First air date 1972 | Broadcast area Capital District | |
WMHT-FM is the callsign of a classical music and NPR radio station licensed to Schenectady, New York, broadcasting on 89.1 MHz with 6,100 watts ERP from the Helderberg Mountains antenna farm in New Scotland, New York. It is sister station to WMHT, the PBS member station for the Albany/Schenectady/Troy market.
Contents
WMHT-FM broadcasts in HD.
WMHT-FM programming is also heard on a part-time basis on sister station WRHV-FM in Poughkeepsie, which is involved in one of the last timeshare arrangements in the United States alongside State University of New York at New Paltz-owned WFNP-FM. From October 2005 to March 2006, WMHT-FM programming was also heard on WBKK in Amsterdam prior to WMHT starting its own, younger-oriented classical music on that station.
History
WMHT-FM plays an all-classical music format, a format that dates to its signon in 1972. The plans for the format came into being in the wake of WFLY leaving the classical format in 1969 and an ensuing protest from prominent members of the community. Although a number of PBS stations were launching sister NPR stations, the presence of WAMC kept WMHT from such an opportunity. WMHT decided to go in a different direction by launching a classical station. After paying Siena College owned WVCR-FM to vacate their 89.1 frequency, WMHT-FM would soon sign on.
WMHT-FM's signature program is "Bach's Lunch," a program originally conceived by Pam Mittendorff and Chris Wienk of WSHU-FM. Wienk brought the program to WMHT-FM after it stopped airing on WSHU-FM in Fairfield.
In July 2007, WMHT launched "Exit 97.7" which features local jocks Dave Michaels in morning drive, with station manager Chris Wienk handling afternoons.
Programming will also include two daily runs of "World Cafe" from Philadelphia's WXPN and the new age show "Echoes" (which was already being heard at night on WBKK), as well as a local music show called "Local 518" on weekends."
"Our focus is on emerging artists, classic songs that regular radio has forgotten, and music from our region (our Local 518)." (Exit97.7online)
Original programming
RISE
WMHT also provides an information service for those who are blind and "print-disabled" known as RISE, which has been in operation since 1978. RISE programming is on the subcarriers of both WMHT-FM and WRHV-FM (even when WRHV-FM is not on the air).