WETA (FM)

Infobox Radio Station
name = WETA


area = Washington, D.C.
city = WETA: Washington, D.C.
WGMS: Hagerstown, Maryland
W205BL: Frederick, Maryland
branding = "Classical WETA 90.9FM"
slogan =
airdate = 1970
frequency = WETA: 90.9 (MHz)
HD Radio
WGMS: 89.1 (MHz)
translator = W205BL (88.9 MHz)
format = Classical/NPR News
erp = WETA: 75,000 watts
WGMS: 900 watts
W205BL: 10 watts
haat = WETA: 186 meters
WGMS: 408 meters
W205BL: 352 meters
class = WETA: B
WGMS: B1
W205BL: D
facility_id = WETA: 65669
WGMS: 25103
owner = Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association
callsign_meaning = WETA: Washington Educational Telecommunications Association
WGMS: Washington's Good Music Station
webcast = [http://www.weta.org/fm/live.php WETA-FM Live Stream]
website = [http://www.weta.org/fm/ www.weta.org/fm/]

WETA is a noncommercial, public radio station in Washington, DC broadcasting a classical music format on 90.9 FM. Its studios are located in
Arlington, Virginia. The station covers the Washington metro area with the highest effective radiated power of any FM station in the area at 75,000 watts. It has an HD Radio simulcast at 90.9 FM HD and operates simulcasting stations WGMS-FM 89.1 in Hagerstown, Maryland and at W205BL-FM 88.9 in Frederick, Maryland.

Past formats and format changes

From 1970 through early 2005, WETA featured a mixed format of classical music, folk music, jazz, and news. It switched to a predominantly news and talk format from February 28, 2005 until January 22, 2007, when it switched to its current all-classical format. The switch was part of an unusual deal between the public radio station and commercial station WGMS (FM), which abandoned the classical music format it had aired for decades after an attempt to sell WGMS to Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder failed. The FCC subsequently granted WETA permission to use the WGMS call letters for its Hagerstown, Maryland, repeater station, formerly known as WETH.

Current format

WETA changed to a classical music format on January 22, 2007, at 8 p.m. EST, with classical music now offered for more of the broadcast day than ever before in the station’s history. Its current classical format is primarily mainstream orchestral, with a smattering of early and baroque music and chamber music. Aside from Saturday afternoon opera, very few vocal performances are aired on WETA.

As of April 2007 WETA reduced the number of hourly NPR newscasts, which had continued to be heard every hour since the change to the classical music format. Newscasts are now heard on the hour during drive time and at selected hours at other times. WETA also airs audio from the PBS "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" Monday through Friday evenings, for the benefit of area commuters unable to arrive home in time to view the program on television.

WETA airs opera programming on Saturday afternoons, including live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera during the Met's regular fall-through-spring broadcast season.

WETA's only competition in the market area is WBJC (91.5 FM), also a non-commercial station, which broadcasts a classical music format from Baltimore, Maryland.

Other services

For many years, WETA has provided a sub-carrier channel for The Metropolitan Washington Ear, Inc., which offers news for the blind and visually impaired. Listeners tune in to the service using special receivers provided free to qualifying individuals and can receive audio from more than 200 current publications, including newspapers, magazines, and bestselling books.

Management

*Daniel C. DeVany, Vice President and General Manager, Radio
*Jim Allison, Program Director, Radio
*Michael Byrnes, Chief Engineer, Radio

External links

* [http://www.weta.org/fm/ Classical WETA Website]
* [http://www.weta.org/fm/playerwindow_wmp.php Classical WETA Live Stream]
* [http://www.weta.org/fm/blog Classical WETA "Classical Blog for Music Lovers" by Critic-at-Large, Jens F. Laurson]
* [http://www.vartv.com/media/WGMS.wma The Segue from WGMS to WXGG]
* [http://www.vartv.com/media/WETA.wma The Segue from News/NPR to Classical WETA]
* [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WETA&service=FM&status=L&hours=U Coverage Map for WETA-FM]
* [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WGMS&service=FM&status=L&hours=U Coverage Map for WGMS-FM]
* [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=W205BL&service=FX&status=L&hours=U Coverage Map for W205BL-FM]
* [http://www.weta.org/about/news.php?release=54 WETA FM Press Release describing January 22, 2007 format change to all classical]
*FMQ|WETA
*FML|WETA
*FMARB|WETA
*FMQ|WGMS
*FML|WGMS
*FMARB|WGMS
*FMQ|W205BL
* [http://www.w9wi.com/articles/grand_fm.htm List of "grandfathered" FM radio stations in the U.S.]