WFMT is an
FM radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
station in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, featuring a format of fine arts,
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
programming, and shows exploring such genres as
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
. The station is managed by Window to the World Communications, Inc., owner of
WTTW
WTTW (channel 11) is a PBS member television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by not-for-profit broadcaster Window to the World Communications, Inc., it is sister to commercial classical music radio station WFMT (98.7 FM). The ...
, Chicago's
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...
(PBS)
Public television
Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...
station. WFMT is also the primary station of the WFMT Radio Network, and the
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
and Jazz Networks. WFMT transmits from the
Willis (Sears) Tower. Several classical music stations on the FM dial in Chicago was WEFM 99.5, WSEL, WJJD at 104.3 and WNIB 97.1 have changed formats for decades.
A feature of this commercial station is that it airs no pre-recorded (by non-station hosts) advertising on-air.
A brief attempt at introducing pre-recorded commercial advertising in the early 1990s, the only time in its history, proved unpopular with listeners.
All advertising on the station is currently read exclusively by WFMT's on-air hosts.
WFMT's programs can be heard through its satellite services, or syndication, internationally. The station's programming is also available online.
WFMT is an associate member of the
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; french: Union européenne de radio-télévision, links=no, UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area or who ar ...
.
History
WOAK
The station began broadcasting on May 16, 1948, and originally held the call sign WOAK.
WOAK broadcast from Chicago's
Guyon Hotel
The Guyon Hotel is a historic former hotel in Chicago, Illinois. The hotel was designed by Jensen J. Jensen - no relation to the famous landscape architect Jens Jensen - in 1927 and was built in red and cream brick with arched windows on two floors ...
, and operated at 98.3 MHz with an
ERP of 770 watts.
Broadcasting—Telecasting Yearbook Number 1949
', Broadcasting—Telecasting, 1949. p. 303. Retrieved February 14, 2019.[WOAK (FM) in Oak Park Starts on Channel 252]
, '' Broadcasting — Telecasting''. June 7, 1948. p. 73. Retrieved February 15, 2019.["Launch New FM Station on West Side", '']Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''. February 1, 1948. Part 3, p. 2. The station was owned by Gale Broadcasting Company.
By 1950, the station's frequency had been changed to 105.9 MHz, and its ERP was increased to 9,300 watts.
Broadcasting—Telecasting Yearbook Number 1950
', Broadcasting—Telecasting, 1950. p. 130. Retrieved February 15, 2019. WOAK generally aired
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
, but also featured
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
programs and dramas.
[Rita Jacobs Willens, Radio Pioneer, 62, In the Chicago Area]
, Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
. ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. June 13, 1990. Retrieved February 16, 2019.[Warren, James.]
Rita Jacobs Willens, 62, Founded WFMT Radio
, ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''. June 11, 1990. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
WFMT
In 1951, the station's call sign was changed to WFMT. Bernard and Rita Jacobs launched WFMT's classical music/fine arts
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
on December 13, 1951.
They began with 8-hour-a-day broadcasts, with Bernard serving as the station's engineer, and Rita as the station's announcer.
In 1952, WFMT began publishing a biweekly program guide, which later became ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'' magazine.
In 1953, programming was expanded to 18 hours per day.
In 1954, WFMT's studios and transmitter were moved to the
LaSalle-Wacker Building, increasing its
HAAT
Haat or hat, even haat bazaar, is an open-air market that serves as a trading venue for local people in rural areas and towns of Indian subcontinent, especially in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Haat bazaars are conducted on a regular ba ...
to 547 feet.
[History Cards for WFMT](_blank)
fcc.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2019. The station's ERP was also increased and its frequency was changed to the present-day 98.7 MHz.
In 1956, WFMT aired a live recording of a folk concert with
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
and
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African American audiences. In the 1930s ...
at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
.
In 1957, the station received an
Alfred I. DuPont Award as the country's best broadcaster in the small-station category.
WFMT also aired a discussion between
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
and
Carl Sandburg
Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...
, which was simulcast with WTTW, marking the first collaboration between WTTW and WFMT.
Another collaboration occurred the following year, as the two stations began a pioneering stereo music project in which WTTW broadcast a left audio channel, and WFMT broadcast the right audio channel simultaneously.
WFMT won another Alfred I. DuPont Award in 1960, this time as the country's best broadcaster in the large-station category.
In 1961, the station won its first
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
.
Its ERP was increased to 120,000 watts the same year.
In 1962, WFMT began broadcasting a majority of its programming in stereo. In 1964, ''
Hi Fi/Stereo Review'' readers voted WFMT the best station in Chicago in terms of audio quality. The station's first series of
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...
concerts began in 1965.
In 1968, WFMT began around-the-clock broadcasting.
That same year, Bernard Jacobs sold WFMT to
WGN Continental Broadcasting Company for $810,000, which in turn donated the station to WTTW two years later.
In 1969, the station's transmitter was moved to the
Prudential Building, and in 1971 its transmitter was moved to the
John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is a 100-story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.
The skyscraper was designed ...
.
In 1976, WFMT created the Fine Arts Network for broadcast syndication of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the
Lyric Opera
Lyric may refer to:
* Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song
* Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view
* Lyric, from t ...
.
In 1979, WFMT became America's first radio
superstation
''Superstation'' (alternatively rendered as "super station" or informally as "SuperStation") is a term in North American broadcasting that has several meanings. Commonly, a "superstation" is a form of distant signal, a terrestrial television, br ...
, delivered by satellite and cable systems across the United States and dozens of countries, including the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
In August 1976, the FCC granted WFMT temporary authority to simulcast on AM 1450, using the former facilities of
WVON
WVON (1690 AM "The Voice of the Nation", originally "Voice of the Negro") is a radio station serving the Chicago market, which airs an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is owned by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, and broadcasts at 169 ...
, which had moved its call sign and programming to another frequency the previous year. The simulcast continued until 1979, when Midway Broadcasting and Migala Enterprises were granted licenses to share time on the frequency.
In 1980, WFMT became the first US radio station to join the
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; french: Union européenne de radio-télévision, links=no, UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area or who ar ...
.
A live performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was heard in the US,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
simultaneously.
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
's ''
Der Ring des Nibelungen
(''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the '' Nibe ...
'' was broadcast live for the first time as a digital transatlantic performance from
Bayreuth
Bayreuth (, ; bar, Bareid) is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtelgebirge Mountains. The town's roots date back to 1194. In the 21st century, it is the capital of U ...
, Germany to the US and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 1983.
In 1986, WFMT launched the Beethoven Satellite Network, a satellite delivered classical music programming service.
The WFMT Fine Arts Circle, a member/listener support and funding group, was formed in 1991.
In 1995, the station moved to its current location in the WTTW complex in Chicago's Northwest Side.
The new facility included an all-digital path from studios to transmitter. The WFMT Jazz Satellite Network debuted two years later.
In 2001, the station's transmitter was moved to the
Sears Tower
The Willis Tower (originally the Sears Tower) is a 108-story, skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), ...
.
WFMT celebrated its 50th anniversary on December 13, 2001, which Chicago Mayor
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 54th mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1989 to 2011. Daley was elected mayor in 1989 and was reelected five times until declining to run for a seventh term ...
declared ''WFMT Day''.
In 2003, the station began syndication of the program "''
Exploring Music
''Exploring Music'' is an internationally syndicated radio program featuring classical music, with commentary and analysis by host Bill McGlaughlin. It is a daily, one-hour show with a single in-depth theme each week. The show, which debuted in 200 ...
'' with
Bill McGlaughlin
William McGlaughlin (born October 3, 1943) is an American composer, conductor, music educator, and Peabody Award-winning classical music radio host. He is the host and music director of the public radio programs ''Exploring Music'' and ''Saint P ...
", an educational daily program on various themes in classical music. It was created by Steve Robinson and is now carried by over 50 stations in the U.S. and is heard by over 400,000 people each week. They also launched a Fine Arts Hotline for the Chicago area that same year.
WFMT has won numerous first place
Major Armstrong awards
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
for excellence and originality in radio broadcasting and special awards for engineering and technical achievement.
People of WFMT
Several noteworthy individuals have worked at WFMT in its history. Award-winning stage and film director, writer, and producer
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
, at the time a student at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
, joined the station in 1951.
[Loring, Michael.]
Late director Mike Nichols launched 'The Midnight Special' at Chicago’s WFMT
, ''Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
''. November 20, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2019. Nichols started the folk music program ''
The Midnight Special'' in 1953.
In 1983, Rich Warren became a co-host of ''The Midnight Special'', and later became its sole host in 1996. Rich Warren continued as host of ''The Midnight Special'' until 2020.The show still airs weekly on WFMT, with Marilyn Rea Beyer as the host.
Noted
author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states:
"''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
and broadcaster
Studs Terkel
Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008) was an American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for '' The Good War'' and is best remembered for his oral his ...
began a radio show on WFMT in 1952, remaining on the station until 1997.
Carl Grapentine, former weekday breakfast host on WFMT, has served as the voice of the University of
Michigan Marching Band
The Michigan Marching Band (also known as the University of Michigan Marching Band or simply MMB) is the official marching band of the University of Michigan. The band performs at all Michigan Wolverines football home games, select away games, and ...
since 1972 and has doubled as the public-address announcer at
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
since 2006. He retired from full-time presenting in July 2018 but still continues to contribute programming.
Two-time
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
-winning audio dramatist
Yuri Rasovsky
Yuri Rasovsky (July 29, 1944 – January 18, 2012) was an American writer and producer working in radio drama in the United States.
He founded and operated The National Radio Theater of Chicago from 1973 to 1986 and later formed the Hollywood ...
, creator of the National Radio Theater of Chicago, began a decade-long association with WFMT in 1975. He is still heard periodically on ''The Midnight Special'' in his classic "Chicago Language Tape" skit.
WFMT is noted for the longevity of various staff members.
Norman Pellegrini Norman Pellegrini (July 18, 1929 – July 2, 2009) was an American radio executive, producer, and personality. He was the program director for WFMT radio in Chicago from 1953 to 1996. On air he led WFMT's internationally syndicated broadcasts of ...
joined the station as an announcer in 1952 and became program director in 1953, holding the position until 1996.
Ray Nordstrand was hired as an announcer, also in 1953.
[Von Rhein, John.]
Ray Nordstrand
, ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''. August 28, 2005. Retrieved February 17, 2019. He later became the assistant of original owner Bernard Jacobs.
Nordstrand moved up to the position of president and general manager in 1970.
After suffering a heart attack in 1993, Nordstrand worked as a part-time consultant to the station.
Another key contributor to WFMT's success was Associate Program Director Lois Baum. Arriving at the station from KPFK in California in July 1964, Baum produced and oversaw the production of countless spoken arts programs and features. She produced the Critic's Choice series, regular broadcasts of reviews and commentary by artist Harry Bouras (whose name was the inspiration for the playful Chicago art group,
the "Hairy Who"), theater critic
Claudia Cassidy
Claudia Cassidy (1899 – July 21, 1996), was an influential, 20th-century American performing arts critic. She was a long-time critic for the ''Chicago Tribune.''
Starting in 1925 she was music and drama critic for The Journal of Commerce. Sh ...
, and journalist and author Herman Kogan. Baum selected and programmed plays and readings produced by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
and by the National Radio Theater of Chicago, and created ''The Storytellers'', a program devoted to short stories. With co-producer George Drury, she created ''Word of Mouth'', a spoken arts program that presented a mixture of rare archival recordings and new studio recordings of poets, novelists, philosophers, scientists, actors and musicians. In addition to her extensive work with spoken arts programs, from 1972 until 2009 Lois Baum co-hosted with Norman Pellegrini nationally syndicated broadcasts from the
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...
.
In August 2000, Steve Robinson was hired as general manager of WFMT.
[Isaacs, Deanna.]
WFMT boss Steve Robinson signs off today
, ''Chicago Reader
The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...
''. September 30, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2019.[Raskauskas, Stephen.]
After 16 Years, Steve Robinson Retires As WFMT’s Executive Vice President and General Manager
, WFMT. August 9, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2019. He had worked in classical music radio since 1967, and retired in 2016.
Technological achievements
Since going on the air in 1951, WFMT has garnered a strong reputation for technological innovation and sound quality.
In 1958, WFMT and television station
WTTW
WTTW (channel 11) is a PBS member television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by not-for-profit broadcaster Window to the World Communications, Inc., it is sister to commercial classical music radio station WFMT (98.7 FM). The ...
collaborated on a pioneering stereo music project in which WTTW broadcast a left audio channel, and WFMT broadcast the right audio channel simultaneously.
WFMT broadcast a live concert in 1969 using
Dolby
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (often shortened to Dolby Labs and known simply as Dolby) is an American company specializing in audio noise reduction, audio encoding/compression, spatial audio, and HDR imaging. Dolby licenses its technologies to ...
noise reduction, the first station to do so. In 1972 it broadcast for the first time in four-channel (
quadrophonic
Quadraphonic (or quadrophonic and sometimes quadrasonic) sound – equivalent to what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four audio channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of a listening space. The system allows for th ...
) sound, a live performance of the Chicago Lyric Opera's presentation of Rossini's
Semiramide
''Semiramide'' () is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini.
The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Assyria. The opera was first performed at La Fenice ...
.
In 1978, WFMT participated in the first stereo relay of a live performance via satellite, from the
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California.
History
Gaetano Merola (1923–1953)
Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 when he ...
.
In 1979, WFMT was one of the first local FM stations to re-broadcast its programming via satellite.
This feed was received by cable companies (who transmitted WFMT's programming to their subscribers), as well as by home
TVRO
Television receive-only (TVRO) is a term used chiefly in North America, South America to refer to the reception of satellite television from FSS-type satellites, generally on C-band analog; free-to-air and unconnected to a commercial DBS prov ...
users.
In 1982, WFMT moved into the digital era, being chosen by
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
and
Philips
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...
to be the first station in the world to broadcast music from the
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
format, thanks to the station's reputation for high audio standards.
The station broadcast material from
Digital Audio Tape for the first time in 1987,
[Stine, Randy J.]
CE Carter Blows Out of Windy City
, ''Radio World
''Radio World'' is a trade journal published by Future US targeted at radio broadcast executives and operations personnel worldwide. Multiple editions are published for the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Car ...
''. August 18, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2019. and was once again chosen by Sony to broadcast from a
MiniDisc
MiniDisc (MD) is an erasable magneto-optical disc-based data storage format offering a capacity of 60, 74, and later, 80 minutes of digitized audio.
Sony announced the MiniDisc in September 1992 and released it in November of that year fo ...
in 1992,
to demonstrate the subtle differences between an MD and a CD. WFMT also broadcasts in
HD.
[https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?latitude=41.8839927&longitude=-87.6197056 HD Radio Guide for Chicago]
See also
*
WTTW
WTTW (channel 11) is a PBS member television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by not-for-profit broadcaster Window to the World Communications, Inc., it is sister to commercial classical music radio station WFMT (98.7 FM). The ...
*
Studs Terkel
Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008) was an American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for '' The Good War'' and is best remembered for his oral his ...
*''
Exploring Music
''Exploring Music'' is an internationally syndicated radio program featuring classical music, with commentary and analysis by host Bill McGlaughlin. It is a daily, one-hour show with a single in-depth theme each week. The show, which debuted in 200 ...
''
*
Bill McGlaughlin
William McGlaughlin (born October 3, 1943) is an American composer, conductor, music educator, and Peabody Award-winning classical music radio host. He is the host and music director of the public radio programs ''Exploring Music'' and ''Saint P ...
References
External links
WFMT Official WebsiteWFMT Radio NetworkExploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin Home Page*
{{Coord, 41, 52, 44, N, 87, 38, 10, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title
FMT
Classical music radio stations in the United States
Radio stations established in 1948
1948 establishments in Illinois