WRCT

WRCT

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area	Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Frequency	88.3 MHz
Programming
Format	Freeform
Affiliations	Pacifica Radio
Ownership
Owner	WRCT Radio, Inc.
History
First air date	1949; 76 years ago (1949) (carrier current AM) March 1, 1974; 50 years ago (1974-03-01) (FM)
Call sign meaning	Radio Carnegie Tech
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	1
Class	A
ERP	1,750 watts (directional)
HAAT	22 meters (72 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	40°26′39″N 79°56′37″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	www.wrct.org

WRCT (88.3 FM) is a non-commercial freeform radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[2] The volunteer-run station has a studio in the basement of Carnegie Mellon's University Center.^[3] WRCT broadcasts throughout the city with an ERP of 1.75 kW, from atop Warner Hall. WRCT Radio, Inc. holds the station's license.^[2]

History

WRCT or Radio Carnegie Tech started as an experimental radio station at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in 1949 by engineering students.^[4][3] The students used electrical wiring to broadcast a weak AM signal to a few academic buildings for several hours each day.^[4][3] In 1950, WRCT became an official student organization and covered half the buildings on campus.^[4]

WRCT started as a carrier current AM radio station on 900 kHz, but moved to 88.3 FM on March 1, 1974, with a power of 10 watts.^[3] This extended its signal across campus and to nearby areas.^[3] In the late 1980s, the power increased to 100 watts.

In 1994, WRCT received permission to increase power to 1,750 watts^[2] in the north, south, and west and 680 watts in the east, allowing it to be heard up to fifteen miles away. The station also streams audio on the Internet through the station's website.^[3]

Volunteers from the Carnegie Mellon campus and the community run the station, serving as disc jockeys, producers, engineers, and support staff.^[3]

Programming

WRCT's mission is to present its listening audience with freeform, original programming not found on the other radio stations in Pittsburgh.^[3]

Music

The on-air DJs select the station's varied musical programming. WRCT's record library includes almost 70,000 records and CDs.^[3] Musical genres commonly in rotation include alternative country, blues, electronic, experimental, hip hop, heavy metal, indie rock, jazz, musical theater, and world music.^[4] Programmers also play locally produced music, including creative beats, conscious lyrics, and new artists.^[5]

Public affairs

WRCT's public affairs programming emphasizes news and issues from the Pittsburgh community. The station's original programming includes:

• Barrio Latino: The Latin American Radio Hour – the latest news from Latin America and the Pittsburgh Hispanic community^[6]
• Brazilian Radio Hour or Cantinho Brasileiro no Radio – Brazilian music and news broadcast in English and Portuguese^[7]
• History for the Future – interviews with academics and journalists to explore the history behind contemporary social issues^[8]
• Rustbelt Radio – the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly round-up of grassroots news^[4]
• The Saturday Light Brigade – one of the longest-running public radio shows in the country^[3]

Pacifica radio

WRCT is Pittsburgh's Pacifica Radio Network affiliate station, airing the following public affairs programs:

• Democracy Now!^[4]
• Feature Story News
• Law and Disorder

Awards

Brazilian Radio Hour won the 2013 Brazilian International Press Award.^{[citation needed]}

In 2023, WRCT was recognized in the Greater Pittsburgh Community Media Awards for Community Radio.^[9]

Notable people

Electronic music artist, DJ, and record producer Yaeji was a member of WRCT and debuted some of her first sets on the station while studying at Carnegie Mellon.^[10][11]

See also

• List of community radio stations in the United States

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for WRCT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. "WRCT-FM 88.3 MHz - Pittsburgh, PA". radio-locator.com. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
3. Cullen, Rob. "The Eclectic and Eccentric WRCT FM ." Pittsburgh News for Tech, Arts, Hiring – Pop City. 12 November 2008. Accessed 3 February 2012. via Wayback Machine
4. McCoy, Adrian. "WYEP, WRCT plan anniversary specials." Post-Gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10 Apr. 2009. Web. 2 Feb. 2012.
5. Levy, Doug. “Owen Carmichael.” CMJ New Music Report, n.d. via Google Books.
6. Lindsey, Claire (August 27, 2021). "The Neighborhood on the Air: Barrio Latino". Pittsburgh Latino Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
7. Lindeman, Teresa F (March 20, 2012). "Brazil's rising power changes perceptions". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
8. "Monthly Review | Fred Magdoff interviewed on History for the Future, WRCT-Pittsburgh". Monthly Review. October 18, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
9. 2023 Greater Pittsburgh Community Media Awards - 10/19/23, October 26, 2023, retrieved December 7, 2023
10. Barr, Natalie (November 6, 2017). "Korean-American producer Yaeji brings whispers to the dancefloor". Interview Magazine. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
11. Groundwater, Colin (July 18, 2017). "Yaeji – A visual artist and house musician finally finds a home in New York City". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved March 10, 2021.