact that the largest mass communications program in the state had only a carrier current station for training students who planned careers in media. The author described the carrier current station as a "sophisticatedintercom." There were also concerns about poor news and events coverage, and a lack of professionalism on the part of airstaff.[5]
In 1974, the FCC granted Towson State aconstruction permit to build an FM station on 89.7 MHz.[1] This station was initially given the call sign WCVT ("Communications Voice of Towson"). Itsigned on the air on February 12, 1976. It had a typical college radio format of primarilyprogressive rock and a variety of specialty shows. The carrier current station was also renamed WCVT and became a training ground for the FM station, greatly improving its on-air quality. WCVT's eclectic music found a small but loyal audience. The station was recognized by theBaltimore City Paper in 1988 as the city's best.[5]
WCVT upgraded to 10,000 watts in 1981. Towson State began directly funding the station in 1988 with the intention of hiring professional management, which it did in the same year.[5]
In 1991, faced with an audience that was unsustainably small for its funding needs, WCVT flipped tosmooth jazz and lightadult contemporary as "89.7 The Breeze." It changed its call sign to WTMD. Despite the apparent meaning of "Towson, Maryland", the call letters began as an initialism for "Where Towson Makes a Difference."[2] (The letters have also beenbackronymed into the station's current slogan, "Total Music Discovery".) Students protested the loss of their musical outlet, arguing that since they were still a major funding source, WTMD should play what they wanted. General manager Jim English put it bluntly to theBaltimore Sun: "Nobody's listening."
Management contended that the station's primary goal was to teach broadcasting, not entertain students, and it needed to switch to a more accessible format to resolve persistent revenue shortfalls. Full-serviceNPR member stationWJHU (88.1 FM) had four times the audience with a comparable signal.[5][6]
After eleven years of whatSun media reporterDavid Folkenflik derisively referred to as "low-calorie"elevator music, WTMD flipped toadult album alternative (AAA) – a mix ofindie rock,alternative rock,folk andalternative country – on December 3, 2002. Station management indicated they were impressed by the success of stations such asWXPN andKCRW, and sought a musical format not otherwise accessible in Baltimore. At the time, WEAA, WJHU, andWashington'sWPFW also devoted at least part of their broadcast days to jazz. The AAA format has achieved a similar level of success, and WTMD developed a reputation as a strong supporter of the local music scene.[7][8]
WTMD concurrently moved from faculty oversight in the Department of Electronic Media and Film to direct management by the university's communications department. The station employed an all-professional office and air staff, although Towson students served as interns and worked their way into on-air positions.[5][9] In 2014, the station's management was delegated to the affiliated nonprofit Towson University Public Media, though the university retained ownership of the station and its assets.[10]
The carrier current network became known as WTSR ("Towson State Radio") in 1981, and gradually became more eclectic after the FM station dropped progressive rock. It was shut down in 2004; WTSR moved online and still exists today asXTSR.
In May 2021, Your Public Radio Corporation, the owner ofWYPR, reached an agreement to acquire the station for $3 million. WTMD retains its format and programming.[11] The acquisition closed on November 10, 2021, after receivingFederal Communications Commission approval.[12]
In 2024, Your Public Media changed its name to Baltimore Public Media.[13]
WTMD produces First Thursday Concerts in the Park, a series of six free after work shows at West Mount Vernon Park in downtown Baltimore, and starting in 2014,Canton Waterfront Park.[14] Artists likeThe Damnwells,Joan Osborne,Los Lonely Boys,LP,Steve Forbert,The Colour, The Young Dubliners and others have performed, attracting crowds of about 3,000.
The 2013 calendar included performances by artists The Lone Below,Alpha Rev,The Wild Feathers, and theKopecky Family Band. As of 2013, First Thursday attendance has dramatically increased, doubling from previous years to draw 6,000 to 7,000 attendees.[15][16]
The 2014 calendar included artists such asJoan Osborne,Joseph Arthur,Marah,Los Lonely Boys, Spanish Gold,LP,Grizfolk,Strand of Oaks,Lydia Loveless,Moon Taxi,The Whigs,JD McPherson,The Hold Steady,Hamilton Leithauser, andAmong Wolves.[16][14]
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WTMD partnered withWAMU inWashington, D.C. whereby WAMU rebroadcast WTMD on its secondHD Radiodigital subchannel. This brought back independent music radio to Washington for the first time sinceWHFS dropped its alternative rock format in 2005. This partnership was recognized by FCC CommissionerRobert M. McDowell in his remarks when the commission voted to make HD Radio permanent.[17]
WTMD was simulcast full-time on WAMU-HD2 until September 2007, when WAMU removed all music programming from its primary signal and flipped the HD2 subchannel toAmericana andbluegrass-formatted "Bluegrass Country".[18] The simulcast moved to overnights and weekends on WAMU-HD3; in 2010, the WTMD-programmed blocks were flipped to content fromXPoNential Radio.[19]
WTMD also broadcast onFM translator W288BS, located in the Washington suburb ofGreat Falls, Virginia on 105.5 FM. This translator was fed by WAMU's HD signal and began relaying Bluegrass Country in October 2008.[20]
39°23′46″N76°36′29″W / 39.396°N 76.608°W /39.396; -76.608