WITF-FM

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.[2][3]

WITF-FM
CityHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Broadcast areaSouth Central Pennsylvania
Frequency89.5 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWITF
SloganLive inspired
Programming
FormatNPR News/Talk
AffiliationsNPR
Public Radio Exchange
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
Facility ID73084
ClassB
ERP5,900 watts
HAAT415 meters (1,362 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
40°20′44.30″N 76°52′5.90″W
Translator(s)See § Simulcast and translator
Repeater(s)See § Simulcast and translator
Links
Websitewww.witf.org

Several times a year, WITF-FM broadcasts fundraising appeals, seeking contributions from its listeners to support the station, since it carries no commercials.

History

On April 1, 1971, WITF-FM signed on the air, becoming the first station in Central Pennsylvania to broadcast a fulltime classical music radio format.[4] It was originally licensed to serve Hershey. 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.[4]

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.[4] 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.[5] WITF has its own Multimedia News Department.[6] It provides local and regional news coverage for both radio and TV.

On December 19, 2012, NPR announced that StateImpact Pennsylvania[7] had won one of three 2013 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Silver Baton Awards (essentially the Pulitzer Prize of broadcast and digital journalism) 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.

On April 19, 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]

Simulcast and translator

WITF-FM's service contour covers Harrisburg, Lebanon and York, but does not cover the City of Lancaster.[11][12] To provide a stronger signal to listeners in Lancaster, WITF-FM programming is simulcast on the following translator:

Broadcast translators of WITF-FM
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseFacility
ID		ERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassTransmitter coordinatesFCC info
W260CC99.9Lancaster, Pennsylvania730823860.1 m (197 ft)D40°02′17.4″N 76°18′21.9″WFCC

On January 9, 2009, WITF-FM also began simulcasting its programming on WYPM:[4]

Call sign Frequency City of license Facility ID ERP
W		 Height
m (ft)		 Class Transmitter coordinates
WYPM93.3 FMChambersburg, Pennsylvania49384350412 m (1,352 ft)A40°02′54.30″N 77°45′0.90″W

References
  1. "Call Letter Origins: The List". Oldradio.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  2. "FM Query Results for WITF-FM". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  3. "TV Query Results for WITF-TV". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  4. "WITF History". Witf.org. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  5. Dunkle, David (2012-06-25). "WITF format change leaves some listeners in classical music 'withdrawal'". Pennlive.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  6. "WITF Radio Schedule". Witf.org. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  7. StateImpact Pennsylvania
  8. Philbin, Cara (2012-12-19). "Give Them A Hand: NPR, StateImpact And StoryCorps Honored With DuPont-Columbia Awards". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  9. Lambert, Tim (2016-04-19). "WITF honored with multiple Regional Murrow Awards". Witf.org. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  10. "RTDNA 2016 Edward R. Murrow Awards". rtdna.org. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  11. "60 dBu Service Contour for WITF-FM, Harrisburg, PA, 89.5 MHz BMLED-20040130ADW". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  12. City grade and grade B coverage maps
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