WRTI
Encyclopedia
WRTI is a public radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. It is a service of Temple University
.
WRTI began in 1948
as an AM carrier current
station. It was founded by John Roberts, professor emeritus of communications at Temple and long-time anchorman at WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV
). He'd helped found the School of Communications and Theater at Temple. The call letters stood for "Radio Training Institute." In 1952, the station received an FM transmitter, receiving a full license to cover the FM facility in 1953
. After years of serving as a student laboratory, WRTI-AM signed-off for good in 1968. WRTI-FM switched from block programming
to an all-jazz format in 1969
. It added classical music in 1997
after Philadelphia's commercial classical music station, WFLN
, changed formats.
WRTI is a music-intensive Public Radio service, broadcasting Classical music during the day (6am-6pm), and Jazz at night (6pm-6am).
The station features hosts Dave Conant, Jack Moore, Jill Pasternak, Bob Perkins
, Bob Craig, Maureen Malloy, Mark Quinlan, Jeff Duperon, Tim Johnstone, Zivit Shlank and Frank McCloy. WRTI also has special programs on Friday and Saturday evenings. Each Friday 10pm-2am there's "The Bridge," with host J. Michael Harrison. This program explores the merging platforms of popular music and jazz. Saturday from 9pm-12am "El Viaje" airs, hosted by David Ortiz, focusing on Latin Jazz and Salsa.
WRTI also presents Arts and Culture programming. The multi-award winning CrossOver (Saturday 1130am WRTI/Friday 7pm WRTI-HD2), hosted by Jill Pasternak, explores music as "the international language." The show, which presents music and conversation with some of the world's greatest artists and personalities, focuses not only on Classical and Jazz, but also music in the periphery of those two art forms. Featured have been Michel Legrand
, Rick Braun
, Byron Janis
, Billy Joel
, Eric Whitacre
, Marvin Hamlisch
, Michael Feinstein
, Louis Lortie
, Herbie Hancock
, Yolanda Kondonassis
, Branford Marsalis
and many more.
The award-winning Creatively Speaking! arts magazine show (Saturday 11am), hosted by Jim Cotter
, features contributors Jason Peifer, David Patrick Stearns, Susan Lewis and Tom Di Nardo among others. These arts writers also file arts reprts for WRTI News.
Local news updates are done from 6–9 am, 12 pm, and 3–6 pm by such anchors as Windsor Johnston, Jim Hilgen and Meridee Duddleston. Top-of-the-Hour newscasts include world news from NPR
.
WRTI's main transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. The station also serves much of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northern and Central Delaware with six other full-power transmitters and seven translators.
WRTI also broadcasts in HD Radio
. Two of its signals (WRTI and WRTJ) broadcast HD2 signals as well. Known as "WRTI-HD2," this auxiliary service transmits Jazz in the daytime and Classical music at night, opposite the station's main signal, thus providing a full 24 hours of Classical and Jazz programming for those with HD-capable radios. Also, the programming of both WRTI-FM and WRTI-HD2 comprise two separate web audio streams. The "All-Classical" stream presents WRTI-FM's daytime programming, switching to WRTI-HD2's programming at night. The "All-Jazz" stream broadcasts WRTI-HD2's daytime programming, switching to WRTI-FM's signal at night. The web streams have proven popular with those who do not have an HD-capable radio or are not within the coverage area of WRTI and WRTJ.
The Temple University Board of Trustees holds the FCC
license of the station.
WRTI
WRTL
WJAZ
WRTJ
WRTY
WRTQ
WRTX
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. It is a service of Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
.
WRTI began in 1948
1948 in radio
The year 1948 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*22 March: The Voice of Firestone becomes the first radio program to be aired on both AM and FM radio stations....
as an AM carrier current
Carrier current
Carrier current is a method of low power AM radio transmission that uses the AC electrical system of a building to propagate a medium frequency, AM signal to a relatively small area, such as a building or a group of buildings...
station. It was founded by John Roberts, professor emeritus of communications at Temple and long-time anchorman at WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
). He'd helped found the School of Communications and Theater at Temple. The call letters stood for "Radio Training Institute." In 1952, the station received an FM transmitter, receiving a full license to cover the FM facility in 1953
1953 in radio
The year 1953 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*January 15: Harry Truman becomes the first US president to broadcast his farewell address on radio and television....
. After years of serving as a student laboratory, WRTI-AM signed-off for good in 1968. WRTI-FM switched from block programming
Block programming
Block programming or television block is a strategy of broadcast programming and radio programmers. Block programming occurs when the television network schedules similar television programs back-to-back. The concept is to provide similar programming to keep the viewers. Radio stations use it...
to an all-jazz format in 1969
1969 in radio
Significant events in radio broadcasting in the year 1969 included the debuts of two documentaries on rock and roll.-Events:*21–23 February: The History of Rock and Roll, a comprehensive 48-part documentary, debuts on KHJ in Los Angeles...
. It added classical music in 1997
1997 in radio
The year 1997 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*February 15 - After 5 years of Alternative Rock, WDRE flips into Rhythmic AC as Philly 103.9, the station, began to play Pearl Jam's Alive while crowding the live stage....
after Philadelphia's commercial classical music station, WFLN
WBEN-FM
WBEN-FM, known as "95.7 Ben FM," is an adult hits station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station plays a mix of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s hits, with some current hot adult contemporary rock singles. Named after Benjamin Franklin, the station pioneered a "Playing Anything We Feel Like" radio...
, changed formats.
WRTI is a music-intensive Public Radio service, broadcasting Classical music during the day (6am-6pm), and Jazz at night (6pm-6am).
The station features hosts Dave Conant, Jack Moore, Jill Pasternak, Bob Perkins
Bob Perkins (radio)
Bob Perkins is an American radio personality. He is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-area Jazz program host and for WRTI, and has been on-air for more than 30 years. His radio career began in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. He went on to worked for WDAS and WHYY in Philadelphia. In 1997 he joined WRTI-FM...
, Bob Craig, Maureen Malloy, Mark Quinlan, Jeff Duperon, Tim Johnstone, Zivit Shlank and Frank McCloy. WRTI also has special programs on Friday and Saturday evenings. Each Friday 10pm-2am there's "The Bridge," with host J. Michael Harrison. This program explores the merging platforms of popular music and jazz. Saturday from 9pm-12am "El Viaje" airs, hosted by David Ortiz, focusing on Latin Jazz and Salsa.
WRTI also presents Arts and Culture programming. The multi-award winning CrossOver (Saturday 1130am WRTI/Friday 7pm WRTI-HD2), hosted by Jill Pasternak, explores music as "the international language." The show, which presents music and conversation with some of the world's greatest artists and personalities, focuses not only on Classical and Jazz, but also music in the periphery of those two art forms. Featured have been Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
, Rick Braun
Rick Braun
Rick Braun is a smooth jazz trumpet player.Before embarking on a solo career, Braun got his start by playing in several bands, including guitarist Jeff Golub's Avenue Blue...
, Byron Janis
Byron Janis
Byron Janis is an American classical pianist.-Life:He made several recordings for RCA Victor and Mercury Records, and occupies two volumes of the Philips Great Pianists series. His discography covers repertoire from Beethoven to David Guion and includes renditions of major piano concertos from...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Eric Whitacre
Eric Whitacre
Eric Whitacre is an American composer, conductor and lecturer. He is one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. In 2008, the all-Whitacre choral CD Cloudburst became an international best-seller, topping the classical charts and earning a Grammy nomination...
, Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch is an American composer. He is one of only thirteen people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony . He is also one of only two people to EGOT and also win a Pulitzer Prize...
, Michael Feinstein
Michael Feinstein
Michael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs...
, Louis Lortie
Louis Lortie
Louis Lortie, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian pianist. He currently lives in Berlin.He is known for his interpretation of Ravel, Chopin and Beethoven...
, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, Yolanda Kondonassis
Yolanda Kondonassis
Yolanda Kondonassis is an American classical harpist. She is one of the world's foremost classical harpists.She first began playing the piano, then switched to harp at age nine. She studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, then at the Cleveland Institute of Music...
, Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
and many more.
The award-winning Creatively Speaking! arts magazine show (Saturday 11am), hosted by Jim Cotter
Jim Cotter
Clive James Cotter is an Australian composer currently based in Canberra, Australia. His career has largely been in music for theater, film, and radio...
, features contributors Jason Peifer, David Patrick Stearns, Susan Lewis and Tom Di Nardo among others. These arts writers also file arts reprts for WRTI News.
Local news updates are done from 6–9 am, 12 pm, and 3–6 pm by such anchors as Windsor Johnston, Jim Hilgen and Meridee Duddleston. Top-of-the-Hour newscasts include world news from NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
.
WRTI's main transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. The station also serves much of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northern and Central Delaware with six other full-power transmitters and seven translators.
WRTI also broadcasts in HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
. Two of its signals (WRTI and WRTJ) broadcast HD2 signals as well. Known as "WRTI-HD2," this auxiliary service transmits Jazz in the daytime and Classical music at night, opposite the station's main signal, thus providing a full 24 hours of Classical and Jazz programming for those with HD-capable radios. Also, the programming of both WRTI-FM and WRTI-HD2 comprise two separate web audio streams. The "All-Classical" stream presents WRTI-FM's daytime programming, switching to WRTI-HD2's programming at night. The "All-Jazz" stream broadcasts WRTI-HD2's daytime programming, switching to WRTI-FM's signal at night. The web streams have proven popular with those who do not have an HD-capable radio or are not within the coverage area of WRTI and WRTJ.
The Temple University Board of Trustees holds the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
license of the station.
WRTI network
Frequencies in bold are full-power.WRTI
- 90.1 FM - Philadelphia
- 97.7 FM - ReadingReading, PennsylvaniaReading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
- 97.1 FM - AllentownAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
- 107.7 FM - Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
WRTL
- 90.7 FM - EphrataEphrata, PennsylvaniaEphrata is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, south east of Harrisburg and about west by north of Philadelphia. It is named after Ephrath, a biblical town in what is now Israel. Ephrata's sister city is Eberbach, Germany, the city where its founders originated. In its...
/LancasterLancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
WJAZ
- 91.7 FM - SummerdaleSummerdale, PennsylvaniaSummerdale is an unincorporated community located in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 479. Central Pennsylvania College and the Capital Area Intermediate Unit are located in Summerdale...
/HarrisburgHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania... - 90.7 FM - YorkYork, PennsylvaniaYork, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
WRTJ
- 89.3 FM - CoatesvilleCoatesville, PennsylvaniaCoatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
WRTY
- 91.1 FM - Jackson TownshipJackson Township, PennsylvaniaJackson Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Jackson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania*Jackson Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania*Jackson Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania...
/Mount Pocono - 94.9 FM - Wilkes-Barre
- 99.1 FM - PottsvillePottsville, PennsylvaniaPottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...
- 106.1 FM - Scranton
WRTQ
- 91.3 FM - Ocean CityOcean City, New JerseyOcean City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is the principal city of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cape May County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 11,701...
/Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
WRTX
- 91.7 FM - Dover, DelawareDover, DelawareThe city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
In Music
- Donald FagenDonald FagenDonald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....
's song The NightflyThe NightflyThe Nightfly is the first solo album by Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen, released in 1982. It was one of the first fully digital recordings of popular music...
mentions WJAZ as "an independent station" "with jazz and conversation".