WLTL

WLTL

Broadcast area	Chicago
Branding	88.1 FM LaGrange
Slogan	"Everything else is just radio"
Frequency	88.1 FM (MHz)
First air date	1968
Format	Variety Rock
ERP	180 watts Directional
HAAT	42 meters
Class	A
Transmitter coordinates	41°48′38″N 87°52′47″W / 41.81056°N 87.87972°W / 41.81056; -87.87972Coordinates: 41°48′38″N 87°52′47″W / 41.81056°N 87.87972°W / 41.81056; -87.87972
Callsign meaning	Chosen to reference LTHS when the station was formed
Former callsigns	None
Owner	Lyons Township High School
Sister stations	LT-TV
Webcast	WLTL Stream
Website	WLTL Online

WLTL Radio ("WLTL-FM"), and formerly known as "Rock88" is a nonprofit high school educational radio station located in LaGrange, Illinois, and run out of Lyons Township High School. WLTL has won several national and local awards.^[1]

WLTL Background

WLTL launched in January 1968 as a 10 watt radio station on the third floor of the Vaughan Building at LTHS' North Campus, with a simple omnidirectional antenna. WLTL originally operated on an assigned frequency of 88.3 MHz, but by 1969 changed frequency to 88.1 to permit WHSD, Hinsdale to operate on 88.5 and avoid having the two relatively close stations operate on adjacent channels. While licensed to operate at 10 watts, with a transmitter capable only of 10 watts power output, and a single bay horizontally polarized antenna with inexpensive transmission line, it was estimated that the actual ERP of the station at that time was approximately 7 watts. The original studio furniture was donated by local La Grange station WTAQ. The station transmitted a monophonic signal until the mid-1980s.

After a license upgrade in the mid-1980s to permit higher power utilizing a new, higher, circularly polarized directional antenna, WLTL now broadcasts at 180 watts, with the transmitter and antenna still at the original location, though with a newer taller tower. The directional pattern places the strongest signal to the south and south-east, while maintaining a null in the direction of WETN, Wheaton College, also operating on 88.1, and to a lesser extent, limiting the signal somewhat to the west to protect WDGC at 88.3 (first adjacent) and WHSD on 88.5 (second adjacent). The power increase also made stereophonic transmission practical. WLTL also moved its studios into Room 10 of the North Campus main building, then later, into its current studios in Room 9.

During its early years, WLTL was entirely student run with only minimal faculty supervision. The station operated with limited broadcast hours, initially from 3pm to 6pm Monday to Thursday, and 3pm to 9pm on Friday and Saturday, later expanding to Noon to 7 Monday - Thursday, and Noon to 10pm Friday and Saturday. Early programming consisted of short student-produced recorded educational programs, educational programming supplied by several college stations, and student DJ programs featuring popular music. Student DJ programs dominated the evening and weekend hours, and many students strived to emulate local professional broadcasters both in style and content. There were even student-produced radio dramas featuring original scripts and sound effects. To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of Lyons Township High School in 1968, the student staff of WLTL produced a commemorative record presenting audio highlights of key events at the school. The record was a 33 rpm 10" disc titled "We Are L.T.", and was sold to students, alumni and faculty.

With encouragement from the staff at commercial station WTAQ La Grange (who also donated some older remote broadcast equipment), the station became involved with high-school sports broadcasting, and covered LTHS's winning of the Illinois State High School Basketball Championship in 1970, broadcasting live from Champaign, IL. Other early innovations included developing relationships with other area high school radio stations, who would on occasion exchange DJs to share in each other's radio experience. A relationship was also formed with WIND Chicago (Group W, Westinghouse Broadcasting) in order to supply news content to WLTL.

WLTL is licensed to the Board of Trustees-School District District 204 and is operated by students of LTHS under the supervision of faculty advisers.^[1]

The music of WLTL is organized in a variety rock music radio format, airing various types of music including rock, alternative, pop, ska, emo, and others. The station operates 24 hours a day.^[1]

Alumni

After graduation, alumni taking part in WLTL have moved on to various successful careers. Notable alumni include:

Dave Juday (Sports Anchor, ESPN Radio 1000, WMVP Chicago)^[2]
Ryan Arnold (Night DJ at 93XRT)
Emma Mac (Overnight Night DJ at WXRT)
Sean Leidigh (executive producer, WGN TV News)
Phil Lebeau (Automotive and Airline Industry reporter at CNBC)
Steve Buda (Morning Co-host at Sunny 101.5 WNSN)

Images

Lyons Township High School North Campus
WLTL business card, circa 1987
WLTL transmitter, 2010

References

1 2 3 About WLTL Rock88.1.net. Accessed August 31, 2012 Archived May 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
↑ Dave Juday ESPN. Accessed August 31, 2012

External links

Radio stations in the Chicago market

By AM frequency	560 670¹ 720¹ 750 780¹ 820 850 890¹ 930 950 1000¹ 1030 1050 1080 1110 1160 1200 1220 1230 1240 1270 1300 1330 1340 1370 1390 1410 1420 1430 1450 1450 1490 1500 1500 1510 1530 1570 1590 1690

By FM frequency	87.7² 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.3 88.3 88.3 88.3 88.5 88.5 88.7 88.7 88.7 88.7 88.9 88.9 89.1 89.1 89.3 89.3 89.5 89.7 90.1 90.5 90.7 90.7 90.9 91.5 91.7 91.9 92.3 92.5 92.7 93.1 93.5 93.9 94.3 94.7 95.1 95.5 95.9 95.9 96.3 96.7 96.7 96.9 97.1 97.5 97.9 98.3 98.3 98.7 99.5 99.9 99.9 100.3 100.7 100.7 101.1 101.9 102.3 102.3 102.7 103.1 103.1 103.5 103.9 103.9 103.9 104.3 104.7 105.1 105.5 105.5 105.9 106.3 106.7 107.1 107.1 107.5 107.9

NOAA Weather Radio frequency	162.400 162.425 162.500 162.550

Digital radio	780 1300 1390 1690 89.3-1 89.3-2 89.5-1 89.5-2 90.1-1 90.1-2 90.1-3 90.7-1 90.7-1 90.9-1 90.9-2 90.9-3 91.5-1 91.5-2 92.3-1 92.3-2 93.1-1 93.1-2 93.1-3 93.9-1 93.9-2 94.7-1 94.7-2 95.5-1 95.5-2 95.9-1 95.9-2 96.3-1 96.3-2 96.7-1 97.1-1 97.1-2 97.9-1 97.9-2 97.9-3 98.7-1 99.5-1 99.5-2 100.3-1 100.3-2 101.1-1 101.1-2 101.9-1 101.9-2 102.3-1 102.7-1 102.7-2 103.5-1 103.5-2 104.3-1 104.3-2 105.1-1 105.1-2 105.1-3 105.5-1 105.9-1 105.9-2 106.3-1 106.7-1 106.7-2 107.5-1 107.5-2

By callsign	KWO39 KXI41 KXI58 KZZ81 W219CD W244BQ W248BB W264BF W280EM WAES WAIT WAKE WBBM¹ WBBM-FM WBEQ WBEW WBEZ WBGX WBMF WCCQ WCEV WCFJ WCFL WCFS-FM WCGO WCKG WCLR WCPT WCPT-FM WCPQ WCPY WCRX WCSJ-FM WDCB WDGC-FM WDRV WEDC WEEF WEFM WEBG WERV-FM WETN WFEL-LP WFMT WFXF WGCI-FM WGEN-FM WGN¹ WGRB WGVE-FM WRME-LP² WHFH WHPK WHSD WIIL WIIT WIMS WIND WJCH WJKL WJMK WJOB WJOL WKBM WKKC WKQX WKRS WKSC-FM WKTA WLEY-FM WLIT-FM WLJE WLPR-FM WLS¹ WLS-FM WLTH WLTL WLRA WLIP WLUP-FM WLUW WMBI WMBI-FM WMVP¹ WNDZ WNTD WNUR-FM WNVR WNWI WOJO WONC WONU WPJX WPNA WPPN WPWX WRDZ WRLL WRMN WRLR-LP WRSE WRTE WRTW WRTO WRXQ WSBC WSCR¹ WSHE-FM WSPY-FM WSRB WSRI WSSR WTMX WTZI WUSN WVAZ WVIV-FM WVIX WVON WWCA WWDV WWHN WWTG WXAV WXLC WXRD WXRT WYCA WYLL WZRD WZSR WZVN

Internet stations	WGN Plus WGN.FM Q101 Chicago

Defunct stations	WCFJ WCFL WCGO WCRW WEDC WENR WKKD WMAQ WMCW WNIB WRLL

Satellite radio local traffic/weather XM Channel 217 Sirius Channel 151 Nearby radio markets Benton Harbor-St. Joseph Kankakee LaSalle–Peru Milwaukee-Racine Rockford South Bend See also List of radio stations in Illinois List of radio stations in Indiana ¹ = Clear-channel stations with extended nighttime coverage ² = Audio signal of WRME-LP (oldies audio, with video of traffic conditions)

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