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WMTH-FM/TV Celebration at Maine Township High Schools
2009 marks the 50th year "on the air" for Maine Township High School's radio station
WMTH-FM and the 35th year for the WMTH television broadcast facility. Alumni and current staff will celebrate on September 26, 2009.
PARK RIDGE, IL, September 02, 2009 /Broadcast PR News/ -- 2009 marks the 50th year "on the air" for Maine
Township High School's radio station WMTH-FM and the 35th year for the WMTH
television broadcast facility. Alumni from across the country will return to the Des
Plaines-Park Ridge area on Sept. 25, 26, 27 and join current staff members for a weekend
celebration. Friday evening, September 25, studio tours will be conducted at the three
schools, Saturday September 26, 2009: "The Maine Event" -- a lively town hall-style
career conference is scheduled for Maine West auditorium at 1755 S. Wolf Road, Des
Plaines. The 1pm-4pm session will bring together students and a panel of WMTH
alumni, including on-air talent, news reporters, producers, management, technical
wizards, and a host of other web, broadcasting and non-broadcasting business
professionals, who worked at the station as students. Saturday evening a reception and
banquet will be held at the White Eagle on Milwaukee Avenue in Niles. The celebration
will conclude on Sept. 27 with a farewell breakfast at Old Country Buffet on Dempster
Street in Niles.
Maine's history in broadcast education began in a social studies classroom led by former
Maine East teacher Otto Koehler. When a student brought up the idea for operating a
station at the high school, Koehler took his message to the student council who followed
the necessary steps to apply for the license and put the station on the air. The license was
granted in the fall of 1959; Theron Whitfield, industrial arts teacher, served as the station
first engineer. Keith Honn was the first faculty adviser. At that time Maine East was
licensed b the FCC to operate on 88.5 from the 16 watt transmitter located on the tower
of the Maine East building. In the early years, the station broadcast taped educational
programming provided by the NAEB as well as the school's sporting contests and a few
student created programs. The live broadcast of the Messiah by the Maine East music
department drew a large listening audience.
As student involvement grew, the student staff developed music programs. childrens'
programs and news programs. The Maine East Mother's Club had their own interview
show on timely topics. The superintendent of schools used the airwaves on a regular basis
to send news to the community. As the new schools opened, remote stations were set up
at Maine West, Maine South, and Maine North and the station began a shared program of
broadcasting.
In 1985 after the Metropolitan Educational Radio Consortium (MERC) was able to
coordinate all of the non-commercial FM facilities in the metro area, WMTH went from a
horizontally polarized coverage of 16-watts to a circular polarized system of 8.9-watts
horizontal and vertical. While this change did not increase the broadcast coverage area, it
did strengthen the signal. The radio station currently broadcasts at 90.1 FM from the
transmitter located at the Maine Township HS East tower. Maine West broadcasts every
"West Wednesday" and alternating Mondays and Fridays. WMTH-FM also broadcasts on
the district web-site. Gary Horn serves as the station engineer.
In the late 60's recognizing the need for including broadcasting in the high school
curriculum, Maine Township purchased basic television recording equipment and offered
its first courses in radio-television production. A television studio was designed for the
new center court wing at Maine East as well as for the new Maine North High School.
Television studios were added at Maine West and at Maine South. By 1974 all four
schools offered courses in television production. WMTH-TV began cable casting in
1985. Today, television programming is unique to each school. East broadcasts on
Comcast Cable Channel 19, 11:00 a.m.-Noon every Saturday morning. Programming is
diverse, including music videos, PSA's, movies, news features, reality shows, movie
reviews, and commercials. WMTH- TV South has a website. WMTH-TV West produces
a bi-weekly magazine format show that is aired in the cafeteria over the Cafe-TV system.
Select programs can also be viewed over the Cable Channel 16 in Des Plaines. All three
schools also air concerts, V show, and other events.
For more information about the celebration and to register for the event, interested
persons are advised to contact Cindy Schaulis, WMTH Alumni, at 1-920-854-1187 or 1-
920-421-2425, cindy@wmthalumni.com www.WMTHalumni.com
About WMTH Alumni
2009 marks the 50th year "on the air" for Maine Township High School's radio station
WMTH-FM and the 35th year for the WMTH television broadcast facility. Alumni from
across the country will return to the Des Plaines-Park Ridge area on Sept. 25, 26, 27,
2009 and join current staff members for a weekend celebration.
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Press Release Contact Information:
Cindy Schaulis
WMTH Alumni
Faculty Sponsor, retired
2601 Dempster Street
Park Ridge, IL
US 60068
Voice: 1-920-854-1187
Website: Visit Our Website |
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