WMRT - FM 88.3 - Marietta, OH

WMRT-FM is a 9,200-watt stereo station located on Marietta College's campus and has an audience throughout Southeast Ohio and Western West Virginia. The station provides cultural and informational programming, local, regional, national and international news and sports, and over 100 hours a week of …classical and jazz music. Its programming is supported, to some extent, by underwriting from area businesses and listeners. Numerous Marietta College students are involved in the day-to-day operation of the station with the goals of honing their skills and producing original programming. WMRT-FM is also the home for Marietta College athletics. Student crews regularly broadcast Pioneer action live on the air and stream audio live on the Internet with the help of communications consulting firm Offenberger and White, Inc., and www.MariettaOnline.com. Radio broadcasting at Marietta College began in the 1920's with station WBAW, which was operated as an experiment by the college physics department. During those early years the College offered courses for credit via radio and conducted experiments in the new technology of that time. These broadcasts were suspended in the thirties, and broadcasting was not revived at MC until the 1950's. In 1960, under the leadership of Dr. Bernard Russi of the Speech Department, the campus broadcasting program was revived under the FCC's noncommercial FM broadcasting rules. These rules allowed small colleges such as Marietta to operate a small (10-watt) FM station within a very relaxed regulatory structure. That station continues operating today as WCMO-FM, serving the campus community with limited programming. In 1975, Marietta College constructed and began operating a much larger station (9200 watts) under the call WMRT-FM. Along with the increase in transmitter power, a commitment was made to year-round operation of the radio service and an expansion of program offerings to include more informational programs, and jazz music. WMRT has grown steadily since that time, with the addition of a 24 hour broadcast schedule beginning in December of 1999.