WGTB

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WGTB is a student-run radio station at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The station was originally founded in 1946 by Rev. Francis Layden, SJ. The station became notorious in the late 1960s and 1970s for broadcasting anti-war and left-wing programming across a 60-mile radius, covering the DC Metro area. The programming caused significant friction between the station's staff and the school administration. As a result, Fr. Timothy Healy, SJ, Georgetown's president, donated the 6700-watt signal, broadcasting at 90.1 FM, to the recently-founded University of the District of Columbia in 1979. UDC sold the signal to C-SPAN in 1997 for $25 million.

The student staff managed to keep the station alive, initially broadcasting on AM carrier current, and since 1996 via a "leaky cable" system intended to ensure that the station can only broadcast around the campus and its immediate environs. Since 2001, WGTB content has been available exclusively over the web. Broadcasts can be heard every day from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m at http://www.georgetownradio.com.

Recorded programming from WGTB, mostly in the 1970's can be heard Wednesdays on internet-radio station, WGAY found at http://www.wgay.fm Fortunately, hundreds of hours of WGTB were recorded by various listeners, several of whom have allowed WGAY to borrow and digitally dub these historical tapes, so that the sound of WGTB will continue to be heard.

There is also a tribute page on DCRTV found at http://www.dcrtv.org/wgtb.html