Has anything happened with this one? They were granted authority to go silent 9/8/2010 so the clock is ticking.
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WMPH
- Thread starter DaveWilliams
- Start date
D
DX
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I understand the school district recently hired a person to oversee broadcast operations.
Considering school's out later this month, one would assume the station won't return to the air until September. Unless they kick up automation again!
We'll see. Stay tuned!
Considering school's out later this month, one would assume the station won't return to the air until September. Unless they kick up automation again!
We'll see. Stay tuned!
The station is back online (in an automated mode right now). There is more work to be done that will continue through the summer but it is broadcasting now. We are having some antenna/tx/wiring issues that we are working through but have met FCC timelines and notified them we are no longer silent. A significant amount of infrastructure and equipment work has been completed to date. Also, the music format has changed from dance to classic rock, funk, blues, contemporary and jazz. More school based events, concerts, activities, and recordings will be broadcast moving forward.
We will be working the bugs out of everything this summer. We are planning a full fall launch with student participation for the fall semester.
We will be working the bugs out of everything this summer. We are planning a full fall launch with student participation for the fall semester.
Forgot to mention in the last post -- the new station manager is Paul Lewis who has a local presence from WJBR and a great deal of experience in broadcast. He will be actively pursuing Delaware standard certification as a career and technical education teacher and hopes to transform WMPH from a club/activity to a fully integrated vocational educational program within the school tied to the recording engineer and video broadcast classes that are already part of the school.
While I'm sad to see the dance go, I hope you give a consistent (not the flavor of the hour) format a try. Remember you cant be all things to all people. You are correct you do need TX work done, The signal use to be killer for 100 watts. You could get it all the way to Elkton, the C&D canal, and up to the Comm. Barry Bridge with no problems in a car. Now it barley makes it to the state line to the north and to 295 in the south. If you need help with anything let me know, I live in the area.
I would think the various musical formats being described would be a block format, as is done on WVUD from the U of Del. WVUD has a wide range of music and each pulls in listeners for that specific genre of music. It would be the same for WMPH.
I wouldn't think you'd be mixing those formats together. The jazz listener probably isn't going to be interested in some of those other formats and same with those other format listeners probably aren't going to be into Jazz either, it works both ways. I'm a Classical Music and Jazz listener to WRTI 107.7 from Temple Univ. I also listen to the Blue Grass show and the Classical Music show on WVUD. I'd not want any of those mixed, yet I like all those formats of music. So if you're doing a funk formated show, do a funk formated show, a classic rock formated show then do a classic rock formated show, etc.
I wouldn't think you'd be mixing those formats together. The jazz listener probably isn't going to be interested in some of those other formats and same with those other format listeners probably aren't going to be into Jazz either, it works both ways. I'm a Classical Music and Jazz listener to WRTI 107.7 from Temple Univ. I also listen to the Blue Grass show and the Classical Music show on WVUD. I'd not want any of those mixed, yet I like all those formats of music. So if you're doing a funk formated show, do a funk formated show, a classic rock formated show then do a classic rock formated show, etc.
I don't think that a format is vital for a high school station...getting student engagement (especially for a resurgent high school station) is key. Limiting yourself to one particular type of music is going to limit the type of student that enrolls in the program. There is plenty of room to go over formatics and radio instruction even with a free form format. Think of the music video channels that kids watch and the way that they listen to iPods...are they listening to just one type of music? As the industry evolves, formatting may become antiquated anyway.
I say that you need to
A) Get kids involved first to protect the sustainability of the program
and only then
B) ram all of the radio stuff (such as format) at them.
Speaking from experience, this method worked at WKHS (and still does). They run a 'hodge podge' format, but do use music selecting (Selector) software and run a hot clock that positions certain types of songs at certain times within the hour. Lots of vital skills are taught, but kids are not chained down to one type of programming.
My two cents only, of course
I say that you need to
A) Get kids involved first to protect the sustainability of the program
and only then
B) ram all of the radio stuff (such as format) at them.
Speaking from experience, this method worked at WKHS (and still does). They run a 'hodge podge' format, but do use music selecting (Selector) software and run a hot clock that positions certain types of songs at certain times within the hour. Lots of vital skills are taught, but kids are not chained down to one type of programming.
My two cents only, of course
Are you saying that we could hear Thelonious Monk, Ice T, Steppinwolf, Madonna, Led Zeppelin, Miley Cyrus, Count Basie, Little Bow Wow, etc, in a music set? That crosses a lot of musical genres and would such a format pull in that many listeners, much less many high school student listeners. I could understand the block format and a student gets to learn about running a format which they'd have to stick with in real radio. If the graduating student got a job at WJBR or WSTW, they'd be limited to the format the station uses.
This is a non-profit station, supported by tax dollars of the folks in Brandywine School District. Seems you'd want some order to that varied format so the paying tax payers might want to tune in once in a while. Most adults and frankly I don't know any kids who'd listen to all those types of songs. Those who'd like a jazz format of Thelonious Monk, Basie, etc, may not be interested in hearing Modonna and Miley Cyrus. Those Ice T and Bow Wow fans probably aren't going to want to hear Basie or Zeppelin. So if you're trying to get student involvement would you want a block format, maybe changing each hour, but at least an hour block of a format.
Also will the station do any news or public service programming where those more journalist type students would also get some training and experience in gather, writing, editing, anchoring newscasts? If this is to be an educational radio station and not just a play thing for the kids, it does seem that a news element should be included as news may not be a key element to stations the kids now choose to listen to, but as news/talk is moving more and more to FM (and of course the NPR news/info stations that are mainly FM stations), those students who'd want a career in radio journalism should have an opportunity at this station too.
This is a non-profit station, supported by tax dollars of the folks in Brandywine School District. Seems you'd want some order to that varied format so the paying tax payers might want to tune in once in a while. Most adults and frankly I don't know any kids who'd listen to all those types of songs. Those who'd like a jazz format of Thelonious Monk, Basie, etc, may not be interested in hearing Modonna and Miley Cyrus. Those Ice T and Bow Wow fans probably aren't going to want to hear Basie or Zeppelin. So if you're trying to get student involvement would you want a block format, maybe changing each hour, but at least an hour block of a format.
Also will the station do any news or public service programming where those more journalist type students would also get some training and experience in gather, writing, editing, anchoring newscasts? If this is to be an educational radio station and not just a play thing for the kids, it does seem that a news element should be included as news may not be a key element to stations the kids now choose to listen to, but as news/talk is moving more and more to FM (and of course the NPR news/info stations that are mainly FM stations), those students who'd want a career in radio journalism should have an opportunity at this station too.
While I agree to a point that a format is not vital to a high school station, it definitely helps. The way you have it now went from Taylor Dayne to Peter Frampton (18 min song, we all know which song that was) to some obscure jazz song. If a normal radio listener tuned into that, they would probably not be inclined to tune in again. To be noticed with the limited signal, you need to try and do something no one else is doing.
Listeners like familiar music they can sing along with, and the occasional new song thrown in. Most people only listen to radio 15-30 min at a time, and in this day and age you only have there attention in the car most times.
WKHS is not a very good example to use. They air XPN programming 18 hours, if not more a day. So there operations budget probably comes directly from XPN buying time, and probably slim to none from the school district. I think they would be better off dropping the simulcasting and be live, local, and automated when no one is there, but then again they probably can't afford to drop the income coming from XPN.
It about teaching them radio, and teaching them radio would include picking a format they may or may not like, but such is life. At the very least get block programming on there so you at least know what type of music you are going to hear each hour.
Listeners like familiar music they can sing along with, and the occasional new song thrown in. Most people only listen to radio 15-30 min at a time, and in this day and age you only have there attention in the car most times.
WKHS is not a very good example to use. They air XPN programming 18 hours, if not more a day. So there operations budget probably comes directly from XPN buying time, and probably slim to none from the school district. I think they would be better off dropping the simulcasting and be live, local, and automated when no one is there, but then again they probably can't afford to drop the income coming from XPN.
It about teaching them radio, and teaching them radio would include picking a format they may or may not like, but such is life. At the very least get block programming on there so you at least know what type of music you are going to hear each hour.
The format will vary somewhat but will keep a classic rock/rb/pop/jazz format during the day, a jazz, ambient and classical format in the evening. Students will opportunities to create managed shows in other genres. There will be newscasts, sports, and other district event broadcasts in the future. It is not the musical content/format that will inspire students but the program content and experiences it provides.
The idea is to give a wide breadth of exposure to students and teach them verbal and written communications skills with some technical education as well for those who have an interest. This is not a production radio station and we have a lot of freedom to open things up a bit as we should. It is a learning environment that will professionally deliver content as humanly possible with students at the helm.
The idea is to give a wide breadth of exposure to students and teach them verbal and written communications skills with some technical education as well for those who have an interest. This is not a production radio station and we have a lot of freedom to open things up a bit as we should. It is a learning environment that will professionally deliver content as humanly possible with students at the helm.
Sounds interesting, good luck. Let us know when you guys actually go on the air, so we can try to turn in and hear how it turns out.
When I'm out driving around, I'll have to see if I can get 91.7 south of Wilmington.
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