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WMPH 91.7 FM
 

 

Mr. Clint Dantinne

WMPH Radio
5201 Washington St Ext
Wilmington, DE  19809
(302) 762-7199 Office

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Phone Numbers

Mount Pleasant High School Main Office
(302) 762-7125
School Fax 762-7042

WMPH 91.7 FM Studios
(302) 762-7199
School ext. 3050

WMPH Transmitter Room
(302) 761-7428

Recording Studios
School ext. 4555

Television Studios
School ext. 1198

WMPH 2 Internet Radio
(302) 762-1238


 

The WMPH Story (1969-2009)

as told by Clint Dantinne
Page 1 of 2 with APPENDAGE

 


WMPH 91.7 FM -- 40th Anniversary of Music & Memories

 


WMPH Radio station serves the three high school of the Brandywine School District; Brandywine, Concord, and Mount Pleasant.

 


The idea for a high school radio station at Mount Pleasant High School was conceived by the student council Class of 1968.

 


After much hard work and approval from the Federal Communications Commission, the WMPH at Mount Pleasant High became a reality in 1969.

 


During the formative years of the radio station, it was mainly utilized as an after school club. Many students benefited from this unique club… the only high school radio station in the State of Delaware.

 


As the culture of the community changed, so did the radio station. Due to unsupervised activities at the radio station, deviant behavior resulted. The Brandywine School District was formed in 1981 and became the owner of the radio station. Several years later in 1990, the decision of the school was to shut down the radio station.

 


As an alumnus with radio experience, I gave a written proposal to the superintendent of the Brandywine School District. The school district hired me to resurrect the defunct radio station. WMPH returned to the air on March 1, 1993.

 


As an alumnus with radio experience, I gave a written proposal to the superintendent of the Brandywine School District. The school district hired me to resurrect the defunct radio station.

 


WMPH returned to the air on March 1, 1993.

 


Only two years later, the entire building of Mount Pleasant High School was completely renovated. For the 1995-1996 school year, the operation of the school was moved to an alternate location. WMPH was relocated to a trailer several miles away. A dedicated line sent the broadcast from the WMPH temporary location to the original transmitter site.

 


The new radio facilities at the high school were designed by me, who also supervised the construction. In the summer of 1996, WMPH returned to a Mount Pleasant High School and a modern studio.

 


The programming of WMPH has always been source of debate since its inception. In the early 1970s, WMPH was primarily a rock station. It later became an open format. The station remained an open format when I reinstated the station in 1993. After careful consideration, the programming on WMPH was changed to a dance music format.

 


When we say ‘open format’, we are referring to an anything goes station. Provided the content is free of obscenities, the disc jockey has total control of the music choice. The student DJs like freedom to play whatever they wish, but the station as a whole would have few regular listeners.

 


With a dedicated music format, such as dance, listeners know what to expect. An actual identity is created and many more people listen regularly.

 


It is important that a radio station establish an identity with its community and prospective listening audience. No single radio station can effectively be ‘all things to all people’ as proven by broadcast ratings and radio advertising sales.

 


Why dance music? Dance music is radio friendly, meaning clean lyrics. Dance music is known for ‘feel good’ socially positive messages. And, the dance music industry is growing substantially in the U.S. and worldwide.

 


Today’s dance music is combination of original music from both aspiring and established industry artists, remixes of retro dance songs, and remixes of current popular hit music.

 


Dance music reaches a very large demographic which includes a mixed sampling of all cultures, races, and ages. Dance music almost equally appeals to men and women.

 


Dance music is commonly played by disc jockeys at nightclubs, radio stations, raves, and parties. Mobile DJs play dance music to entertain at wedding receptions and other special events.

 


WMPH was a catalyst for the Broadcast Learning Center of the Brandywine School District. As the Broadcast Learning Center founder and educator, I supervise all forms of communication at the school including radio, television, film, recording, puppets, and the radio and school web sites.

 


I am also responsible for collaborating with the Afterschool Alliance, an alliance of public, private, and nonprofit groups committed to raising awareness and expanding resources for afterschool programs.

 


WMPH radio station is the primary component of the Broadcast Learning Center. The radio station operates 24 hours each day year-round.

 


The purpose of our radio station is about people. We teach our students the importance of public service and interaction with diverse aspects of our community.

 


Our students are trained in a professional environment with the latest resources in broadcast technology.

 


Guests are frequently interviewed by our student radio hosts either live in the studios or via telephone.

 


Students learn not only the technical skills to succeed, but what to say on the air and how to say it.

 


Many well recognized personalities have visited our radio studios including politicians, Miss Delaware USA...

 


...sport stars including the Harlem Globetrotters, and numerous musicians

 


We teach the art of radio voice tracking and...

 


...non-linear recording and editing.

 


WMPH broadcasts live from many community events. We have a 100 square foot customized canopy for remote broadcasts.

 


The radio students often remotely DJ from school dances and other special events...

 


...including the Delaware State Fair...

 


...local carnivals and festivals...

 


and – of course – our school functions including homecoming.

 


Although a not-for-profit organization, WMPH is an active member of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. We are an exhibitor at the Chamber’s annual Women’s Expo promoting women in business.

 


WMPH has hosted concerts and organized live events with performers of the dance music industry.

 


Since its’ conception in the late 1960s, WMPH is no stranger to the local news. Throughout my own tenure with the school, our radio station has appeared many times in the local press. I have been interviewed on local television and news radio stations.

 


June 10, 2009 - This Associated Press story went all over the United States in every major newspaper. Notice the line "A Delaware radio station boycotted all artists affiliated with musicFIRST for an entire month." This refers directly to the WMPH 91.7 FM boycott of 2007.
June 16, 2009 - The News Journal ran a front page story on the WMPH boycott of 2007 and our stand against a performance tax.
June 28, 2009 - On ACTION NEWS (WPVI Philadelphia) channel 6 for leading a protest against a music performance tax.

 


Like any other radio station, the WMPH brand appears on T-shirts and other merchandise. We are also listed in the Yellow Pages.

 


WMPH has appeared on billboards, magazine and newspaper ads, and community access television.

 


The technology powering the operation of WMPH is first-rate. We have a sophisticated automation and computer network, RDS input to our transmitter, and remote broadcasting system. In addition to our FM broadcast, WMPH was heard for several years on the second audio program of Comcast channel 8.

 


On our FM frequency of 91.7 megahertz, WMPH reaches over a half million potential listeners in northern Delaware including portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.

 


Listeners are informed of weather, traffic, local news, and school closings. WMPH airs a series of educational features, public service announcements, and community updates.

 


According to the Dale Carnegie quote, “There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say and how we say it.”

 


We teach our student DJs how to prepare content for their weekly scheduled radio shift.

 


WMPH gives great experience for students interested in being a DJ, radio host, television personality, public speaker, news journalist, sports announcer, or music promoter.

 


Our radio students learn how to operate all broadcast equipment, communicate to a LIVE radio audience, develop a weekly radio show, and follow the rules and regulations of the (FCC) Federal Communications Commission.

 


Our radio workshops have definitive Goals, Action Plans Vision, Purpose, and Strategies.

 


Many hundreds of students have participated with the radio station since its’ first broadcast day in 1969. We are proud of our many alumni that have pursued broadcasting, public relations, and mass media communications as their career choice.

 


WMPH radio station serves three vital roles in our community: the educational development of students, the promotional needs of our school district, and the entertaining and informative desires of our listening audience.

 


WMPH was the catalyst for the Broadcast Learning Center of the Brandywine School District. We also have a completely separate radio facility broadcasting on the internet.

 

GO TO PAGE 2 OF THE WMPH STORY