City Winnetka, Illinois First air date 1961 | Frequency 88.1 (MHz) Format Variety | |
Broadcast area New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois Slogan The Voice of New Trier High School | ||
WNTH is the FM radio station of New Trier High School. The station broadcasts to most parts of New Trier Township, Illinois at 88.1 FM.
Contents
Mission
WNTH is owned by the New Trier school board. The station has an output power of 100 watts, which is sufficient to reach all the territory in the New Trier district and much of the surrounding area. As of the 2006-2007 school year, the station broadcasts 24 hours a day, including Sundays and school holidays.
The station is run by students under the supervision of faculty members. Each year, a new group of students is selected to take charge of the station. This group consists of the board, which includes 10 to 12 positions, and a staff of students.
In addition to broadcasting WNTH student-hosted shows, the station also broadcasts live coverage of New Trier athletic events.
Format
WNTH gives the students of New Trier High School the opportunity to have sports, music, talk and news shows six days a week, there are no shows on Sundays.
The radio station broadcasts live feeds of many concerts and games throughout the year. In past years, sports shows have featured guests such as All-Pro NFL defensive tackle Tommie Harris, formerly of the Chicago Bears, major league baseball player Craig Counsell and White Sox Assistant General Manager Rick Hahn. It also has featured ESPN's Dick Vitale and Mike Greenberg.
Philanthropy
WNTH is known locally for "RadioThon", their annual charity broadcast. The event, usually held on a Sunday in April or May, features on-air interviews with actors, musicians, politicians, and other people of interest from across the nation. All money raised goes to a charity selected by the WNTH Radio Board prior to the event. The event began in 2005 as a unique way to raise money for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. However, the event was so successful in raising money that the WNTH Board of Directors decided to continue the tradition yearly. In recent years, the event has raised thousands for children's oncology research and Kiva (organization).
The most exciting aspect of RadioThon is the variety of guests interviewed during the event. Guests have included Paul Rudd, Rod Blagojevich, and New Trier graduate Rainn Wilson.